What's Better Than Paradise?

I am sitting alone in the open jungle in the middle of the night as I write, while my family is locked in the room. That....seems weird to write, obviously, but it's true. Our stunning suite at Casitas Tenorio doesn't have Wi-Fi (none of them do) and the lock on the front door is key-controlled from both the inside and out. We only have one key. There is Wi-Fi in the common space of the central "rancho" which has a roof but no walls. 

This is strange.

However, this is a different part of Costa Rica - more remote than La Fortuna or the area around Mount Arenal - and so we need to manage our expectations, I suppose. We came here in pursuit of a different experience, after all!

(UPDATE: We later discovered that our casita has another exit that was accessible to Mindy and the kids. More importantly, they didn't need an emergency exit!)

Wait, what is that noise? I look with my flashlight to see what animal is bouncing along underneath the roof just above me - I can hear it's wings. A small bat? That's a hummingbird! Wow! Oh....that's NOT a hummingbird. That's an enormous bug of some sort with a big, fleshy body! (I did not get a photo.) Less "ick" factor - the gecko on the underneath of the roof above me. 

While I may be sitting alone in the dark here, the Wi-Fi restriction - only in the main rancho - is intentional. Casita Tenorio is cultivating inclusion and connection among their guests by drawing them (us) out of their (our) casitas. (Over the next few days as we stayed here, we had the absolute pleasure of interacting with other families here, including "travel friends" for Everest and Lauren who were close enough they warranted hugs when our paths diverged.)

Here is the rancho in daylight:

...and here is the mosquito suppression equipment! (Bats roosting under the roof - that returned to this spot each day.)

We are here for tapirs. I mean, we'll "accept" more views of monkeys and other incredible Costa Rican wildlife, but the northern, more remote area that we are in now is home to this elusive cross between a pig and an ant-eater (not really). They are rare and hard to spot, so....fingers crossed!

Whether or not we see tapirs, I was ready for a change from La Mansion and La Fortuna region, generally. Beautiful vistas, lovely people, toucans and oropendolas(!!) but....Mindy and I travel aggressively, and two nights in one place is about our limit. Good bye, La Mansion, hello adventure! (Quick games of pool and chess before leaving La Mansion. It was raining, but we were more drawn to indoor activities than the pools, so - again! - the persistent rain here has had no real limiting impact on our activities.)

In her extensive research for this trip, Mindy found Cafe con Amour and put it on our agenda for today. Slight problem - it was closed when we arrived. On a Saturday morning. Ookaay...seems like a questionable business plan, that. Let's check out the highly-advertised German Bakery across the street.

This has been a landmark of the area for many years (though is now reportedly for sale). Honestly? Mindy and I were underwhelmed. It was...fine. The pastries were sweet and satisfied hunger. Next stop, impromptu, the Costa Rican version of Healthy Planet!

Wait, what is this being advertised in the store??? Tempting! According to AI, it would cost about $50K per year for a family of four to live in Costa Rica with our own wells, fruit trees, etc.

 

And finally the coffee that we intended to get from Cafe con Amour, now from the highly advertised (and very touristy) Cafe & Macadamia. Great views and sustenance to make for a happy family.

There's a saying in Costa Rica that the shortest distance between two points is rarely a straight line. We learned that as we turned off the primary highway for the "direct route" toward Bijagua de Upala.

(Don't take the 927 if you want easy driving!)

Started off being a little bumpy. Fine, we got a 4WD for that reason. Steep gullies and no shoulder. (Glad I'm not driving!) At least the rain was spotty and light - in a bad storm one could slide right off the road! Pot holes big enough to swallow a car. Well...um....ok, this is not what we expected! There is no way for me to really convey the lurching and rocking of the car as we drove over head-sized boulders and dipped into 8-inch potholes! I've been on safari in Africa in a 6-wheel ATV and the conditions we drove over there were no worse than what we're tackling in a car here.

We later read that the 927 route we took is a known "trap" for tourists who rely on Google Maps for directions; it is the most direct route, after all. HOWEVER, that same article noted that the breathtaking views from that route are unavailable elsewhere, and - as we weren't trapped in a storm, waylaid by a landslide, or stuck in a ditch - worth every moment of the white-knuckle drive! (Says the one who wasn't driving.)

The photos do NOT do it justice.

Next time we'll take the longer, less direct route. One flat tire or a sudden tropical storm and our takeaway from that drive would have been very different. 

Back on well-maintained highways, we finally found ourselves in Bijagua de Upala and to Casitas Tenorio. A stunning luxurious hideaway in rural Costa Rica. I thought Eden was my new home, but maybe I judged too soon?