Wanderlust

After another year of working so hard, I decided to get a vacation package from Caravan Tours and I met a lot of different type of people and not surprisingly, each one has his/her own favorite things to say about the tour. It was an 8 days trip that begins from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada.

When we got in Doubletree Suites for briefing, some people started to smile, enjoy and I feel like they are already having the time of their life being in a bar and drinking while I went to the fitness center and get some exercise knowing I would do a lot of standing up and walking the following days.

I can see some travelers in this trip are into socializing, making friends or networking business. They look interesting and sometimes funny when you hear their conversation like agreeing to the one would say something just to make friends.

My purpose and favorite part of the tour was sightseeing. I never knew I would be so fascinated with rocks. Looking at the structures and different colors of the rocks depending where the sun is shining. Looking at a very wide and long way of the area, there are lots of things to think and wonder. It’s like having a reflection in life. You would see one area that is so bright and red that would make you smile and there are dim parts where you really see their differences and feel different about it.

Bryce Canyon National Park Hoodoos is my favorite among the parks. It got red, orange and pink limestone spirals forms. I can’t imagine those rocks being under water. It was so fantastic how the rocks were naturally curved and layered. We stayed overnight at Bryce Valley Inn, which is just 11 miles from the main entrance of Bryce Canyon National Park. The food was terrific or was I just really hungry? I had the 20-ounce T-bone, the most expensive item on the menu, but it’s all worth it. I bought some souvenirs from the gift shop to give to my friends. I was not supposed to since it’s out of my budget but I want to let them know I’ve been to this beautiful place. Thank God for VISA.

Next place we went to was the Zion National Park. It was okay but as I’ve said Bryce was my favorite. I guess because in this one, you have to look up to see the vertical walls of rock. It is neck hurting. One thing I remember is the Great White Throne, which is peculiar from all the rocks, I’ve seen.

Learning the mystique of places like Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon made me feel good and reaching the top where I can see the unique and powerful rocks on each national park below me, and seeing the big blue sky made me feel free. I can say I had a grand vacation. Last stop was Las Vegas and wonder why I was not thrilled with strip, I missed the rocks already.

Day nine brought us to the Carara Biological Preserve. Apparently, “carara” means “river of crocodiles”, and that must have been true because I saw a number of them. I also was in a group that was lucky enough to see the rare scarlet Macaw. Pretty exciting for us! After wandering through this park, we had lunch, and continued onward.

Our next stop was a place called Sarchi where we saw handpainted ox carts and other crafts. I’m not much for crafts, so this part didn’t impress me as much as it did others. My new friends seemed to love it!

Grecia, a metal church, was next and made for some interesting photographs. We got a number of good shots of all of us standing in front of it. Great mementos for now when we are all at home.

The Costa Rican coffee plantation was next. We got to pick some beans and sample the delicious coffee. I have to say that part of the trip was great. I love coffee!

Finally, we returned to San José. We were back where we started at the Barcelo Palacio. I was quite sad because this meant the trip was nearing completion. We all got to use the hotel’s amenities before our farewell dinner that night.

Dinner was incredible. Some of us even cried. The setting was romantic and so memorable. Food was great. But, for the most part, we were really sad that the trip had come to an end. Many of us felt we would have enjoyed another four or five days.

My friend and I retired to our room late that night, even though our flight was leaving the next day. We hated to go, so we all hit the casino one more time.

After a delicious breakfast, we were taken to Manuel Antonio , acclaimed to be Costa Rica’s prettiest park. I think I would agree. We spent most of the morning hiking and swimming in the ocean.

The hike was most memorable as the trails were frequented by spider monkeys. They did not seem to show fear at all. According to our guide, this area is the last natural habitat for these monkeys. I found that quite sad.

After lunch, we were taken back to our hotels were we could spend the day doing whatever intrigued us. We got rides into town and spent the day doing some shopping and sightseeing on our own. Jaco is a pleasant area.

After our afternoon out, we returned for another satisfying dinner and then enjoyed some time on the beach watching the tide. All in all, I think this was perhaps my favorite area of the trip.

Day seven was neat. We got to drive past the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, a portion of forest purchased by children around the world. It brought a tear to the eye thinking about how these kids did such a kind thing.

Our next stop was the Cloud Forest Reserve where we got to walk around and see a lot of the local plants and animals. Our guide explained to us how the cloud forest is more humid than a rainforest, but it doesn’t rain as often as it does in a rainforest. Strange!

We had lunch at the Cloud Forest restaurant, and got to see some hummingbirds eat. The rest of this day was spent on the bus heading to the Pacific Ocean. The town we were headed for was called Jaco.

In Jaco, our hotel Terrazas del Pacifico turned out to be another great surprise. The hotel offered a huge adult-only swimming pool with a swim-up bar. And, best of all, the hotel was all-inclusive, so our drinks were included!

While the hotel wasn’t in the downtown, we were able to stroll up and down the beach. I almost think I preferred this as it allowed us to stretch our legs while looking for shells.

After breakfast, we headed north and were able to see orange, teak, and sugar plantations. Our destination was Cano Frego’s wildlife preserve where we were able to cruise down a driver while viewing wildlife. I spotted a crocodile, only to be told it was really a caiman, and did see some monkeys, birds, and even a few weird lizards that walked on the water.

After stopping for lunch, we returned to the hotel and had plentyh of time to explore Fortuna. My friend and I joined the other girls on the group for some shopping. We found a few neat things and then headed back to the hotel for dinner. Dinners had been good so are, though my friend did say she was getting tired of chicken all the time. I’d learned before hand that poultry is common, as seafood in Costa Rica is mainly exported to other countries.

The weather allowed us to view the lava flowing from the Arenal volcano and we all indulged in the offer to bathe in a hot spring! We also took the opportunity to head to town for some night life. After all, it wouldn’t be right to miss the opportunity to let our hair down with some of the locals!