My first adventure trip to the jungle of Costa Rica

I spent a most unusual Thanksgiving vacation exploring the wilds of Costa Rica with Toto Tours. As you can see from my photographs, it was a beautiful destination and the tour was quite active! It enabled me to do things I had never one before, and other adventures I hadn't experienced in a long, long time. Some firsts for me included:

-- first time on a high-wire "zip" line

-- first time whitewater rafting

-- first time snorkeling in the ocean

-- first time to see monkeys living in their natural environment, and actually touch one

-- first time swimming in a river under a waterfall in the jungle

-- first time swimming in the ocean in about 20 years!!!

-- first time to see an erupting volcano while swimming in thermally heated pools at its base

I am very grateful that the tour group consisted of men who welcomed me and who went out of their way to be my friend -- especially my roommate, Jim Statler from Chicago. Of all the adventure travel experiences I have enjoyed in the past, this one was definitely a highlight and perhaps the most outstanding.

Here is a brief summary of the daily activities during the tour:

Saturday, November 18th
I arrived in San Jose, the Capital of Costa Rica, and met the other members of he tour group. I was particularly happy to meet Alexis Ware, who was learning sign language and helped me communicate during the tour.

Sunday, November 19th
We drove to the Los Angeles Cloud Forest, high up in the mountains. Here we experienced the excitement of a Canopy Tour in the pouring rain! Later we drove to the Arenal Volcano and spent the evening playing in the Tabacon Hot Springs at the foot of the Volcano.

Monday, November 20th
We returned to San Jose and then caught a flight to Palma Sur on the Osa Peninsula. From there we drove by bus over very rough roads to Sierpe, where we were welcomed by a marimba band as we prepared for our ocean journey to Casa Corcovado. The ocean was very rough, but fortunately I didn't get sick. Casa Corcovado is a beautiful lodge facility in the jungle. Our group was large enough that we were able to have the entire property to ourselves. Most of us were tired from our long day of travel, and went to bed early.

Tuesday, November 21st
We enjoyed a beautiful hike in the Corcovado National Park, which is where I was able to see my first monkeys during the tour. We got very hot hiking through the jungle, and enjoyed a beautiful swim under a waterfall to cool off at the end of the hike.

Wednesday, November 22nd
We spent the day at Cano Island, where I had my first attempt at snorkeling.
I didn't like the fins at all, but was able to see some fish in these clear waters using the mask. It was lots of fun splashing around with the other members of the tour group!

Thursday, November 23rd (Thanksgiving Day)
We went back to Sierpe by boat (the water was a lot calmer this time), and then flew to the little town of Quepos. A few of us went to a very special beach this afternoon for a swim. Thanksgiving dinner was one of the most unusual I'd ever eaten. One of the turkeys was stuffed with fruit!

Friday, November 24th
This morning we had a guided hike in Manuel Antonio National Park, which is small, but has lots of monkeys. Here they have become used to tourists, and somewhat tame, and will actually approach you begging for food. This is where I got to touch the soft hand of one of the white-faced monkeys.

Saturday, November 25th
We flew back to San Josetoday, and enjoyed a wonderful farewell dinner at a restaurant overlooking the entire Central Valley. This was the official ending of the tour.

Sunday, November 26th
Several of the more adventuresome guys on the tour (me included) stayed in Costa Rica one more day to go whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River. This was a highlight for me. The guide steered our raft underneath waterfalls, caused us to go through some of the rapids backwards, and had us jump into the water to go swimming at certain points during the trip. It was truly a great ending to my adventure vacation in Costa Rica.

I have now got adventure travel in my blood, and you can expect to hear more stories like this from me in the future!

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