The Road to La Fortuna

We met Leonardo, our tour guide for the next ten days, as we exited the elevator upon returning to San Jose.  We recognized him not so much because he wore a Gate 1 name tag but because he carried the worried expression of a shepherd missing a few stray lambs.  He was happy to give us our name tags and a printed schedule for the next day.

Most of our group had arrived on flights arranged by the tour company to arrive and been met by Leo at the airport.  As tends to be the norm on this type of tour, our bags were to be outside our doors before breakfast the next morning at 6:15 AM.  As our guide for Machu Picchu said long ago, "More of the world for less...sleep."

 

The rest of the night was ours.

We ordered drinks as we had the prior evening at the lobby lounge and brought them out on the veranda with panoramic city views from our perch 12 floors above the ground.

After our "happy hour," we returned to the same fine cafe where we had dined the prior evening.  Julie ordered her own meal this time, with our appetites boosted by our long day river rafting.

We enjoyed another good night's sleep in our 18th floor room.  The room had firm mattresses.  

In the morning, we enjoyed the delicious buffet breakfast that included an omelet station with a skilled chef filling tasty dishes efficiently.

At the intro meeting, Leo pointed out a few rules, making note of the new Gate 1 policy where all tips except those for him and our driver Luis being now covered with the purchase price.

We had enough time for me to take the elevator down to the 14th floor to wander out to the rooftop pool that we could see from our room.  

At 8:30 AM, we boarded our blue bus that would be our chariot for the next ten days.  Unlike older buses that have been the norm on Gate 1, this was surprisingly a new bus, an unexpected treat for a discount tour company.  On the down side, this bus did not have WiFi.

Our driver Luis drove expertly through city traffic and out over highways and byways.

Leo provided commentary as we went along.  He said that most of the people in his tourism college had specialized in flora, but he had studied birds as his optional specialty.  He nonetheless had also learned all about plants during his decades as a guide.

He spoke about the major industries of Costa Rica, including tourism, high tech and agriculture as we rode along.  He attributed the lack of a military as one of the key reasons high tech companies from around the world including Intel set up shop in Costa Rica.  He said that meant they could specialize in non-military high tech, and especially medical devices.

Costa Rica is very proud of having no military since 1948, which of course is made possible because of the United States' Monroe Doctrine, which basically states that we will protect Latin America from encroachment by enemies.  Certainly, it is an advantage economically to not require a standing army.

Soon, we arrived at our first stop, Sarchi, where one of the first sites pointed out as we drove through town was a giant ox cart.  Perhaps my mind was elsewhere, but I don't recall being told why this was significant, other than being an interesting work of art Leo highly recommended.

Colorful ox carts, now built exclusively in Sarchi, are considered a vital part of Costa Rica's history. Used extensively for carrying coffee beans, the brightly colored geometric designs identify different regions.

In 2005, UNESCO labeled ox carts as "Intangible Cultural Heritage." I've always thought "intangible" as something without a physical presence, but whatever.

Most of our group stopped for coffee or shopped for souvenirs at the drop-off point, which was a well-stocked gift store with lovely wood handicrafts and had large, clean bathrooms.  Strolling along the road that Leo had pointed down, we found Sarchi to be a mid-20th Century town similar to many in Mexico and Central Ameria rather than a quaint artisan village.  Then again, Julie and I were not looking for hidden enclaves that might have been charming.

We walked directly to the large ox cart. We were more impressed by Templo Católico de Sarchí Norte.

Gorgeous wooden ceiling.

Always interesting to note how Biblical figures are presented
in different cultures.

This travel day for us could have been called "Churches on the Road to La Fortuna," because we went to cathedrals at every stop.

Back on the bus, our next stop was Zarcero, a town of 5,000 renowned for its topiary garden in front of another lovely church.

We were blessed with bright sunshine for walking around the garden where bushes have been shaped to be arches and animal figures.

The rides through the countryside of Costa Rica allowed us to enjoy viewing the farms and ranchlands between towns, though trying to get photos can be frustrating at high speeds.

Best to just take in the views.

Our third stop was Ciudad Quesada, which is also known as San Carlos.  It is a small city best known for being in the heart of fertile farmlands.

It had the least impressive church of the three stops.  Most interesting were representations of Jesus as a strong man with solid legs.

When we arrived at Ciudad Quesada, our bus had taken a lap around the city park, with Leo pointing out restaurants that he said would be safe choices for our two-hour lunch stop.

Julie and I had big breakfasts and weren't all that hungry.  We decided to get chips and a soda, then go to the lovely park on what was again a sunny day.  This being Costa Rica, there were scattered showers throughout the day, but it happened to be sunny every time we stopped this day.  

It bordered on being hot, so we sought a bench in the shade, which took a while to track down during what for Costa Rica is summer vacation from school.  Lots of families were enjoying this sunny day in the park.

We may best remember Ciudad Quesada as the place where we went to the bank to break a 5,000 Colones note we received in change when buying a bag of tortilla chips and Diet Coke with a $20 bill and receiving Colones in change.  We simply wanted 1,000 Colones notes (about $2 each).

Two guards stopped everyone entering the building before granting admission through the inner bank doors.  I was told to remove my hat and sunglasses, then sent to a chair next to a local lady, in one of three lines for tellers.  The person at my window was having some kind of problem that dragged on maybe five minutes.  The lady next to me went to the window to take her turn.

As to exactly what her problem was, I have no clue, but it took fifteen minutes to sort out.  Julie had initially waited in the lobby rather than submitting to a full search to enter, but curiosity got the better of her, so she entered.  A couple of minutes later, I was called to the window.  I received change in a few seconds, which is how long I expected the entire bank visit to take.

Cervantes long ago wrote that "The road is always better than the inn."  We had a pleasant enough bus trip that day and enjoyed the churches, but would say in this case, Cervantes was wrong.

We went to Costa Rica not to see towns but to appreciate nature.

Arenal Volcano Inn where we would spend the next two evenings was awesome.  This little eco-lodge in La Fortuna was excellent for quietly appreciating nature.

We loved our little cabana with a wooden ceiling with lots of exotic birds in the trees and occasional wild animals, including an anteater, strolling through our yard.

 I wish I was quicker with my camera.

An odd rule at this eco-lodge is that guests are not supposed to flush any paper in the toilet.  We've experienced this rule at other eco-lodges.  It certainly is not ideal for average American travelers accustomed to first world plumbing, and I dare say many ignore it at least sometimes.

We enjoyed our afternoon coffee on chairs in front of our door.

After appreciating our lodgings for a couple of hours, our group attended the welcome meeting, where we all introduced ourselves.

About a fourth of our group was from Pennsylvania.  Another quarter came from New York.  More surprising was not so much that a fourth of the group came from California, but that the California contingent had all been born in China and moved there over the last few years.  However, they were not connected other than to their own spouses, it seemed.  They usually sat together as a group and spoke Chinese among themselves.

Gate 1 hosted dinner that night at the inn's restaurant. I had their featured seafood dish, while Julie went with steak.  Both were fantastic.  It was so good, we decided to come back for dinner the next evening.

A family from Buck's County, Pennsylvania, sat next to Julie and me at a long table that was better acoustically suited to speaking with the person next to you rather than a table conversation.  I was sitting next to a retired college administrator, Maureen, who turned out to have a lot in common with us.  We would see her and her husband Steve several other times, including sharing a table later in the trip.  They were traveling with two kids and two grandchildren.  

After dinner, we walked over to the hot tub for a soak before bed.  A half dozen folks from our group had already gathered, so we engaged in more pleasant conversation as we luxuriated in the warm bubbles.  We become quickly accustomed to the people with whom we travel, but after a few days, we will likely never see them again.

A Book About the Panama Canal

Julie and I frequently use my blog as a memory supplement, so when a novel she was reading brought the characters to Columbia, she decided to look up our Panama Canal cruise.

Surprisingly, she could only find a rather odd post comparing our day in Cartegena to a trip to Disneyland.

"That can't be right," I thought.  It turns out that as far as Columbia goes, that was all I had written.  It seems that by the time I got around to blogging about our excursion in Cartagena, our granddaughter Emma had flown to California with her Aunt Amy for a visit.  We went to Disneyland, joined by our son Jay, and I combined narratives about the two events.

That's not really that unusual for me.

I always write about what's going through my mind at the time I am motivated to blog.

That's how current events, novels, movies and the Great Courses all combine into what would otherwise be a travel blog without much content during this past year of pandemic shutdown, but that thought process was not limited to only that unprecedented year.

As evidence of that, once we were driving into Glacier National Park in Montana just after finishing my Panama Canal posts, my mind immediately brought President Teddy Roosevelt into the picture.

In that case, it was a natural transition, because not only did that Republican progressive President greenlight the Panama Canal, he also put the pedal to the metal for appreciating our environment as we enterred the 20th Century including National Parks development.

The fact is, our pre-Covid-19, post-Julie retirement era usually had us traveling so much that it wasn't unusual for me to be experiencing the next adventure while still processing the last one.

Before we boarded Island Princess in Ft. Lauderdale, we had taken a whirlwind tour of Peru from Miami, and I did compile a "book" about that pre-trip.  I think we were so thankful to have a chance to rest on peaceful sea days that are part and parcel of our Panama Canal itinerary that I wasn't thinking as hard.

Truth be told, I found myself speaking much more about Machu Picchu with friends and family than what for most cruisers is a major bucket list vacation, the Panama Canal.  However, make no mistake; the Panama Canal is a great trip!

Better late than never, here is "A Book About the Panama Canal."

From Cuzco to Cruise Co

Panama Canal Virtuoso

Aruba Blues

Cartagena Through a Disney Prism

Panama Canal Centennial

Rio Corobici in Costa Rica

Lake Nicaragua's Las Islatas

Pirates of Granada, Nicaraqua

Cabo

You're One of Us!

Did you ever look at the birth of the computer age ask yourself, "Why didn't I do what Bill Gates did?"

I kind of liked the idea of computers and even took that class at the community college where I figured out how to write my girlfriend's name using the holes on punched cards."

I've also thought I could have written a fantasy about a school for sorcerers like J.K. Rowling, or rhythmically chanted some angry poetry to the background of a classic Aerosmith song, just like you could have.



Only, we didn't.

Truth is, I know I personally not only lack the raw talent and brilliance but, perhaps more significantly, the dedication and perseverance to do anything worthy of great wealth.

Whether or not you feel that way about yourself, neither of us are among the super rich who must worry constantly about the safety of their families. unable to go anywhere without top security.

We don't live in gigantic mansions staffed by dozens of servants, with all the headaches that might entail.

No, we just live comfortable lives.

We raised our families so that, as Dad used to say, our kids had shoes as good as the neighbor's kids.

We struggled sometimes, and helped our children find the right paths and occasionally punished them --- often feeling empathy for their plight --- after we helped them out of trouble that could have had much worse consequences.

And now, we find ourselves living in a world where we can get back to some of the travel dreams we had when we were younger.

Our kids are happy for us to have a chance to see the world in style.

Psychologically, they perhaps see us more clearly as we truly are than we see ourselves.

We are no longer struggling.

We have arrived.

But we still want to learn and grow.

Inside, we're still those young seekers we were in college, chasing authentic experiences.

And we want to see the world we've heard about our whole lives.

We want to play darts in Ireland tipping a pint of Guinness and explore the artistic treasures of Italy. We want to climb to the top of breathtaking Machu Picchu and laugh with monkeys in Costa Rica.

Our time is now.

Baby boomers actually have the time and --- this is where our kids see us better than we see ourselves --- money to make it happen.

Where have you always dreamt of going?




While Princess Cruises identifies the meaningful traveler as the core of its audience for wide-ranging destinations (a theme echoed by other ocean cruise lines as well), you can't see everything from coastal cities.

Many of us have been fortunate to have cruised places like the Mediterranean and Panama Canal, but now we may be ready to go deeper into the continents.

River cruises certainly have wonderful appeal to us, with amazing tours at each stop of their port-intensive itineraries, but it is also time to consider packaged land tours.

Globus puts together perfectly planned vacations. Globus has lots of quality inclusions, and that alone saves you money over booking independently by the time you've paid all your admissions.

Top-notch transportation serves a dual role, taking us on expertly guided excursions and to quality hotels --- first classs or higher --- in carefully selected locations. All of these comfortable hotels have modern amenities, including free wifi. In Europe and America, the tour buses also have free wifi, so you can stay in touch with your business back home, if you must.

You have VIP access to the must-see attractions, where you skip the long lines to go instead to your "Happy Line."  Then expert guidance makes sure you catch all the highlights, and understand their significance.

Getting through the major attractions faster --- and not getting lost along the way thanks to expert drivers as well as guides --- means you have more free time to explore on your own.



And don't forget Globus Local Favorites, where you get a taste of the local culture that you would probably miss traveling on your own.

Globus isn't the only tour company, but they do a terrific job for most people.

There are packaged tours that cost less, and also some that cost considerably more; we can find one that works for your budget and fulfills your dreams.

Where in the world do you want to go?

On the Road to Find Out

Navigable waterways have been key to commerce and military power for all of human history.

It was distribution of water rights along rivers that essentially made civilization necessary, and as all of us who love ocean cruises know, many of the greatest cities in the world are perched along ocean coasts.

But you can't travel everywhere you want to go by ship.

Sometimes, you must hit the rowdy road.

It wasn't until Julie and I took a land tour to Machu Picchu that we saw the value in guided tours for us personally.

Up until then, we thought it always better to just figure it out as we went.

As a young man, that was the only way I could afford to travel, and it became a habit.

However, as we mature, the value of a pre-packaged tour becomes more obvious, especially if you don't want to be constantly worrying about the next step along the road, which is a given for do-it-yourself tours.

Collette takes the inclusive experience a step further, picking you up at your house in a limo to take you to the airport, making it truly a seamless vacation experience, door-to-door.



Cruising, of course, sets us on a pre-plotted course, and we've learned how much easier that makes vacations.

Even after I started cruising, however, I could not see the value of a land tour, despite the fact that taking group shore excursions often made ports come alive in destinations rich in history, such as Europe.

Julie and I would often arrive a few days early for our cruise to explore regions on our own (and we still do), but I quite frankly thought cruise tours seemed too expensive.

That's how most people have felt at one time.

The change for me came with watching friends go on Alaska cruise tours and come back singing their praises.



Somehow, what had been hidden from me began to be revealed.

While the land portion of cruise tours, which usually require payment for meals as you go, seemed too expensive relative to the cruise itself, the truth is they are well worth the price to those who take the plunge.

Even people who parsimoniously watch their travel budgets have returned feeling they received good value for their money.

Sometimes they might opt for an inside or obstructed ocean view room at sea to make the splurge of a Denali Explorer tour possible, but they had no regrets.

They realized that if they wanted to get the most of their time, taking full advantage of their limited time to travel and the cost of flying to a distant destination, they shouldn't cheap out when it comes to seeing everything they want.

But they're not just for Alaska.  There are cruise tours all over the world.



The only question is where do you want to go on your next great vacation?

In all candor, Julie and I will probably still cheap out and tour by the seat of our pants for a few more trips, but the older we get, the more sense it makes to let somebody else handle the hassles.

"Better service leads to better trips!"

 

Conditioning for Travel: Back to Basics

St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2009

My wife frequently reminds me that we need to travel while we still can, because none of us knows what the future holds for our health.

I have been reminded of this frequently over the last few months, as several excellent clients were forced to cancel trips due to health issues.

At the extreme of emotional turmoil, a septuagenarian lost his beloved wife of a half century, taking away his desire to cruise to Hawaii, at least in the short term.

Zaanse Schans, Holland, in 2015

In another case, a couple in their nineties were forced to cancel due to the wife's son requiring personal care after he had a stroke.  As an aside, that couple actually met a decade ago on a cruise.  Their prior spouses had passed away a few years earlier, proving we should never say never.

A small group cancelled when an integral member experienced severe back problems for which his doctor diagnosed mandatory surgery.

Health issues can unexpectedly pop up for anyone.  A few months ago, another old friend's doctor also recommended back surgery for him.

Snorkeling in St. Kitts in 2016

An Extreme Sports Athlete beginning decades before the term had been coined, he had already gone through two knee replacement surgeries and undergone all the necessary rehab exercises to return to being a world-class skier.

Rather than go under the knife again, he sought a more holistic alternative, which led him to Eric Goodman's exercises.

Back on the slopes, making it look easy.

Within a few weeks of starting Dr. Goodman's regimen, he went from being barely able to get out of a chair to skiing, and after a couple of days on the slopes, his form returned to excellent, carving perfect turns and frequently tearing down mountains at a breakneck pace.

He had been conditioned to have a straight back as a member of the college swim team at Stanford long ago, but these new exercises trained him to an even healthier back posture, one which eventually took away the pain.

While the videos provide the basic techniques, no one suffering back problems should begin any regimen without consulting a doctor, and preferably he should find a personal trainer to get him started.

By the way, if you find yourself unable to complete the exercise regimens the first time or find yourself surprisingly exhausted from what seem like simple stretches, welcome to the club.

Lunch on Celebrity Eclipse

I'd like to include here that I personally have found that a good chiropractor can be of great help in getting alligned and on my feet again when my back went out, although thankfully I haven't had that problem in years.

We should never accept a gradual health decline without resistance.  Staying fit is the best way to be ready for a cruise or other travel when the time comes.  

Julie and I watch what we eat, though without denying ourselves completely of dining pleasures.  An occasional burger with fries or ice cream cone won't kill us.  What I've noticed to be the biggest difference between food on a cruise, when I inevitably lose weight despite eating as much as I want, and at home, where I often have some kind of hidden hunger lurking, is lots of vegetables and fruit as part of a balanced diet, so I try to remind myself to eat more veggies at home.

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and pre-hypertension (high blood pressure).  On the recommendation of a friend, I started taking lecithin.  While my cholesterol isn't low, it has slowly been dropping, and my blood pressure recently became regularly in the normal range.

Kicking back after a hike from Azamara Journey in Patmos, Greece

We make a point of walking at least two or three miles each day, and I personally believe wearing Skechers Shape-Ups not only has improved the quality of exercise I receive on those walks but helped straighten my back, which caused me problems over the years.

Skechers may not be able to claim Shape-Ups improve quality of exercise or back health, but that has been my experience.

Seal boating at Dunvegan Castle on Isle of Skye.

I even wear them when on rigorous mountain hikes and when playing golf.

I also do at least 100 push-ups each day, though without an exact schedule.  I'll just drop and do 30 or 40 push-ups at random times when I think about it.

I've added Dr. Goodman's back stretches as a sort of New Years resolution.

My sister can float on powder as easily as this groomed run

The payoff of being healthy enough to truly enjoy walking to the top of Machu Picchu or to confidently hike to a distant snorkel beach in Kaz, Turkey, is well worth the preparation effort.

A terrific bonus is that exercising as part of an active lifestyle is a lot of fun in its own right.

Skiing in Montana is an amazing way to exercise, enjoy nature and have a blast.

Our nephew can ski anywhere and make it look easy.

My sister's delcious meals make it a perfect vacation for us.

Our nephew took some great action ski photos of our Christmas ski trip this year, and I've included a few herein.

To be clear, I don't hold myself up as a paragon of health, but rather to encourage you to find your own way to stay healthy for travel.

Jay has become a powder hound.

Julie at the top of Pioneer

That's me!

Montana Views are awesome.

If you look closely, you can see the cleanly carved tracks of perfect ski form.

Julie by the new  Buffalo Bar and Grille being constructed.

Cousins About to Attack Powder Off Middle Ching

Ready to take on the slopes.

Apres Ski By the Fire

Teddy and the Bear

Marvelous Montana Skiing