matt_unique
Guest
Wes2004:
I think that is really great you worked hard to save up for this trip. I don't think you will be disappointed.
The link to Deep Blue Diving Adventures is http://www.geocities.com/buceoazul/. You can email Billy and Terry at deepblue@racsa.co.cr to make arrangements.
I double checked their rates - they have gone up to $40 for a morning two tank dive. The rates for the Catalina Islands are the same ($75 for two tank). The $40 rate is still cheaper than other places in that area. Once again Terry is the primary instructor and she is very professional and by the book. You will learn from her courses. The website also has pictures of their boat.
I arranged for my tour of Rincon de la Vieja right at the Best Western Hotel Coco Verde in the center of Coco. The dive shop is attached to this hotel. Rincon de la Veija is very close to Coco - about a 45 minute ride by car. When you're in Coco - stop in at the margarita place on your left as you are heading toward the water. I forget the name of the place - the owner/bar tenders name is Luis and he makes the BEST margarita's I have had anywhere in the world. He has this young hot wife - you think it's his daughter at first - she likes to play American rock music - too funny. Anyway back to the margarita's, strong and smooth - almost scary. Three of those and you are having a party - trust me. He mixes a special blend of tequilla that is really good.
This water slide at Rincon de la Veija - you have to see it to believe it. They built this slide in such a way that they capture spring water running down the mountain so it's cold. They built this dam at the top of the water slide controlled by a hand lever. You sit in the slide with a helmet and inner tube around your waist just in front of this dam door. They let tons and tons of water build up in this dam and then release it with the lever. I don't know the volume but just imagine a hot tub full of water. The water level is higher than your head when they release it. You will be laughing in disbelief even before they let the water go. You tell them how fast a ride you want. We of course had them fill it to the brim each time. They let the water go and all hell breaks loose. You are completely engulfed in this water flowing over your head and shoulders for a moment. Then you are riding this mass of water all the way down the mountain. You are going so fast you will think you will fly out the sides. There is one part, most be Costa Rican sense of humor, where the slide is in the form of stairs and you did bounce your a** a bit but this slide is a riot. We did it like 5 times - yelled each time it was such a riot.
I forgot to mention the water falls in this area. We rode horseback for 5 hours then climbed down into this gorge to an unbelievable waterfall. I have this picture blown up to the size of a poster on my wall. There are several water falls in the Rincon de la Veija park and I don't remember the name of this one but it was awesome. It was at the base of this waterfall that I noticed a cable high above us in the gorge. I asked the guide about it and he said it was a canopy line! We immediately asked to be taken to that one but by the time we finished our present tour there was no time.
There is also the boiling mud pits. This is an unbelievable site - very stinky as you can imagine with the volcanic sulfer - but pretty wild to see giant mud pits literally boiling. I leaned against this wooden fence to get a closer picture and the guides freaked out. Apparently some tourists leaned against the fence and it broke and one tumbled in the mud and had serious burns on their legs.
Yeah the Sky Walk/Trek is NOT like a regular canopy tour. The canopy tour will be one of the most memorable things you do if you have never done one before.
I did not do the Picuare River.....I remember from my research there was no significant white water anywhere near Coco (where I was staying). The best white water is in the south/western part of the country. We flew into the San Jose Airport which is actually in the town of Alajuala. The next day we took the 4 hour bus to Coco. On our last day in CR we actually stayed in a hotel right in San Jose. This hotel also serves as a dirt bike/motorcycle tour place. We had arranged in advance to rent dirtbikes for a half day tour. This was honestly the best part of my trip. My buddy and I both had our motorcycle licenses and I grew up on three wheelers, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, etc. This tour was AWESOME! This sort of tour would never happen in the states with the liability issues. We gave our credit cards they they gave us keys, helmet, and gloves. The owner of the hotel/tour shop was providing the tour. This guy was CRAZY on a dirt bike but this worked out perfect because we were too. We drove out of San Jose and into the jungle. I have never been to such remote place on earth. 6 hours on dirtbike down dirt access roads (half washed out in some places) right on the side of mountains in some cases. We were driving as though we were racing. It was fun and the scenery was beautiful. The tour guide was psyched because he said he usually has people that don't know how to ride. He was blazing about 60mph in some areas and we were right behind him. Ha ha - it was awesome - though driving a dirt bike through the city of San Jose it pretty wild. This guide was nuts in terms of traffic. He would blow through lights, drive up on sidewalks, etc. Of course we did not want to be lost (and we had to get back to catch a cab to the airport for our flight) so we had to drive just as he did. I mean driving in between cars, passing everyone, literally up on sidewalks in a few places. At one point we were lined up at the front of a row of cars at a stop light - my buddy looked over and jokingly sang the chorous of a Judas Priest song "breaking the law - breaking the law". Ha ha ha! We were so adrenalized at that point....anyway....crazy fun time but in retrospect we could have been killed driving like that in a crowded city. If you want info on this dirtbike place I will find the link - let me know.
What else to say about CR.....roads are pretty bad and a bus ride is pretty scary. San Jose to Coco is 4 hours but the fare is really cheap. There are two reputable bus companies - I forget the names but I can also find these if you're interested. I have my book of notes at home.....
The next time I go to CR I want to explore Mount Chirripó. It's the tallest mountain in Costa Rica at 12,530 feet. On a clear day I'm to understand you can see both coasts.
Have a great time.
--Matt
