All posts by Nancy

Paradise Found: Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge (part 5)

For the most part, we stayed on the property but we did take two tours. Both of them were through the hotel. They were both wonderful and the tour guide was excellent as was the driver.

We took a private tour of Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge. It was about 90 minutes north of the resort and close to the Nicaragua border. We were told to bring a copy of our passports in case we were stopped. While that was a bit disconcerting, we went anyway. The drive took us past many different plantations including sugar plantations and refineries, coffee, and pineapple plantations as well as beef and sheep farms. Also, we saw lots of wildlife especially many birds.

Storks, egrets, roseate spoonbills are everywhere
Caracara bird looking for road kill
Rufescent tiger heron in the grasses


Caño Negro is a protected area and is considered to be one of the most important wetland areas in the world. Caño Negro is a sweet water lagoon area with a river and wetlands that total about 24000 acres. It is located between the Pacific lowlands monsoonal climate and the Caribbean coastal areas humid climate. Because of it, there is a large variety of plants, birds, and animals including many rare plants and animals.

 We arrived at Los Chiles where we boarded a open tour boat. We were the only ones on the boat so we could speak with the tour guide as well as the man running the boat.

We were the only ones on this tour boat

He took us a bit out of the way to see a rare family of howler monkeys who are albino but look “red/orange.” They call him “Trump”.

This is actually an albino howler monkey who appears orange. I borrowed this picture because mine was an orange blob.

and glide up the Río Frío through canyons of green towards the everglade like Lago Caño Negro.

It was the end of the rainy season so the river was a bit high and muddy
I believe this is a black crowned heron
I believe this is a kite of some sort
Loon

Caño Negro is also a key migratory route for birds from the north. We saw caimans, anhingas, roseate spoonbills, egrets, great blue herons, monkeys, lizards, turtles, and lots more. My very favorite was seeing a toucan. 

Ctenosaur lizard
So cute, it is a capuchin monkey hanging out.
Grey tanagers
Willets

We also saw howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and spider monkeys. We found out there are 4 species that live in Costa Rica. The other one lives in jungles near the beach.  

Roseate Spoonbill
My personal favorite bird is the toucan. It was awesome to see it in the wild.

Caño Negro is definitely a special place and should be on anyone’s list who visits Costa Rica.

Paradise Found: Nayara Springs wildlife: Part 4

In reality, there was almost no need to go on a tour from Nayara Springs because it had everything. The lush gardens were all around. The villas had privacy screens that were, well, gardens and jungles.

One of many Koi ponds along the paths

The resort encourages wildlife to feel as much at home as the human visitors. For example, they added 300 cecropia trees to attract sloths. Another name for the tree is the sloth tree. We understand there are about a dozen in residence but we only saw a couple close up and personal.

They hung out and waited for pictures. They almost seem to pose. It was so exciting for us since we only ever saw them in zoos.

There at banana trees where flycatchers hang out. There are lots of lily ponds and fountains everywhere. Hummingbirds and butterflies were everywhere and there were so many  other exotic birds.

It is worth the time to hang out and just watch the living jungle around you. We loved it.

Paradise Found: Nayara Springs resort restaurants (PART 3)

There are multiple restaurants and bars on both properties. Breakfast was either outside in the patio or at Mes Amores, a casual restaurant with views of the volcano. It is located next to a swim up bar and pool.

The Swim up bar and next to it is the breakfast area

This is the breakfast (and lunch and light dinner area) The breakfasts were delicious.
Every morning started with fresh fruit and a bread basket.

Breakfast with a view. We are sitting at our table and saw this view every day (when it was clear)
Amor loco is one of the main dinner restaurants. It was a bit too dark for me.

Another restaurant is Amor Loco. It is an upscale restaurant with music every night. The food is okay but the main qualm I had with it was the restaurant is too dark. You can’t read the menu or see your food if you aren’t in a booth near the light. I really didn’t enjoy it because it was just too dark. We needed flashlights to see the menus. The food was good and there was music every night.

One of the restaurants was a wine and tapas bar called Nostalgia. It was very good. We went there for a wine and food matching dinner. It was delicious. The wines were from Chile and Argentina and they were matched very well. We spoke with the sommelier who was a very nice young guy and he definitely worked with the chef to match the food. It was probably our favorite meal.

Nostalgia is a tapas and wine restaurant on the property. We had a dinner with matched wines and it was delicious, probably the best meal we had at the resort.

One night, we ate at Altamira the restaurant on the family side of the resort. It was casual and very good. Thank heavens for the golf carts. They picked us up and took us to the other side of the resort.

Even the casual restaurants are good. It is a long walk so the golf carts were wonderful

There is another special restaurant for private dining. It is in its own restaurant area and was decorated almost Moorish. It has two seatings and the table comes with its own room, chef and waitress. It is totally romantic. Just think, you have your won chef and waitress to serve you. The walkway to the room is strewn with rose petals.

Imagine walking through a hallway with candles and rose petals leading you to your won private restaurant.

More rose petals and swans when you get back to your room after the incredibly romantic dinner

When you get back to your room, there are rose petals in the shape of a heart. It was so romantic that you just sighed. It was awesome! For anyone in love, this is the place to stay.

PARADISE FOUND: Nayara Springs Resort: (part 2)

Nayara Springs Resort is an adult only boutique resort and is part of the Relais and Chateaux group of hotels and resorts. There is a family resort next door called Nayara Resort, Spa, and Gardens. At the Nayara Springs Resort, each of the rooms are private, luxurious villas. Villas that are located in Nayara Springs are separated from the main resort by a 70-acre wooden bridge surrounded by hanging-moss-filled branches and fragrant flowers. Will say more about that later. 

The front desk area is a building with a beautiful sitting area downstairs and a coffee/ice cream/bakery upstairs called Cafecito.

Checking in is easy. The awesome staff is waiting for you. They sit down and tell you about the hotel .
The first thing you do is have a drink triplet. They were all good.

First, we are introduced to the resort along with delicious adult beverages in a couch near the front desk. You don’t really check in at the front desk. They sit down with you, check you in and let you know everything about the hotel. Of course, you don’t really comprehend everything that is available. The hotel staff were all wonderful, everyone no matter where they worked made you feel welcome and valued. They can do magic. If you thought about it, they can find a way to get it for you.

The staff picks you up in golf carts to take you to your beautiful villa. Since you are on a mountain, there is a lot of shuttling to restaurants or spa or anywhere on the property. The mountain that the resort sits on is beautifully landscaped but requires a lot of uphill and downhill walking unless you call the shuttle. They come almost immediately.

Just imagine, this is a path to your villa. Fortunately, there are golf carts because the path is very hilly.

The villas are 1500 square feet of beauty. They are completely private and surrounded by jungle foliage. Depending on the villa, the view of the Arenal volcano can be seen. It is a beautiful site but is cloud covered much of the time but when the clouds lift, the volcano is a magnificent sight. Each villa has a plunge pool that is heated from the volcano (or so the story goes). There is a lovely deck with a day bed, a dining table and chairs, as well as a hammock.

Your very own plunge pool heated by hot springs from the volcano. Ahhhh, heaven

Mike, enjoying life

Basically, there is no reason to leave the room. The bathroom is to die for. There is the gigantic glass enclosed shower (read that sexy) and then there is another shower because one isn’t enough. This one is an outdoor shower that is sexy as well. The bathroom is complete with his and hers vanities and large enough closets that you could move it forever.

The bedroom is gorgeous

A romantic glass enclosed shower built for 2 (actually it is big enough for a family but this is an adult resort)
Then, there is an outdoor shower because an inside one isn’t enough. Paradise found.

The bedroom part of the room is gorgeous. The wood used throughout the rooms are stunning and the view is of the outside area and volcano if you are lucky.

The spa is beautiful and the spa rooms are awesome.

What an amazing yoga room!

The gym, and yoga rooms are perched on a cliff over the rainforest as is the luxurious spa that is simply amazing and almost indescribable. The spa is just gorgeous. The spa service rooms are very private but open to the gardens. It is a visual as well as a wonderful spa experience.

a Trip to Paradise: Costa Rica

Have you ever stayed in a place that was truly paradise? We have….

Last September, Mike worked in El Salvador for a couple of months on and off and finally for a whole month. It was the longest time we have ever been apart even though I used to travel all of the time for work. One, two, maybe three weeks, but never, ever four. I worried the entire time he was there but he didn’t. After a month away from each other, we thought it might be wonderful opportunity to rendezvous somewhere wonderful. It would be some place neither of us has ever been so Mike could decompress from the long stint and one that was relatively close for him and a relatively easy trip for me. Costa Rica was our choice! It is safe and we’ve never been there before. Mike’s plane from El Salvador came in about 45 minutes after mine from Miami. We had a car service take us to the resort. I highly recommend getting a driver and not try to drive yourself. The roads aren’t the greatest. It is a bumpy, funny trip. We saw cows (actually steers) loose on the street.

A steer strolling in the “highway”

We passed lots of farms growing coffee, bananas, plantains, pineapples, corn, sugar, and other crops. There was lots of wildlife and amazing birds that we saw along the way.

Bathroom break and souvenir shop. It was a 3+ hour trip after all.

Mike made reservations at a place called the Nayara Springs Resort in Fortuna (actually it is about 20 minutes from Fortuna). Fortuna is in the Arenal Volcano area so we were going into the mountainous area that was in a jungle. As it turned out, Nayara Springs Resort is ranked as one of the 50 top resorts in the world and the top resort in Central America. Nayara is located on the edge of Arenal Volcano National Park, a sprawling jungle full of sloths, howler monkeys, brilliantly colored butterflies, and tropical birds of all kinds. The Arenal Volcano area is a playground for all kinds of outside activities from hiking, horseback riding, rafting, birding, or looking for spectacular waterfalls.

Just one view of the La Fortuna Waterfall
Our first view of the Arenal Volcano. It was a beautiful sight as we drove by.

It takes a good three hours to get there from San Jose airport. We finally arrived at the resort and, after going through the gate, we arrived in paradise.

The hotel is pretty spectacular by any assessment. They cater to you and allow you your privacy. We have been to many beautiful hotels and resorts all over the world but this resort was simply amazing.

Our Galapagos Trip: General Information

I suppose I should talk about the ship and Silversea in general. We chose Silversea because once you paid for your trip, everything was included so plane reservations, hotels, transfers, tips, drinks, and activities as well as the wet suits you might need. We couldn’t be more pleased. The Silver Galapagos is an older ship but is being replaced by a new one in 2020. It is the largest (along with Celebrity) ship in the Galapagos. It holds 100 passengers and about 80 staff.

The nicest thing about being on a small ship is everyone knows who you are in a rather short time. The captain, the hotel director, all of the servers, the housekeeping people, the front desk folks all say hi by name. It is a gift that they remember you since it happens every week for them. They remember your likes and dislikes for everything especially wine. I drank a bit of Bordeaux each night.

Breakfast was buffet style but they took orders for eggs and brought it to you. They had healthy shakes, vegan options, as well as eggs and whatever else you may want. Lunches were usually outside under a covered deck and we thought it was the best meal because they always had grilled fish. Again, it was semi-buffet. They brought the cooked food out to you. The fish was prepared exceptionally well. There were salads, a pasta, and some Ecuadorian dish as well as Ecuadorian ceviche and desserts as well as ice cream. Turns out Ecuadorian ceviche is cooked first and put into a sauce made from peppers, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and coconut milk as opposed to the raw fish that is cooked in an acid of some kind. We even had a ceviche cooking class one afternoon by the head chef. It was fun and delicious. I knew I would make it when I got home.

The only real entertainment was a piano player. We didn’t really know what he was playing for the first few bars but the crowd seemed to like him.

The chef was lovely. She taught a ceviche class one afternoon. Would have liked more classes.

The Chef taught a ceviche class that was fun. Ecuadorian ceviche is not like the ones we typically eat. The fish is cooked for a couple (and I mean, a couple) of minutes before they put it into the lime mixture. It was delicious and we loved having it each day.

The rooms will all suites. They were all very nice. We had a balcony and spent time watching the islands from the ship.

The suite was very comfortable. There was enough closet space for each of us. The bed was the best of any ship we ever were on. The best was the sheets. They were delightful.

The other thing about a small ship is you get to meet and talk to people. While most of the people on the trip were older (not old but older), there were a few families. I guess I was surprised because they didn’t have things for kids to do but they could go on all of the adventures and they did!

To more adventures!

If I had to do it over again, I would choose the Silversea cruise line again. The service was as good as you could wish for.

Galapagos: Day 7 Santa Cruz and the Tortoise reserve

What a special day to visit the Tortoise Ecological Reserve, Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, and Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. It was even more special because it was my birthday! What a way to celebrate!

This is the view going into Santa Cruz harbor.

The geography in this part of Santa Cruz is completely different from the lava fields. It is the first town we saw since we boarded the ship 7 days before. There are about 23,000 people who live there. Some of the buildings are a bit interesting so I took a picture as we were going by.

The land is rich and there are farmers of all sorts growing everything from coffee to crops and dairy cows. We actually saw tortoises wandering alongside the road. The tortoises don’t really pay any attention to the cars going by them.

It was a bit rainy and then the sun came out but there were tortoises wandering along the water area on the side of the road.

The bus took us to the Tortoise Ecological Reserve which is about 45 minutes inland. It turns out that the “reserve” is actually a farmer’s field. The farmers on Santa Cruz are paid to protect the tortoises.  The farmers needed to fence their property so their dairy cows don’t wander off and the tortoises just live there. The solution is that the bottom wire of the fencing is tall enough for the tortoises to go through and low enough that the cows won’t wander off the property. This particular property backed up to a real preserve.

Guess it just wanted to get a bit cooler.
You can see the paths for us to walk but also for the tortoises to look for food.

The tortoises are everywhere you look. The property had watering holes and they just go from place to place very slowly. Once your eyes get used to looking for them, you realize they are everywhere. It is like going Easter Egg Hunting only for tortoises.

Another Tortoise wandering along a path.

They have paths throughout the property but we were able to walk off the paths to get a closer look. At the end of the paths, the farmers have food and drinks as well as bathrooms available so it is a very civilized way to see these magnificent creatures.

There were lots of Galapagos Finches along the paths as well.

We opted to forgo the trip to the breeding center because we saw so many tortoises that we didn’t think we needed to see it. As it turned out, the people who went said the morning trip was actually much better.

By the time we got back to the ship for lunch, I decided it was going to be champagne for the rest of the day to celebrate. Also, we had to pack because we would be leaving the ship the next morning.

A few glasses of champagne later….

It was a great trip. We were awed by what we saw and hope it remains available in perpetuity but we wonder about global warming and its effects on the wildlife there.

Galapagos: Day 6 Cerro Dragon and Las Bachas Santa Cruz

First of all, Santa Cruz is the most populated island in the Galapagos but it still has seriously dry, barren areas. Cerro Dragon is aptly named. Its meaning is Dragon Hill and the hill is full of land iguanas. They are everywhere. Many people went on the hike that day to see the iguanas. Alas, still no flamingos in sight.

And yet another iguana

Las Bachas is just a word for the rusting World War II barges that were abandoned on the island. You can see the rusty left overs of the barges. They are right the beach as you get off the zodiacs. If we weren’t told they were barges, I don’t think we would have recognized them as any kind of boat but then we were also told that the US built an air base on Balthus. It is kind of a romantic story.

All that is left of WW2 barges that landed in the Galapagos.

Otherwise, it is a beautiful beach that begs for you to walk along and look at the birds and all of the other sea life.

A bit of a different view from Santa Cruz. Notice the volcano in the back of the picture. There are still many active volcanoes in the islands.

Galapagos Islands: Day 5: Post office, Floreana and Punta Cormorant, floreana

In the morning, we were supposed to go to the Post Office. Okay, you might ask what a post office is doing on some remote island in the Galapagos. It is actually a most unusual post office. It is one that isn’t manned nor does it use stamps. Basically, it is a barrel where passing sailors would leave messages and hoped the next ship would pick it up and (it was hoped that someone) forward it to their families.

Now it is simply a place where tourists deposit mail and hope someone that lives close by their home towns would find it and bring it to the them. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make a landing at the Post Office because of the fairly high waves going into the island so we gave our mail to the ship to leave the next time they went to the “post office.”

Punta Cormorant Floreana

Punta Cormorant is a beach. The sand is soft and white. It is a perfect place to put down your towel and just sit. It is also a place that lends itself to a beach walk. We went on a hike that took us from the beach to an inland lake. There were lots of water birds along the way that were different from ones we saw during the trip. It is also supposed to be a place to see flamingos. Unfortunately, the flamingos were probably on vacation somewhere else. I was really hoping to see them in the wild but they just weren’t there that day.

We did see lots of turtle nests. It was egg laying time and you can see the mounds that the turtles build to protect their eggs. The females lay 72 eggs per nest and usually set up multiple nests. Once hatched, the babies head down the beach to get to the water. Unfortunately, there are predators that are also anxiously waiting for them to hatch.

I don’t know what kind of Plover this is but they were very common during our walk on the beach.
Another common bird on Floreana was this Oyster Catcher. The beak is a vibrant red-orange.

I believe this is a whimbrel. It is a migratory bird .

Endemic birds including the Galapagos mockingbirds were seen there as well as oyster catchers near the lagoon and other native birds that we didn’t see on other islands.

Galapagos Mockingbird

Thought I would include a picture that was pretty much taken every day as we debarked to the ship from any of our trips on the zodiac. It was a fairly steep climb.

Galapagos Day 4: Exploring and Snorkeling, Isabela Island

Caleta Tagus, Isabela and Bahia Elizabeth, Isabela

We spent the day exploring different parts of Isabela Island. According to legend, Caleta Tagus was a favorite spot for pirates and whalers to look for fresh water. There are inscriptions in the rocks (we now call it graffiti). There was a hiking adventure that went up about 322 steps. We decided on the zodiac tour in the early morning and a snorkeling adventure later in the morning. Again, lots of sea life and lots of different rock formations that came as a result of the sea and the lava. One of the amazing sights was a group of golden rays. They are bright golden in the sunlight and seriously beautiful as they slid through the water. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good picture of them but am including what I could take because of their golden color. Mainly, they look like golden blobs but they were amazing to see.

The gold colored blobs were golden rays traveling together. There were about 6 or so of them swimming by. The color alone was amazing. Sorry the photography failed to capture them. Extraordinary sight!

At Bahia Elisabeth, we mainly had zodiac tours because we went into a mangrove area. First, we saw a couple of islets called Las Marielas. To me, they looked more like a few rocks at the entrance to the mangroves but these little rocks were loaded with birds, crabs and penguins all fighting for space but staying together. Once inside the mangroves, it felt like we were in another world. Living in Florida, we have kayaked among the lush mangroves but this just seemed juxtaposed in a place that is mainly stark lava caves and walls with little plant life. We saw great blue herons, pelicans and penguins looking for fish, sea lions snoozing among the branches, and some other birds that belong in that particular ecosystem. It was quiet and serene and gave us a peaceful sense of being.

It was like entering a different world in contrast to the stark other islands and parts of Isabela as well.
We were so close when the Pelican finally decided to take off.
Try and find the sea lion sleeping on the log. OK, he is the golden brown color. There were actually a couple of them. It looked a bit uncomfortable but better than a rock.

Snorkeling in the Galapagos is special! It is pristine, serene, and truly different from any place else we have ever gone. The water was a balmy 76 degrees. The ship provided short sleeved and short pants wetsuits. Once we got into the water, it was fine but the first splash in was tough for me. The views were superb. We saw lots of sea turtles both swimming and just lying on the sandy bottom. We also saw so many beautifully colored tropical fish. It was like swimming in an aquariums. Along with the fish, were the Galapagos Penguins and Sea Lions. We saw one momma with a nursing baby. We just stopped to watch them.

Just so cool to see them underwater and looking for fish..
Pacific Burfish. There are lots of the puffer fish families in the Galapagos waters.
I didn’t take this picture but we loved seeing the sea lions underwater. They are the clowns of the sea.

On our way to the mangroves, we passed a number of islets that are mostly rocks. On them were collections of sea birds and mammals all looking for fish. They really crowded each other and jostled for the best position.

A Galapagos Penguin and Galapagos Cormorant sharing a space (not much of one)
Another view of the rocks with blue footed boobies, sea lions, cormorants , penguins, little crabs, and anything else that could land there.
Same islet , another shot of a blue footed boobie (and their feet are really that blue) and the Galapagos Cormorant.