Costa Rica - Monteverde

We had a car-boat-car transfer between Arenal and Monteverde. Following  a short drive from Amor, including a quick stop for some Coati viewing, we began a slow cruise around and across Lake Arenal. There were many bird sightings and some nice scenery. 

Clockwise from top left:

• Bill & Pat with Arenal in the background
• Little Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• The Coati
• Great Egret
• Neotropic Cormorants
• Osprey

Our luggage went around the lake by car and, after rejoining it, we continued along the mixture of dirt, gravel, and pavd roads to Monteverde. We stopped for lunch (Corvina) before we checked in to our new lodging at Senda. 

The next morning we went on a Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve walk where we encountered a range of Flora and Fauna including clockwise from top left:

• a Coati
• a Quetzal
• a giant Fiddlehead Fern
• an Otatea, commonly known as Mexican Weeping Bamboo
• a Fuchsia paniculata
• a Python millipede
• a Hot Lips plant 

Nearby there were Hummingbird feeders and lots of diners. Later we had a colorful sunset at Senda and a local dance group performed during dinner.

We had intended to zip-line our way around Selva Adventure Park but did the more sedate Butterfly and Sloth preserves. We saw butterfly cocoons in various stages of opening and an array of moths and butterflies inside a glass enclosure. One highly creative butterfly can look like a snake (when closed) and an owl (when open).

Connected to the butterfly area was a Sloth preserve with many of the two toed variety.

We had a nice lunch in town followed by a visit to the neighboring Orchid garden. Later we took a walk in the hotel gardens and saw a large rodent known as an agouti.

Costa Rica - Arenal

Our ride out from Pacuare was about 45 minutes, much of which was uphill over potholes (no road in sight).

We connected with Jose, our driver guide for the next 13 days, and as we approached our new home at Arenal Amor we caught a view of the Arenal Volcano and the "Reclining Indian". 

We arrived at our new home with its sometimes view of the Volcano (which last erupted in 2010). Below: View of Arenal from our deck and from our shower on the one morning it was clear, other days it was shrouded in clouds.

At the restaurant, which also has a great view over the tropical growth to the volcano, we enjoyed a nice Torrontés wine with our sea bass and salmon.

We had lunchita (Note: Costa Ricans are referred to as Ticos due to the tendency to call things "little" using the Spanish endings "ito" and "ita") at Las Tablas in Fortuna, the closest town near our hotel. We enjoyed a nice Chardonnay with the Pork rice dish and Talapia. Below: The church in La Fortuna with Arenal behind. 

We had a Farm-to-Table tour at nearby Finca Luna Nueva Farm. The Farm is a sustainable rainforest farm, eco-lodge and restaurant located in a primary rainforest. It operates as an organic farm focused on regenerative and syntropic (symbiotic) agriculture, they have a mission to bring back the native growth using natural techniques such as growing symbiotic plants. They dedicate every bit of land to producing healthy food while regenerating topsoil and biological diversity. 

We walked along well-groomed rainforest trails learning about products such as native cacao & coffee, as well as honey from tiny stingless Mariola bees. The Mariola bee, native to Costa Rica, is known for its docility and high-quality, medicinal honey. They are just over 1/10 of an inch-long, do not sting and defend their hives by pinching. Each day they open a small round entrance which is sealed with wax for the night.

We also tasted the sweet pulp that surrounds the cacao bean.

The farm raises over 90 species of tropical fruit trees including Cardamon and Pejibaye (savory, starchy fruit with a unique flavor frequently described as a cross between a roasted chestnut and a buttered baked).

We also spotted the "Cuban cigar  plant", a unique  ornamental plant with reddish-brown cigar-shaped bracts and small, white flowers.

At the Finca Luna restaurant our meal feautred Finca Luna's products. And we were offered a range of local beers identified by the names of animals such as sloth or toucan. We met the owners (they bought into the "farm" in 1999 - 5 years after it had been established). And during our discussion we discovered that they have spent some time in San Miguel. where they have worked with soe of our local farmers.

On our way to the Arenal Volcano walk we discovered a Scarlet Macaw (top left). As soon as Bill started taking pictures it attracted a significant crowd. We were a bit embarrased at creating a traffic backup but later learned that this is normal. 

Along the walk we saw, clockwise after the Scarlet Macaw: 

• a Viper
• a Great Curassow
• a Broad-billed Motmot
• a Laughing Falcon

Threatening rain sent us to lunch at Selva Rustica where we both had corvina fish,  Bill with rosemary butter and Pat with sea food sauce.

After lunch we visited Ecocentro Danaus for the butterflies, top right to bottom right. 

• Several varieties feeding
• the local Monarch in caterpillar form
• a Blue Morpho

 Along the route we saw:

• a Keel-billed Motmot (top left)
• a Plumed Basilisk - Green Basilisk or "Jesus Christ lizard" (so-called as it appears to run across the water)
• a live Cayman  that looks like a cement sculpture (bottom left)

 

That evening while enjoying a wine and light snack at the Jaranita Bar we met a couple from Portland Maine!!!

On our final day at Arenal we took a jungle walk over the Hanging Bridges. We encountered a few animals during our walk including a broad-billed motmot, a spider monkey, and an anole lizard. It was an interesting experience but neither of us loved crossing the bridges!

The food scene at Amor was impressive including breakfast entrees like chorrearda (a tortilla made from ground tender corn) and a pesto omelette. Along the route to the restaurant from our room we saw a Great Currassow.

Costa Rica - Pacuare River & Lodge

We have imagined visiting Costa Rica for years but somehow kept choosing other destinations. Maybe it seemed too close to Mexico and too easy to visit. It should just be a gap filler. Well the right gap appeared and we were off to Costa Rica in mid-March.

We arrived in San Jose and had lunch at Il Vicolo. Pat had carbonara and Bill had a pappadelle al ragu accompanied by focaccia and a nice Primitivo.  Lunch was so late that in the evening we decided to have chips and bubbly at the Executive Lounge.   

The next day we had a roughly 2.5 hour drive to the Pacuare River along which we planned to raft to Pacuare Lodge. Enroute to the river we stopped for a traditional breakfast of rice and beans with fried eggs. As we continued the drive we stopped twice to see sloths hanging out in the tree tops. 

Estación Basílica is the entry point to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, a revered pilgrimage site in Cartago, Costa Rica.

The river has a nice mix of class 2 and class 3 rapids. Enough to be slightly scary at first and then just downright fun. 

The rooms at the lodge are named in the ancient local language. Our room was Gavilán (Hawk). 

For lunch we had - mushroom pasta and Tri Tip Steak - with Erasmo, nice red wine from Chile, a blend of Barbera and Garnacha. 

Our luggage arrived via a combination to 4WD vehicle and a suspended basket for crossing the river. The same cart used for our departure.

We settled into our room and later went to the bar and had glasses of chardonnay. At the bar we met up with with new friends Adam and Beth (from New Hampshire) who joined us for dinner.  The calamari and the fish tacos, accompanied by sparkling wine, were clearly very fresh and well prepared.

The highlight of the next day was the Canopy Tour by Zipline. Ziplining was fun but the highlight of the tour was having to wait while our guides coaxed a young sloth off of the zipline. By the time we crossed to the next platform the sloth had taken up residence on the corner of the  platform.

We planned to do a nocturnal tour but preferred to enjoy the downpour from the room, hoping for better weather to come.

We were up at 5:30 for the Birding tour. Pat struggles to see birds that are sitting still but is good with motion. She was thrilled to see a toucan land on a branch and point it out to others, especially because by then there were two toucans. It turns out there are 3 kinds of local toucans and we saw at least 1 of each, including the keel-billed Toucan (which sounded like the "Kill Bill" toucan when the guide said it). We also saw Bitterns (a water bird), and a blue morpho butterfly (but it is only blue when its wings open up).

Later in the morning we went to a water fall not far from the camp. An easy walk to  a quite pleasant little falls. 

At lunch we were taken into the "wine cellar" to see the broader selection that was not on the wine list. We enjoyed a nice Gavi de Gavi with salad, calamari and sea bass.

Later we had a  nocturnal tour. We spotted a lizard, a large butterfly that looks like an owl's face when it is closed up, a baby snail eating snake, two frogs mating, a huge grasshopper, (its body is roughly 3 inches long), a striking red spider and another frog peaking around a plant stalk.

Our last outing at Pacuare Lodge was to learn about the local Cabecar people.  Today they maintain some traditions and a dialect of their local language. The dialect was developed to simplify communications with the local Spanish speaking people. Their buildings, called 'hoods",  have a pointed roof for the mens' quarters and flat roofs for the womens' quarters. For clothing they used strips woven material made from dried plants. The men required only a loin cloth while women added a strip fot the top. They have a very thorough lexicon of medicines. He demonstrated steeping one in a broth and drinking it from a liquid proof cup made from a folded  banana leaf.

Some scenes from around Pacuare including the restaurant, our accommodation and the basket for crossing the river.

Some of the tasty food we had included portabella pasta with intense tomato sauce, grilled sea bass and vegetables, succelent fish tacos, personal size pizzas (pepperoni bacon and margherita), tri-tip steak and grilled vegetables, fried calamari appetizer and a chocolate tart.

Jordan: Amman & Petra

We spent only a few days in Jordan. The first two were touring around Amman before moving on to Wadi Musa for two days of touring Petra.  After settling into our rooms at the Signia by Hilton we dined on seafood at the 962 Bistro and enjoyed the Jordanian JR Chardonnay, not so much the JR Crispy White.

Our touring around Amman began with the Citadel, the Jordan Archeology Museum, and the Roman theater followed by the Jordan Museum of Popular Tradition. The first three provided some history and architecture of the area while the latter focused on the culture.

Clockwise from top left:

• Statue from Ain Ghazal. Made of lime plaster and reeds and considered among the earliest representations of the human form (Pre-Pottery 8000 to 4000 BCE)
• Ruins of the Temple of Hercules at the Citadel
• Umayyad Palace mosque dome at the Citadel 
• Ivory fragments with carved figures and hieroglyphs at the Jordan Archaeological Museum (possibly Bronze Age) 
• Roman bronze oil lamp, likely dating to the 2nd century AD, found in Jerash. The lamp features a handle sculpted into an animal shape and a lid shaped like a shell. 
• Roman Theatre. Dates back to the 2nd century AD and designed to seat approximately 6,000 spectators. It is known for its excellent acoustics and is one of the best surviving examples of Roman architecture in the world.. 
• Miniature model of ornate dome of the bath complex at Hisham's Palace (Khirbat al-Mafjar), an important early Islamic archaeological site near Jericho.

The Museum of Popular Tradition was filled with costumes and other culturally related items. The collection includes headwear, bead and silver jewelry, and traditional clothing from various regions (desert, villages, and towns). 

Clockwise from top left:

• A very ancient instrument the oud is a stringed instrument found all over the Middle East. It plays a significant role in Arabic music and is often referred to as the "sultan" or "king" of Arab instruments. 
• Desert patrol uniform 
• Traditional Jordanian and Palestinian items 
• A mannequin wearing a traditional Palestinian or Jordanian costume. Different regions have distinct motifs and colors. The outfit includes an embroidered dress, a wide belt, and a sheer head covering
• Traditional Jordanian masks or face coverings. The items feature intricate embroidery and numerous silver or metal coin decorations. The items were worn by both Bedouin (nomadic) and sedentary peoples in the region

We next went to nearby Jarash. Lunch at Lebanese House included a Jordan River Shiraz accompanying a collection of appetizers, a mixed grill and dessert. Good meal.

After our lunch we visited the Greco-Roman city of Jerash with remains from Neolithic (7000 to 1700 BCE), Greek (500 to 31 BCE), Roman (27 BCE to 476 CE), Byzantine (330 to 1430 CE) and Umayyad (first Islamic dynasty / second caliphate 661 to 750 CE) eras.

Jerash is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world with its stunning ruins like the Hippodrome (for horse and chariot racing), Hadrian's Arch, Cardo Maximus (colonnaded street), and a hydraulic (water-powered) sawmill.

In the evening we selected a JR Cabernet Sauvignon and Gamay blend with our snacks at Kyra Pool Bar & Grill.

Next morning we were driven to Petra and dropped at our hotel, the Moevenpick Resort, located across the street from the entrance to the site. 

We walked into Petra through narrow rock passageways with towering sides and marveled at the impressive rock formations that had been carved into buildings.

Known as the "Rose City" due to the color of the stone, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom (4th century BCE–106 CE) and is famous for its unique architecture, and most specifically the structure known as "The Treasury".

Clockwise from top left:

• Entrance Gate
• Rock-cut tombs or dwellings 
• Elephant rock formation
• Pat walking through the Siq, the main entrance to the ancient city
• Entry to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, specifically the narrow gorge called the Siq, leading to the iconic Al-Khazneh (The Treasury)
• Bill in a narrow part of the Siq

The walk in through the Siq is great but Al-Khazneh, aka "The Treasury", is the iconic structure that Petra is noted for. It is well worth the walk.

Clockwise from top left:

• The Petra Theater
• Pat in front of the Treasury
• Camels resting near the Treasury
• The Urn Tomb, one of the most prominent of the Royal Tombs. The tomb is believed to be the final resting place of King Malchus II. The tomb was converted into a Byzantine church in 447 AD. 
• Royal Tombs complex with elaborate structures carved into the eastern cliff face of Jabal al-Khubtha. The tombs date back to the 1st century AD and are likely the final resting places for Nabataean royalty and elite.

After lunch at Basin Restaurant, we returned to the hotel with the help of golf carts. There are two independent sets of golf carts to ease the trek, Each covers a different segment of the way. In between, walking is required. As well as waiting in line again.

In the evening we returned by golf cart for the Petra at Night Sound and Light show which is displayed on the front of the Treasury. 

The Monastery is the second most recognized landmark of Petra. We saved it for day 2 and accessed it via the back entry through Little Petra. While we waited for the transportation to the start of the hike we visited Little Petra. On the hike to the monastery we were constantly urged to take the easy route, riding a donkey, camel or horse. 

Clockwise from top left:

• Bedouin tents near the entrance to Little Petra
• Bedouin on Camel looking for a paid rider
• Rock-carved structure (temple) at Little Petra. Located a short distance north of the main Petra site, Little Petra is a smaller version featuring similar facades and chambers carved from sandstone cliffs. It is believed to have been a residential suburb of the larger Petra, possibly housing visiting traders traveling the ancient trade routes. 

Along the hike there were great views over landscape, including views of Israel in the distance. 

• A tangle of a tree growing in the stone
• Steps cut into the rock formation
• View over the black mountains into Israel

As we approached "The Monastery" we saw improving views of its dome. We then learned from our guide, that it is not really a monastery. 

Clockwise from top left:

• An early view of the Monastery
• Detailed work on the center dome
• Pat & Bill in front of the Monastery

We next trekked down 800 to 850 steps to the base, near the  Basin Restaurant where we had previously eaten. We had now completed our loop...but we still had to return though the Siq in the heat. We were fine with that because we knew there were those golf carts for much of the route.

Clockwise from top left:

• High cliffs around the path down
• A market on the path down
• Donkey, transportation for some tourists
• Ruins of the Great Temple at the bottom of the steps

As planned we got a cart for the first segment of our return. But when our guide went to buy tix for the second route, he was told that we would have to walk. Don't ask. We don't understand. But we four somewhat hardy seniors buckled down for a long, slow, hot walk back to the hotel. 

We barely made it. And were grateful to sit down for lunch. The seafood lunch was very tasty but very late in the afternoon and did not allow enough recovery time to really enjoy the "chef's table experience" later that evening. 

During the "experience" we helped make three salads and watched the preparation of the upside down rice dish. The wine was very good, a St George Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

Our return to Amman included a stop at Mount Nebo, where Moses was given a view of the Promised Land before his death. 

Clockwise from top left:

• The location, with it's lovely tile floor, is a popular pilgrimage site .
• Brazen Serpent Monument (also known as the Nehushtan).The monument serves as a reminder of the biblical passage where God instructed Moses to erect a bronze serpent on a pole; those who looked upon it were saved from a plague of venomous snakes. 
• Sign noting the importance of the site
• With good eyesight and weather conditions, you can see the Dead Sea.

We continued on to Madaba for lunch at Haret Jdoudna. Good food. Good wine (a St George Pinot Noir). Good shopping. The shop had fine tile work. We couldn't resist a piece...but we had to ship it. (For the record it was early October. The piece arrived in San Miguel on December 16. There were lots of hang-ups. Let's not dwell on that.)  

After lunch we took a short walk through the lovely town to the Church of St George which is famous for its historic mosaic map of the Holy Land. 

The church was built in the late 19th century on the foundations of a 6th-century Byzantine church. The interior has detailed religious artwork. 

We returned to Amman and began packing for return to Mexico via Istanbul. TheTurkish Air lounge facilities helped pass the time in Istanbul.

Aswan & Abu Simbel

We disembarked from the ship and after a short flight (1pm to 1:40pm) from Aswan we arrived in Abu Simbel (further south near the North Sudan border). It currently sits next to Lake Nasser, the lake created created by the "new" Aswan dam, completed in 1970. 

We stayed at the Seti Abu Simbel Hotel. We spent an afternoon and evening viewing Abu Simbel by daylight and later with a light show and narrative. It is hard to believe but the site was moved from its original location is now under Lake Nasser (formed by the upper / high dam). The carved temples were cut into more than 1000 blocks weighing 30 tons each, moved 65 meters up and 200 meters inland and reassembled. 

The light show and narrative was the best on this trip.

The next morning we were on an early flight back to Aswan and our lodging at the Old Cataract Hotel. 

We passed by the Aswan Low Dam or Old Aswan Dam. It was finished 1902 but was not effective in reducing flooding and supporting irrigation in the Nile delta (even with two height increases).

The Old Cataract Aswan Hotel on the Nile, opened also in 1902. The decor is impressive as are the views over the Nile. Agatha Christie stayed here in 1937 and, inspired by the Nile views, wrote "Death on the Nile".

At the nearby Nubian Museum we viewed artifacts from the Nubian people  who indigenous to  Egypt and northern Sudan.

Clockwise from top left: 

• Ushabtis were placed in tombs among the grave goods and were intended to act as servants or minions for the deceased, should they be called upon to do manual labor in the afterlife. 
• Meroitic Nubian pottery often featured intricate painted or incised designs (patterns like basket weaves or animal scales or like below an image of a crocodile.)
• Illustrations of ancient Egyptian boats and ships
• A block statue depicting the ancient Egyptian official Harwa, the Chief Steward of the "God's Wife of Amun,"  
• Artifacts from 3100 BCE to 2200 BCE
• Artifacts from 2400 BCE to 1500 BCE
• Artifacts from 4000 to 2000 BCE

After the museum we went to a spice shop and market.

The next day we visited to the Unfinished Obelisk. It is believed that it was commissioned by Hatshepsut for the temple of Amun in Karnak. It was the largest ever conceived and during extraction it cracked due to flaws and was buried by sand for thousands of years.

Later we visited the Aswan Dam or Aswan High Dam - built between 1960 and 1970 and has been successful in managing the flow of the Nile. Lake Nasser extends south from the dam past Abu Simbel and  into Sudan. 

Clockwise from top left:

• Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument in Aswan, Egypt. The monument commemorates the assistance provided by the Soviet Union in the construction of the Aswan High Dam. It was erected in 1967
• Looking North (down river) from the dam
• Us looking South (Aswan, Luxor and Cairo are behind us)
• Lake Nasser (Abul Simbel and Sudan are south from here)

We enjoyed the nice views of Aswan from a sail that started near our hotel.

Clockwise from top left:

• A felucca (typical Nile sailing vessel)
• Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis (or "Dome of the Wind") serves as the resting place of nobles and priests from ancient Egypt. The necropolis was in use until the Roman Period)
• Sofitel Legend Old Cataract in  Aswan 
• Traditional Nubian village
• Natural rock formation on the bank of the Nile
• The Mausoleum of Aga KhanIII, the 48th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims)

During the sail we stopped at the Botanic Garden, located on an Island in the Nile, and had a pleasant walk through the greenery.

Another evening at a French Restaurant, this time it is the 1902 in the Old Cataract. The food was OK but we thought the breakfast service here was better than the evening service.

Next day we toured a Village accessed by boat with more opportunities to view life along the Nile. 

We visited a home with a pet crocodile and turtle in West Al Kazan. To get to the house  we wandered along a shopping street.

After lunch we returned to the Old Cataract passing an osprey perched along the river.

The next morning we were off to Jordan and, other than some craziness at the very backed up Cairo airport security checkpoint, we had a nice flight on Jordanian Air to Amman.