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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 1:51 PM
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So my husband booked us in for 14 days at costa rica.....all is well everything is awsome but........for 6 nights we are staying in manuel antonio and nothing planned.......does anyone know about any hiking around that area.........he seems to think that we deserve to sit and relax on the beach for a week..id go nutts......any info would really help......or web sites....thanx a bunch Amy
P.S we are also staying in Tortuguero for 2 nights...any info?? and lake arenal for 3 nights...any info?? |
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Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
847 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 3:12 PM
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You know what I've always wondered? What do tropical hikers worry about?
We all obsess over big, scary bears, but in Costa Rica? Creepy bugs? Man-eating tigers?
I'm serious! What's the biggest danger? |
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summerland, bc
Canada
653 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 3:44 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by laneskimmer
You know what I've always wondered? What do tropical hikers worry about?
We all obsess over big, scary bears, but in Costa Rica? Creepy bugs? Man-eating tigers?
I'm serious! What's the biggest danger?
their are really no big animals to worry about but they do have some nasty poisonous frogs ,spiders , and you can get sick from mosquito's as well |
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summerland, bc
Canada
653 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 3:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by awaldner
So my husband booked us in for 14 days at costa rica.....all is well everything is awsome but........for 6 nights we are staying in manuel antonio and nothing planned.......does anyone know about any hiking around that area.........he seems to think that we deserve to sit and relax on the beach for a week..id go nutts......any info would really help......or web sites....thanx a bunch Amy
P.S we are also staying in Tortuguero for 2 nights...any info?? and lake arenal for 3 nights...any info??
the nice thing about Costa is public transportation is cheep and can get you almost anywhere in the country in a day I recommend a trip up chirripo hiking through the cloud forest to the top where you can see the caribbean and the pacific if you hit a clear day it can be done in two days with a stop at the hostel at the top |
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323 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 4:02 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by laneskimmer
You know what I've always wondered? What do tropical hikers worry about?
We all obsess over big, scary bears, but in Costa Rica? Creepy bugs? Man-eating tigers?
I'm serious! What's the biggest danger?
Heat exhaustion or hyperthermia. These get people more often than poisonous critters ever do! In Costa Rica there are also fer-de-lance vipers, and white-lipped peccaries (type of wild pig) that travel in gangs that can chase people up trees.  I'm serious! We met a guy who had ben hiking solo in the rainforest that this had happened to, and he had to wait quite a while before he could come down. Also, if you saw the spiny vines growing on some of the trees you would realize how unpleasant this would be!
We hiked in CR with our kids (16 and 19) in 2003. We went from ranger station to ranger station, and also bivouaced once in the jungle. We hiked in rainforest and along the beach at night with river crossings. We went with a guide, who was a very knowledgeable biologist (herpetologist)..mainly because the environment(and its hazards) was so different than here.
http://www.osaaventura.com/
What an amazing country!
GH |
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323 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 4:11 PM
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Hi awaldner,
I'm not familiar with Manuel Antonio or Tortugero, though I've heard Manuel Antonio has nice rainforest trails and it's easy to see monkeys. I think Tortugero is on the Carribean side which is much better than the Pacific side for snorkelling. Lake Arenal is incredibly windy and is a mecca for expert winsurfers. Also, there are hotsprings and the volcano is very very active, so you might see it actually blow.
A bit further north is Rincon de la Vieja National Park where you can hike right to boiling mudpools.
Amazing country. Have fun!!
GH
P.S. Most posionous snakes are nocturnal, so don't worry.
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 6:43 PM
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| i wasnt wondering about the dangers thanx, i was wondering about any cool hikes........ |
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 6:45 PM
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| Robert....can these spiders/frogs be fatal?? i hate spiders...but as long as they cant kill me i wont panick 10fold |
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 6:46 PM
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| Robert...i was looking at the chirripo hike it looks super cool and we might give it a try...there seems to be so much to choose from now that ive looked into it a bit more |
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 6:52 PM
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| GH thanx for the info...im going to look into the mud pools!!! and i woulda thought to do the snorkling on the pacific....thanx for the heads up and about the snakes great to know!!! |
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471 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 11:55 PM
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Hi
You guys are making me to consider going there seems like it is a beautiful trip I am jealous!  May I know how much is the cost for 14-day tip to Costa Rica.
Cheers
----------------------------------------
Cheers |
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 07:45 AM
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| hey the cost breakdown is this....$1100 for flight...and then from there you can get a package with a travel agent or do your own thing...it is only around 25-35 a night at the hotels....and food is about 5-10US a meal....to rent a 4x4 for a week is 260US. you will only need a car for a week if you plan it right and do the tours back to back...they pick you up and drop you off at san jose....you can leave your main luggage with them and they will take care of it...hope this helps you a bit....with the 2 of us for 14 days....including spending money...around $5200CA for everything |
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summerland, bc
Canada
653 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 08:41 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by awaldner
Robert....can these spiders/frogs be fatal?? i hate spiders...but as long as they cant kill me i wont panick 10fold
I believe their is a chance of death from the frogs but more than likely you would just get sick here is some more reading
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/dartfrog.htm
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 09:20 AM
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| ok i looked at the site and it looks like the strawberry frogs are unable to kill you but just mess you up a bit.....whew....now what about those spiders????????? |
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28 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 09:50 AM
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Watch for fer de lances and eye lash vipers they are a real threat. I've worked on the jungle trams 5 times and they are always around.
Fer de lance is an aggressive snake that will sleep by trails during the day. He will not usualy get out of your way. He may attack.
Eyelash viders are garter snake size and sleep in tree branches often at face level.They camoflage well. They are not aggressive but will strike if you walk into one.
Snakes are usually territorial and one area may have lots and another area very few. Check with the locals or hire a guide.
Bullet ants won't kill you but they have a nasty bite. |
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 4:48 PM
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| thanx for the info this should be fun...i think ill cry if i even see a snake or a spider.....my husbands going to have to give me adavin to calm me down! |
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Not sure anymore
Canada
38 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 5:50 PM
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The Chirripo hike was really fun. I did the trail a couple of years ago now and it was a very good workout. There are lots of mile markers so you know how far you've gone (and how far you have left) and getting to the top of the highest peak in Costa Rica has a nice ring to it. You are supposed to make reservations but depending on the time of year this might not be an issue. We also paid $20 to have someone take our bags ahead and then rented sleeping bags at the facility near the top. The night before the hike we stayed at the Hotel Roca Dura in San Gerardo de Rivas which was a fun hostel. The owner makes a mean fried plantain!
The walking trails in Manuel Antonio park are pretty cool. This park has lots of lizards, monkeys, and snakes roaming about. I ventured down a side path and let out an embarassing screech when a monkey came out of nowhere and landed on a branch above my head. The beaches here are also great and I think there may be some surfing opportunities just outside the park.
Consider going to Monteverde for the zip lining. The best one there has a series of about 11 different lines and because Monteverde is considered a cloud forest region most of the lines literally disappear into the clouds.
Costa Rica is a great place with lots of outdoor activities so I'm sure you will not be stuck on the beach. |
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langley, BC
Canada
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 6:40 PM
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mmorgan....i now know that i wont be stuck on the beach after doing a lot of research and from all of ct's help ...now the problem is wow what to choose from?? 14days is too short now!! oh and talk about being embarassed i am petrified of spiders and snakes....i am already looking into what ifs??? my husband is going nutts with me and is trying to convince me that i could also get eaten by a whale in white rock.... |
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summerland, bc
Canada
653 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 09:17 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by awaldner
mmorgan....i now know that i wont be stuck on the beach after doing a lot of research and from all of ct's help...now the problem is wow what to choose from?? 14days is too short now!! oh and talk about being embarassed i am petrified of spiders and snakes....i am already looking into what ifs??? my husband is going nutts with me and is trying to convince me that i could also get eaten by a whale in white rock....
I managed to step on a stingray in the last couple of days in costa hurt like hell but I lived ,it was my own fault I was running through the water and not shuffling my feet to give it a chance to get away |
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Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
847 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2006 : 10:08 PM
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Hey, Amy...
I didn't mean to hijack your thread with creepyness. It just occured to me that I might be causing a case of the terminal whillies on the eve of your vacation! I'm a very bad dog.
Hope you have a great trip! |
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vancouver, b.c.
Canada
235 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2006 : 09:47 AM
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Don't now how I missed this thread before. I was in Costa Rica a number of years ago. Manuel Antonio was beautiful, but quite accessible and therefore full of visitors. That doesn't seem to deter the wildlife at all, though. In fact some of the moneys have become quite opportunistic; they'll grab a snack or a camera or anything else that looks interesting. I spent a couple of days at Tortuguero, which seemed much more remote. We were on a bit of a tour; there were lots of boat rides through rivers and canals, lots of birds and caimans. I believe the beaches there are also a nesting area for turtles, though I can't remember what type of turtle or what the season for that was. Have fun!
You WILL encounter a lot of creepy crawlies. Brace yourself for that. |
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costa rica
