Days 38 - 39 (Naranjo - Horseback Riding)

Days 38 - My horseback riding day excursion was experienced on the grounds of Vista del Valle. Vista del Valle is located in the heart of the central valley's most beautiful and productive coffee and orange growing region. Mangoes, bananas, passion fruit and other tropical fruits abound on the property. It is only 15 minutes driving from Grecia:

Vista del Valle Plantation


Our tour guide, Enriqué gets "Apache" ready!


"Eclipse"is not ready for tour rides yet.
So he has to stay behind. He likes to fall down and play like a child! Ha! Doesn't he look like trouble!


My horse's name is "Cantante"("Singer" in English).
She is 5 years old and is extremely smart.


Horseback Riding: Here we go!


Horseback Riding Tour of the Coffee Plantations


Horseback Riding Tour of the Coffee Plantations


Horseback Riding Tour of the Coffee Plantations


Horseback Riding Tour of the Coffee Plantations:
View from Cantante


End of Horseback Riding Tour: Full Body of Cantante


End of Horseback Riding Tour: ¡Hasta luego, Cantante!


Now we eat lunch in the Restaurant of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn:
Vista del Valle Plantation Restaurant


Vista del Valle Plantation Restaurant: The View


Vista del Valle Plantation Restaurant: The Interior


Vista del Valle Plantation Restaurant: Another View of the Mountains from my Table


Vista del Valle Plantation Inn is not only a horse ranch, but also an Inn/Hotel and has condominiums on the property. Three(3) Phases total, Two(2) are still in development and under construction. We toured the property after lunch. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous romantic getaway. There is even a 400ft waterfall, a 20 minute hike from the Inn, but after horseback riding...I can't move!:

Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


These Villas are absolutely to-die for! Each one has a name which explains its personality. My Favorite is named Mona Lisa:

Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


Tour of Vista del Valle Plantation Inn


So, as I am touring the grounds a interesting looking creature just walks out of nowhere. I now know it is called a Pizote.
The picture I took of the Pizote:


A GOOGLED picture of Pizote for frontal visual reference only:


Before leaving this beautiful you-gotta-see-for-yourself Inn, I took a picture of the skelinton of a Chicharra. This is the LOUD insect I hear EVERYNIGHT at dusk. The story is when Chicharra sound, they are calling for the rain...and it does rain everytime I hear them. Oh! It's sitting ontop of a Monkey Brush. Named "Monkey Brush" because monkeys use these to brush their hair. Ha!:



A Monkey Brush Tree

Days 33 - 37 (Grecia - 2nd Week of Spanish School)

Days 33 - 37 - Amazing how much one can learn Spanish in just 2 weeks! My school is total immersion. Speaking English is prohibited...and to show you a visual of how serious AC-CE is about no English to be spoken, look at this sign in my Spanish Class. Ha!:



This week gave inspiration for these drawings:

Scarlet Macaw


Blue Morpho Butterfly


Ficus Tree Roots

Day 31 - 32 (Nicoya - Canopy Tour)

Day 31 - 1 month anniversary in CR! 7:00am I meet my Spanish School AC-CE's Adventure Excursion Director Fo-Fo (pronounced Foe Foe), a fellow student, Bonnie and an AC-CE Spanish Teacher, Natalia for a day trip to Nicoya to partake in a 2 hour, 75ft above the ground Canopy Tour:

But, first we stop by a cigar shop featuring hand-wrapped cigars. We were even shown personally how to hand-wrap cigars by Antonio of Don TuTo Cigar Shop:

Don TuTo Cigar Shop Sign


Inside Don TuTo Cigar Shop


Handwrapping Demonstration


Me Handwrapping a Cigar


Group Photo After Handwrapping a Cigar


There is a 30 minute trail to walk before getting to the first canopy. While walking this trail, we were educated on Mahogany Forest's Rain Forest history and natural habitat:

A Giant 1.5ft Long Walking Stick Insect


Strangler Fig - Strangler figs are parasitic plants that usually begin life as epiphytes growing high up on a host tree. As the fig gradually extends roots down to the ground it grows tightly around the trunk of the host preventing further girth growth.


Major Bumps on this Tree


1 of 2 Guides, Marco of The Original Canopy Tour Demonstrating Safety Instructions


Guest who went first? Ha!
Oh yeah, there were 10 of these canopies 75ft above ground!


Check out me in Canopy Tour Action.
Watch the video!


Group Canopy Tour Photo


We had two options for getting down from 75ft above ground...a canopy ride or repel. And you know what I choose:

Me, repelling down...WooHoo!


Pura Vida! WooHoo!


After the Canopy Tour is the 45 minute hike back to the base. Along the way I took a couple of Mahogany Forest's habitants:

A HUGE Tarantula!
Along the trail were dens upon dens of Tarantulas


The Cashew Tree - Each fruit produces one cashew nut.

No wonder they are so expensive!


As we travel back to Grecia, we decide to keep going and head to the Pacific Coast. Especially to see Alligators in the most polluted river in Costa Rica, the Grande de Tárcoles River:


the Grande de Tárcoles River



the Grande de Tárcoles River



An American Crocodile in The Tárcoles River


Day 32 - MI FAVORITO LATIN MUSICA!

Alejandro Sanz feat. Shakira"Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No"



Ricky Martin feat.(feat. La Mari of Chambao and Tommy Torres)
"Tu Recuerdo" - MTV Unplugged



Julieta Venegas & Anita Tijoux - "Eres Para Mi"

Days 26 - 30 (Grecia - 1st Week of Spanish School)

Days 26-30 - My first week of Spanish School at AC-CE will be something to remember! The staff are muy, muy wonderful people. I hope to learn alot from them while I am here.

This is a full-immersion program. Meaning, no English is spoken what-so-ever! There are signs everywhere displaying the no English symbol. (laughing) I take a 15-20 minute walk to school every morning. As part of the tuition all the students get a mid-morning snack in La Casa de Miguel restaurant located below the school building.

Fántasico comida!

FoFo, AC-CE's Tour Operator
and the Photographer of these photos of AC-CE



The AC-CE Building



Casa de Miguel Restaurant



Inside Casa de Miguel Restaurant


All AC-CE students have a different Spanish professor each week, so one may hear many different Spanish dialects and experience different teaching techniques:


AC-CE Spanish Professors