The Traveling Widower

Tag: travel

Default category for all travel related posts.

  • Hot and Humid Part II – A Wondrous Day

    Close-up of a lizard perched on a branch, showcasing its textured skin and prominent eye against a natural background.

    March 26th, 2026

    This has definitely been the strangest trip I’ve been on since I started my new life of traveling. Maybe strange is the wrong word, but this definitely has been different in terms of the wide variety of activities I’ve participated in.

    Today (Thursday) was focused on a full day of activities in one particular area quite a ways west of the Golfito Bay, where multiple activities started from a single point – Playa Blanca. We had to sign up for two activities a few days ago, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, all of which required short bus rides from the beach. Most of the activities were focused on exploring some Costa Rican family run eco-related business, as well as a bit of Costa Rican culture. It was another wet landing (boo hiss), this time to a large public beach where we had reserved space for our lunch activities, and where the charter buses would pick us up. This time, I had appropriate water shoes. No more dancing through the rocks (ouch!)

    I chose a rain forest hike, at a privately owned eco-lodge and park for the morning adventure. A very good choice.  The lodge (https://www.dantalodge.com/) was absolutely beautiful, and had trails wandering off into the rain forest. Our hike crossed a few creeks, and meandered up a somewhat steep trail (with a rope handrail) which peaked at a three story observation tower. Along the way, we stopped to photograph anything of interest we spotted along the trail  – this included some birds and a lot of amphibians and lizards – small Basalisk “Jesus Christ” lizards (they walk on water) were found along streams, and there were some extremely small (and lightly poisonous) frogs in the leaf litter along the trail. 

    A bird with a striped brown and white plumage standing on rocks by a stream, surrounded by green foliage and fallen leaves.
    Close-up of a thick tree trunk covered in spiky texture, surrounded by green leaves and a large brown leaf resting nearby.
    A small brown and black frog camouflaged among fallen leaves and branches on the forest floor.
    A group of hikers crossing a wooden bridge in a dense, green rainforest.
    A panoramic view of a lush green jungle with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, featuring a leafless tree in the foreground.
    A colorful woodpecker peeking from a textured tree trunk against a blurred green background.

    There was not really an abundance of wildlife, but it was just an enjoyable hike – it was hot and humid, but were in the shade most of the way, and we had a great naturalist describing everything as we strolled along at a reasonable pace.

    Once we made it back to the lodge, the owner provided a nice selection of fruits and juices, and the best empanada I’ve ever eaten. We also spotted some Toucans, and I found a large Basalisk, sunning itself in a fountain. A great photo-op.

    A bamboo structure with a metal roof, surrounded by lush greenery and tropical plants, featuring a pathway leading to the entrance. People can be seen inside the building, engaging in various activities.
    Interior view of a wooden structure surrounded by greenery, featuring bamboo columns, wooden furniture, and a spacious wooden floor.
    A lizard sitting on a wooden surface, displaying its textured skin and long tail, with shadows and natural background elements.

    And I finally managed to get a couple of half-way decent shots of a Toucan.

    A close-up of a toucan's colorful head and beak partially hidden behind a tree branch, surrounded by green foliage.
    A toucan perched on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves.

    After we were done re-hydrating and relaxing, we boarded our air-conditioned bus for the short ride back to the beach.

    The Nat Geo/Lindblad crew really does a great job of introducing the guests not only to local culture, but also to the country’s efforts to maintain the environment of their lands and ocean. Aside from a nice barbecue lunch, we were entertained by a local dance group, and then had another presentation by an organization that tracks and rehabs sea turtles – they brought along a recently captured one, to show us how they record information on the turtles, clean them up if necessary, and the re-release the guy. Which they did. A happy turtle.

    A woman dressed in traditional attire with a white blouse and a purple skirt is dancing outdoors. The setting includes canopies and other people in the background, creating a festive atmosphere.
    A group of dancers performing a traditional dance outdoors, wearing colorful folkloric costumes. The scene features bright blue, red, and gold outfits, with dancers showcasing vibrant movements under sunny trees.

    I chose a visit to a chocolate (cocoa) plantation for my afternoon outing. Another great choice – Finka Cobo (http://www.fincakobo.com/). It turned into a combination garden/flora walk and Squirrel Monkey photo-op. Woo hoo. We walked the garden with the owner and our own National Geographic naturalists, with the owner describing non-stop all the plants, the history of his property, the different fruit varieties….a veritable fountain of knowledge. Once we got to the cocoa plants, he gave a great demonstration of the process behind turning the cocoa beans into chocolate – even got to chew on a bean or two. I knew it was a complex process, but it was great to actually see what the producers had to go through. 

    Close-up of a tree trunk with greenish bark showing small white flowers and a blueish patch near the base.
    Close-up of delicate white and yellow flowers blooming on a textured tree trunk, with green lichen accents.

    Along the way, we had already spotted a bunch of squirrel monkeys bouncing through the trees – photographing them became the focus of the rest of our walk. These little buggers are difficult to photograph, as they move quickly through the thick foliage. But if you are persistent, you can get a couple of good shots. They are not exactly cute – the look like little devils!

    A squirrel monkey hanging upside down from a branch, surrounded by dense green foliage.
    A squirrel monkey perched on a tree branch surrounded by large green leaves.
    A squirrel monkey perched on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves.
    A squirrel monkey perched on a branch amidst lush green leaves in a forested environment.

    Eventually, we did need to stop taking pictures, and headed back to the main lodge where they set up some fruit with chocolate sauce and a wonderful chocolate cake. This turned into a day for gorging on different foods. Diet time when I get home. And they also had those cute little Long Nosed Bats on the ceiling – at least I think they are cute.

    A bat hanging upside down on a textured wall.

    And there were lots of beautiful flowers in the garden – a bit of everything.

    A close-up of a vibrant pink orchid flower with a darker purple lip, surrounded by green leaves and natural foliage.
    A vibrant red and yellow heliconia flower hanging among green leaves in a tropical setting.

    We eventually got back in our nice, air conditioned bus, to return to the beach and get wet shoes again to board a Zodiac back to the ship. A long but great day.

    Peace

  • Another Long Trip Home

    Crowded airport terminal with a long line of passengers waiting in front of check-in counters, large windows allowing natural light, and several advertisements visible in the background.

    March 28th, 2026

    De-embarkation day is always a bit sad, especially when it was a fun trip like this one. You get your cabin well organized so it’s sort of like having a dorm room in college (for some of us at least), and you have a group of new, short-term friends to have lunch and dinner with. And then it’s all over. 

    A long hotel hallway featuring numbered doors and carpeted flooring in blue tones, illuminated by ceiling lights.
    Last look down steerage level

    We had pulled into port  in the early morning, relatively close to the airport (about an hour drive). Cruise ships was clearly not the main business here – we were parked between container ships, and got to watch them unload one of the ships – never seen that before.

    A cargo ship docked at a harbor with cranes, ready for unloading. The scene captures the ship's hull, the cranes, and a portion of the quay.

    The mobile cranes are huge – they look a lot like the rigs used to move space boosters to the launch pads.

    The San Jose airport is pretty well organized – check-in was about 5 minutes, and security about the same. Unfortunately, Houston will not be the same. The TSA nightmare continues – last evening, about the time I would be traversing security today, the wait time was 4 hours. I would not be making my flight, even with CLEAR which was shutdown today for a while. So, I’m nice and relaxed, sitting in a lounge at the San Jose airport, working on a blog post until my flight leaves in 3 hours. No stress for today at least.

    View from an airport window showcasing airplanes on the tarmac with mountains and blue sky in the background.

    I hope that volcano does not decide to blow before the plane takes off. That would be my luck.

    Home tomorrow, I hope. Peace.

    (Note: I have two posts in progress from the last two days of activities – many more pictures. I was just bored at the airport and decided to write a bit. It’s become a habit..a better one than drinking or smoking).

    A brief update – the flight from Costa Rica left about 30 minutes late, due to a medical emergency from the baggage handlers loading up the plane. We wound up landing about 40 minutes late – not so good for all the passengers with 2 hours to get to the next flight. I made it through customs in about 5 minutes – Global Entry is worth it if you are traveling overseas a lot. I just breezed on through. Baggage took a while, and the wait times to go back through security were not too bad. I might have made it. But it was nice not having to try and run through the terminals which most everyone else on the flight was doing. I cannot really run with my Forest Gump brace on…or with it off as well. So, I’m happy to be sitting comfortably in the airport Marriott. I’m really beat from the trip anyway.

    One other thought on that topic – I spoke with an airport employee as I passed through security, just to ask about the TSA lines and delays. He said that it has improved just a bit, since that person in the White House said the TSA agents would be paid next week. Most of them he knows are not sure they believe that will happen since the president says a lot of things and then changes his mind. But at least there is some hope that the delays may improve a bit in the next few days. That would be very nice. I’ve got another trip in 2 weeks.

    I might as well finish the story instead of starting another post.

    My flight to Sacramento was scheduled for 10:15AM this morning (Sunday), but I decided to play it safe and got over to Terminal E early….before 7AM. Even then, there was a sea of humanity in line. Even worse, they did not bother to open the CLEAR line, or the TSA Precheck. Everyone got to suffer together.

    The lines were well organized, and everyone just shuffled along until they got to the few TSA screening stations. After that you waited in another long line to go through the x-ray scanners. All told, it was about an hour from start to finish. Not that bad. I did like the little signs they posted along the way, with the estimated time from that point.

    I did get to see a whole bunch of ICE agents standing around, drinking coffee, and with one exception, not doing anything useful. Your tax dollars at work. I felt so much safer having them there. Not.

    And yes, I did finally make it home. I need a real vacation.

    And just to add insult to injury (I’m not sure that fits, but it sounds good), that guy in the White House issues an executive order to pay the TSA workers, and now the lines have suddenly disappeared in Houston. There was nothing stopping him from doing this a week ago. Would have been nice to a lot of travelers, myself included.