Monthly Archives: November 2013

The Cinque Terre

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Our Italian adventures weren’t over yet.
We traveled from Rome to the coastal town of Rapallo by train. There is one group worse than pickpockets in Rome, and that would be the dreaded baggage handlers. Men appear from nowhere, look at your ticket, give the impression of being on your side and working to make your life easier, grab your baggage and rush off to your train car.
At first you think they may be going for the Olympic gold of theft. They are taking it all!
Then you think that they may be employed by the train station. In either case, you run right along with them because they have taken everything you own. You arrive at your car, they stow your baggage and then ask for 20 euros.
A high price to pay for getting in the correct seat? I think not. You could miss the train, and all that it could possibly offer.
After paying the small ransom for the services of the pirate porter, we were off to our destination.
Rapallo is a municipality in the province of Genoa, in Liguria, northern Italy. The ride was exceptional, and views spectacular. North of Pisa, we saw snow-covered mountains. This was strange because they were not that high, and it was very warm. As we got closer, we realized that it was not snow, but marble excavations and quarries near the town of Carrara.
So this is where all the marble comes from.
Upon arrival, we stopped by a refreshment establishment and were enjoying ice-cold beverages, when I was asked by the proprietor, “Are you American?” I answered yes.
He asked “California?” Again, I answered yes.
As he “mime ran” in slow motion, he asked, “Baywatch?”
I started laughing.
He then went on to explain in broken English about the local television station that had programs such as “Baywatch” and “Dallas” are broadcast there on Thursday nights. I guess that this was American culture night, and the locals loved it. He and another customer talked of Larry Hagman’s acting on “Dallas.” This was a kind of time-warp view of America – it’s been many years since “Dallas” has been on as an original program.
We settled in at the Hotel Europa, a place with wonderful views and service.
My wife, Carrie, had planned out this trip literally years in advance, and Rapallo was the perfect place to stay while exploring the surrounding area by train. Our destination was the small quaint area to the south called “The Cinque Terre,” which was a pretty remote place before the advent of rail travel. The towns are now accessible by boat, car (park outside the towns) and rail. As previously discussed, driving in Italy was out of the question.
We value life.
The Cinque Terre, which means “five lands” in Italian, is an 11-mile stretch of steep, rocky coastline in northwest Italy and includes the towns of Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, Corniglia and Vernazza.Manarola is the most picturesque of the five, although they are all beautiful: deep blue sea, pastel homes and shops.
We took the train to the most southern town and walked along the coast until we tired, had lunch, and then got back on the train to the next town. One can walk from town to town, but we wanted to see all we could in the time allowed.
Back in Rapallo, Carrie and my daughter, Katie, again found another hole-in-the-wall bake shop, which mainly featured all kinds of pizza. These were cut in squares and sold as individual pieces. Again they were great tasting and cost so much less than at a restaurant. The shop also featured heat. It was hotter than a Laundromat in Fresno during summer. I entered the furnace-like establishment behind my family. I thought they might absorb the brunt of the heat. I was not so lucky. I noticed a single chair in the shop. This appeared to be a “man chair,” the kind you see men sitting in when women are shopping. Almost losing consciousness, I found myself sitting in it and feeling much cooler. I looked behind me and there was an electric fan. I was now much happier. The harried baker shot from customer to customer, with a determined look of vigilance, and maybe heat stroke, as he had no fan upon him.
He suddenly looked right at me sitting in the cool chair, smiled, and loudly declared with arms opened wide, “It’s wonderful!”
And it WAS wonderful!

Croatia

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We boarded the ship; it was the Princess Cruise Lines Star Princess, which I later christened “The S S Behemoth”. This ship is 950 feet long, more than big enough to be lost at sea for 12 days.

Looking to one of the pools on the upper deck, I noticed the age of fellow passengers and wondered where the life generating cocoons were located. This was a country for old men. A nursing home at sea.

I could only look forward to following their walkers around the decks and on the elevators.

We arrived in Croatia at sunrise. The captain had obviously planned this, as it seemed much too coincidental. As a matter of fact, we arrived at every port of call at sunrise. This in itself confirmed my hunch about the captain and his plans. He had done this before.

I had expected to play “dodge bullet” in Croatia. All I had seen on television was people running from building to building with little puffs of dust from sniper fire following them. I did not look forward to this trek at all. The war was long over, but the haunting images seemed fresh in my mind. When informed of this excursion during the planning stages of our trip, I had suggested a quick jaunt to Somalia if we were still alive. All this proved to be false as the country was brochure-beautiful and peaceful with the exception of a few unruly tourists, but I will not speak of them as they are family.

We secured a taxi at the port, which took us to the “old city” of Dubrovnik. His command of the English language was intriguing. We learned he was raised in Sunnyvale, California, and had repatriated a few years before the war. He had not intended to join, even with the city under attack, until his neighbor and son was killed on his street. He was attempting to put out the fire in his car, when shelling resumed. They both died in our cab driver’s garage. So much for pacifism.

He told us of the constant bombardment from the Serbian Army, who held the high ground above the city. The signs of war can still be seen. A short drive to the top of the mountain and the war memorial consisting of a giant cross, a hole in a wall from a Serbian tank can still there. The wall was made by the Napoleonic army when they were defending the same ground a couple of hundred of years ago.

While admiring the grand view of the old town of Dubrovnik below, he explained that after the war children, and some adults, had the misfortune of “finding” some of the land mines left behind. There were thousands of them. One idea came to mind was to heard sheep through the suspected areas, and when a land mine was found they had a BBQ. This practice was put to a stop by international indignation.

“Would they rather have our children find them?”

 

The Endless Summer

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As I walked down the beach in the late afternoon sun, enjoying an ice cold Imperial beer, the warm temperature, and a slight offshore breeze, I reflected on the previous nights arrival to paradise.

We arrived at night. A blast of warm air enveloped the mass of tourists exiting the plane at the airport in Liberia, Costa Rica. A small group of men clamored for our luggage, to take them to their waiting van or taxi.I had the same experience last year, but much larger and louder in the countries capital San Jose. With a crowd of shouting would be drivers assaulting the senses, it reminded me of old news clips of the fall of Saigon. Liberia was much more scaled down. This was more like the fall of Mayberry.

An hours ride in a shuttle van to our hotel, we found ourselves in Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica. The ride involved near miss accidents including a head-on, a T-bone, and a herd of cattle crossing the main highway. Our driver did not flinch at our eye-opening ride. It appeared to be a normal uneventful drive for him. As I had been to Costa Rica before, I had expected this kind of driving. I recommend hiring a driver, not only do they know where they are going, they know the “ways” of the road. (I would not say laws or rules, it appears there may be none)

Costa Rica is located between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south in Central America, and not too far north of the Equator. Last winter my family and I traveled to the mountains and rainforest of the country, this year we headed for Playa Tamarindo, a surfers paradise. My daughter Katie had surfed a little with her uncle Dave in Santa Cruz, California, and was looking forward to hitting the local waves and warm water. My wife was looking forward to a drink with a small umbrella in it. They both got their wishes.

We stayed at the Pasatiempo Bar and Grill and Hotel, and enjoyed a double room for the price of a single in the States. They made the best pizza in town, a staple in this community, as one would assume with the amount of places to purchase the pies. (best burrito in town is at “The Crop”, just west of the hotel, ask for Oscar!).

While there, I learned that there would be a semi-private screening of “The Endless Summer” at Bar One, a local pub about a block down the street, hosted and narrated live by legendary surfer Robert August, who also starred in the movie.The place was packed! Robert August, who has been surfing since he was 6 years old, lives in Huntington Beach California , and visits his home many times a year in Playa Tamarindo Costa Rica. He was one of the two surfers in the 1966 Bruce Brown documentary film The Endless Summer, (the other surfer was Michael Hynson) and was also in the first part of the movie “The Endless Summer II”, which was filmed on the local beaches here in Tamarindo.

Robert mentioned that the cost of surfing is getting pretty high, with “ a board is equal to a drum of oil, with all the resin used to make it”. “People now, especially people from the east coast, where it is still very cold this time of year, choose Tamarindo for it’s warm climate, and warm water” (for surfing).

When asked about bringing your own board down on a plane, Robert answered “The airlines make you feel like a leper, with all the packaging conditions and the cost of about 90 to 100 dollars charged each way. It’s a lot easier to come down here and rent a board, and there are many surf shops that rent and even sell boards of various sizes and shapes to fit the riders needs”.

The town has plenty of surf shops, including Robert’s, with scheduled surf lessons for those new to the sport. I would highly recommend this, as you will pick up the skills a lot faster, and will be able to enjoy more rides. Robert also mentioned that “Tamarindo has weather like summer all year round, with the exception of September and October might be a little overcast, an offshore breeze, and the waters always nice, and you will never need a wet suit”.

The waves were small at the main beach when we were there, 3 to 5 feet, but I had heard about 9 to 10 foot swells just south of the town. Still the waves were fun to ride for locals and tourists alike.

Surfing is not the only activity in Tamarindo, besides just relaxing on the beach. There is a sunset cruise on a catamaran, kayaking, snorkeling, ATV rides (down well marked paths and roads) and Sport Fishing. There is something for everyone, and can be arranged by exploring on foot, or at the hotel you are staying at.

Once again we brought home fond memories of a very special march vacation, spent in a beautiful country and full of sights, sounds and smells that we will never forget.

 

Online:

Playa Tamarindo

www.hotelPasatiempo.com

hotelpasatiempo@ice.co.cr

http://www.robertaugust.com/

 

 

Mountains and Rain Forrest

Our tours and activities (hikes, horseback riding, white-water rafting, zip line) were booked through www.centralamerica.com

La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Varablanca: www.waterfallgardens.com

Arenal volcano: www.arenal.net

Costa Rica Shuttle: www.costaricashuttle.com

 

Welcome to the Jungle

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We landed at night. Everything seemed normal, until we picked up our luggage — then all hell broke loose.

Hundreds of men clamored for our bags, shouting their offers to deliver our luggage from the terminal to the street, a distance of 15 feet. They would also hail a cab, and for their trouble, expected 1,000 colones, about $2. Add a helicopter on the roof of the building, and it was the Fall of Saigon. Fortunately, we had hired a driver, whom I managed to find amidst the sea of frantic humanity. Hours earlier, our traveling party had left sunny, but cold, California for the mountainous jungles of Costa Rica. We were seeking adventure and relaxation.

We found both. (Here’s one big tip: Imperial, the local beer, is very good.)

The Adventure , Welcome to the Jungle

Costa Rica is located between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Most tourists who venture here end up on a beach along the Pacific or the Caribbean oceans. But our group’s travel agent – my wife, Carrie – had other ideas. From the get-go, she had us trekking a death march through the tropical rain forest in a semi-eco adventure. Who wants to lie around on a beach, sipping a neon drink with a paper umbrella sticking out of it, anyway? During our nine-day stay, we hiked, we rode horses, and we white-water rafted.

At the La Paz Waterfall Gardens nature park, a one and one-half hour drive northwest of San Jose in Varablanca, we stared down poison frogs.

Sort of.

Before photographing the frog exhibit at the park, I asked my guide about the toxicity of its tiny amphibians. for safety reasons. It went exactly like this:

Me: “Can they make you sick?”

Costa Rican guide: “A little.”

Me: “Convulsions?”

Costa Rican guide: “Ah … maybe some …”

Me: “How about coma?”

Costa Rican guide: “Maybe some … but not that bad …”

I found out later that the frogs were not toxic at all. Maybe.

In Costa Rica, there are seven species of frog, three of which boldly display the bright, contrasting colors that are the family trademark of poisonous amphibians. In Columbia, the Choco Indians use the toxin, secreted from glands in the frog’s skin, to envenom their blowgun darts. Simply rubbing a dart across the frog’s body is enough to transform that dart into a lethal weapon. Costa Rica’s poison dart frogs aren’t nearly so venomous. Still, any animal that eats one is likely to suffer violent sickness or even death.

After a few days in the rain forest with poison frogs, we were off to the live volcano.

The gods were not angry with our party – at least they didn’t roast us alive as I had predicted. The mighty Arenal volcano, located near the town of Fortuna, was shrouded in clouds. You knew it was there only by the dozens of post cards for sale in the hotel lobby. Arenal is the only volcano in Costa Rica that has been constantly active since it awoke after 400 years with a huge eruption in 1968. It is considered one of the 10 most active volcanoes in the world, producing ash columns, explosions and streams of glowing read lava almost every day.

The Relaxation

Hiring a private driver was a smart move and took a lot of stress out of getting around. (We went with Costa Rica Shuttle, whose owner, Leonel, answered our hundreds of pre-travel e-mail questions, all within 24 hours, some within minutes.) In Costa Rica, we found, the skills of the local drivers far exceed anything you have seen at a NASCAR track. Their vehicles’ horns honked out morse-code type messages, warning other drivers of their location and intention. I picked up this much: Three short beeps followed by one long translates to, “I will now attempt to pass you on the sidewalk.”

Vehicle emissions weren’t fretted over. I saw one truck, which, I swear, was on fire as it lumbered toward us on the way to the rain forest of La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Our first hotel had been a beautiful restored mansion in the middle of San Jose that afforded us a good first-night’s rest. The Peace Lodge, located within La Paz Waterfall Gardens nature park, offered the best of two worlds: opulent comfort and raw nature. Plus, Peace Lodge guests don’t have to pay for tours and admission to the nature park, which is about $25 – or one bail of colones.

As well as the frog exhibit, the La Paz property also features a butterfly observatory, a hummingbird garden, orchid gardens, an authentic castia (historic indigenous dwelling), five waterfalls and miles of hiking trails. The Waterfalls Walk, in particular, is well worth your time. It’s all downhill, and a shuttle bus will drive you back up to the lodge at the end.

We left Costa Rica after nine days of taking in the lush tropical rain forest, listening to jungle sounds, lounging in hot springs, eating great food, drinking great beer and hanging 250 feet above the treetops. (That was the zip line tour).

We brought home fond memories of a very special winter vacation, spent in a beautiful country and full of sights, sounds and smells that we will never forget.

 

Online:

Our tours and activities (hikes, horseback riding, white-water rafting, zip line) were booked through www.centralamerica.com

La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Varablanca: www.waterfallgardens.com

Arenal volcano: www.arenal.net

Costa Rica Shuttle: www.costaricashuttle.com

Leonal, with Costa Rica Shuttle, can be reached at info@costaricashuttle.com