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Sunday, August 15, 2021

Available at Last! The Road Trip to Arenal Videos!

Last year I gave Lance a car cam for his birthday. We decided to try it out on a road trip and we  chose Arenal volcano as our destination. I made reservations at the Arenal Manoa Resort Hotel and Hot Springs.

Caveat: There are seven different videos posted. YouTube won’t accept individual videos longer then 15 minutes (without going through an administrative process) so we broke up all the videos into less then 15 minute segments. Also, most of them are of driving on the roads to and from Arenal - so some may find them boring. Others who have never been to Costa Rica might find them very interesting. You decide.

This trip we remembered to bring Kermit with us and he was very happy.



I have added photos of Manoa resort after the final video - #7.

Maps of our routes going to Arenal Manoa Resort and returning home are as follows:


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Video #1 is of us leaving our house and starting out to Arenal Manoa Resort. We drive over the stone bridge (puente de piedra) which is where our neighbourhood got its name from.



Video #2 - we are on highway 1 (aka Interamerican or Pan American Highway) headed towards San Ramon.



Video #3 - After San Ramon, rain starting, heavy cloud/fog and twisty roads.



Video #4 - We are now driving on highway 702 to La Fortuna. Notice the narrow bridge - “ceda” means yield.



Video #5 - We are at the Arenal Manoa Resort Hotel, returning from a day trip we took the second day. Part of the road was being repaired.



Video #6 - Heading home on highway 4 and then highway 35 south.



Video #7 - Highway 118, through Sarchi and the outskirts of our town, Grecia.


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Lance outside on our casita’s patio.


The casitas are very private.



Kermit had never seen a jacuzzi before.



The clouds parted from around Arenal volcano just long enough for us to have a good view from our casita.



Breakfast was included - excellent.

 
The pool with swim up bar.


Pizza! made to order right by the pool. Thin crust - the best. Note that the cook and the server are wearing face masks.



Random photos from around the hotel grounds:




This was a great road trip, albeit with a few driving challenges - rain, cloud, fog and twisting roads. La Fortuna is a super place for tourists to visit - there is so much for them to do.

Click on images to enlarge.

8 comments:

MikeM said...

These are excellent. Great way for those of us in cold snowy Canada to see the country. Will watch the rest of them when on computer with a big display. MM

Diana Miskell said...

Thanks, Mike! You may be able to watch them on your TV - not sure how that works. We’re planning on another trip next month - to Quepos on the Pacific side. So the scenery will be much different.

Lynda Rice said...

Coincidentally, I was eating popcorn while viewing your "show." Felt like I was at the movies, for sure! Thank you for sharing your road trip. Having been to Arenal, I recognized it and many of the places along your journey. The pictures of Kermit are priceless!

Diana Miskell said...

So funny you were eating popcorn! Poor 40 year old Kermit … we keep dragging him along.

Photolera Claudinha said...

Hi, Sis D, I watched your feature-length œuvre with great enjoyment as soon as you posted it. It was eerily like being back driving those crazy roads again ... good memories! Here are some of my observations. Video #1: Love your neighborhood, very pretty! In the approach to Hwy 1, Lance drives way too long in the left lane (would get him a ticket here). #2: It always surprises me anew how puny la Interamericana really is. Hwy 702 -> so very typical for CR with its deep rain gutters and mostly no lane markings 😳 but I was REALLY surprised at the super-smooth road surfaces throughout (mostly). Loved the orderly piles of garbage bags on the left road margin, and then the garbage truck coming downhill, really sweet and homely. #3: Lots of cattle guards, you must be in Texas 😆 I recognized so many typical sights, like las paradas del bus and, of course, the crazy Tico drivers!! Your resort was really nice, maybe one day we get a chance to visit CR again and go to Arenal. What struck me most during your return trip was the lovely, lush pastoral countryside and the low-light, overcast conditions. I loved seeing the painted bridge in Sargí and, don't laugh, signs for Monge and Gallo - oh those memories. You know, we have a Hwy 141 going right through town here, too! I didn't notice very many road signs. Did you use Waze for directions? Thank you so much for this splendid excursion through CR! It was a lot of fun to ride along with you!!

Diana Miskell said...

Thanks, Sis C! So glad you enjoyed watching all the videos. Lance sezs he was watching the rear view mirror carefully and there were no cars behind him! Signs - I swear every town has a MaxiPali, a Monge and a Gallo. No, not many roads signs and we do use Waze all the time. Even that is not 100% accurate. Next month we are going to the Quepos area so there will be more videos!

Arlyn said...

Thank you for sharing these videos. They brought back memories of my many visits to Costa Rica.

Diana Miskell said...

So happy that you enjoyed them, Arlyn!