High Adventure in the Costa Rican Jungle

Sitting on a damp stump and listening to the cacophony of rainforest sounds around you. Hacking deep into pristine jungle and diving into crystal blue pools of pure water. Picking your way through a wild and remote river gorge to hidden waterfalls with no names.

Quick Tips:

Take as little as possible on the trek. The entire hike can be done in one day from San Jose (if you're a strong hiker and swimmer), so pack light. You will get drenched, so wear light clothes which dry quickly. Pants that zip off into shorts are excellent. Take a watch so you can keep track of your time. Have some waterproof ziplock bags in your pack for essentials that need to stay dry. Take both sturdy hiking boots and watersocks (I prefer to use dive booties).

Best Way To Get Around:

You can take a cab from downtown San Jose to Tapanti National Park. It is less than 30 miles, but the drive will take more than an hour. Your cabbie may not be familiar with Tapanti, so you can tell him "Orosi" which is the name of the village outside the park. From the village, he can get directions to the park, or just follow the clearly marked signs to Tapanti. The road will become dirt as it winds through coffee plantations and into the Orosi River gorge. It gets pretty badly potholed, but once inside the park, it gets much better. After paying your entrance fees, have him drop you off at the trailhead for Sendero la Pava (clearly marked) and have him wait for you back at the park headquarters. You should negotiate the entire cost before leaving San Jose. is more than generous for the roundtrip drive and a day's wait. Be up front that he may wait for you for up to 10 hours. If he isn't interested, thank him and walk away and look for another cabbie. He'll come around!

You can spend lots and lots of money on a hotel in San José, but if you''re used to budget travel, Hotel Maralyn is a decent choice.

The hotel is small and spartan, but it''s smack dab in the middle of the town, convenient to restaurants, attractions, and buses.

You shouldn''t pay more than $15 for a private room with a private bath, including hot showers (if they''re working). The place is VERY secure! You have to ring a bell and the owners come to the door to let you in, ANY time of night.

I found the place to be very clean and comfortable. The beds were basic, but sufficient. The rooms were very small, the bathrooms even smaller, but for $15 . . . WHO CARES???

The only thing that makes some travelers uncomfortable about Maralyn is its proximity to the "Red Light District." If you walk or drive in at night, you will doubtlessly see prostitutes and transvestites working the nearby streets. Good thing the hotel is so secure! But not good if you''re driving your own car and need a place to park (if this is the case, stay at Hostel Turoma, instead).

Any cabbie will be able to take you there, but if he gets lost or acts confused, tell him "Museo del los Niños." This is the children''s museum which is two blocks up the hill from the hotel. It is clearly visible from the hotel entrance, and looks like a huge yellow castle across the river.

If you tell them you are a student, you''ll get a discount!

The Barcelo chain is all over Costa Rica, and they are considered "luxury" hotels by Central American standards but NOT by American standards.

This hotel is about 2 miles from the center of San Jose in the sleepy area known as Sabana Sur (or South of the Park). The hotel is secure and very clean, and the 24-hour staff is friendly.

The rooms are small, but the beds are fairly nice. You'll have a private bath with GLORIOUSLY unlimited hot water.

There is a lovely interior courtyard, and most rooms open onto this courtyard. They have a small cafeteria, though there are plenty of cheap eateries within a few blocks.

If you can't handle something as spartan as the Hotel Maralyn, but don't want to fork over $200 for a Hilton, the Hotel Barcelo Rincon del Valle is a good choice. Expect to pay about $50-$60 for a room, unless you can bargain well when you check in.

San Jose is NOT the place to stay when you come to Costa Rica, yet it is inevitable that you'll spend at least one night here after arriving or before departing.

If you're taking cabs or buses, Hotel Maralyn (separate entry) is more convenient to Coca Cola terminal and closer to the airport. (Despite being in the red light district!)

However, if you're driving your own car, virtually NO budget accomodation in the city provides the security of Hostel Turoma, HI's big affiliate in San Jose.

Located on the far east side of downtown near the University, the hostel a large security gate for private parking. It is housed in a lovely old mansion, and is actually one of the more spacious and lovely hostels I've seen ANYWHERE!

Dorms are gender specific, and $11 per person. A few private rooms are available for $22.

A BIG perk about this place is the FREE internet access and FREE pancake breakfast every morning!

The BIG downfall of the place is the HORRIFIC NOISE that begins around 530am on the city's main thoroughfare about 40 feet from the windows of each room which remain open year-round. That's nice if you need something to get you up early for your flight, but horrible if you're trying to relax after a trek through the Tapanti River Gorge.

Basically, this place is ultra clean, ultra safe, and a reasonable bargain, ESPECIALLY if you have rented a car.

*WARNING* This journal entry may be offensive if you find references to homosexual activity in any way offensive.

Deja Vu is the mainstream gay club in San Jose. This club came HEAVILY recommended by quite a few friends who have had "good luck" there in the past. Several of these friends are not people I'd consider to be "good-looking," but they always managed to take SEVERAL very attractive boys home with them.

I had no such luck.

I was impressed to find such a high-tech club in a country that seems to be technologically backwards. The music was great, the lights and dancefloor were excellent.

My lack of Spanish was a major drawback. For instance, there is only one bar that has liquor, all the others only have beer. It took me several minutes to understand this.

Also, after paying your cover charge (ONLY in local currency, don't try to pay in US dollars) you are given a ticket which gets you a free drink. I surrendered the ticket to the bartender when I got my first beer. When I tried to buy another, the bartender said I needed a ticket. I went to the entrance to buy another and the guy said I already had mine. I went back and the bartender said I needed a ticket. I said, "I have no ticket. I want to PAY!" I showed him some money. He made the drink and pushed it at me and I said, "How much?" and he looked at me like one of us was stupid. Finally I forced him to take $2, though he looked at me funny the whole time.

EVIDENTLY the cost of entry into the club INCLUDES all your beverages, but since I don't speak Spanish, I can't tell for sure. What I DO know is that everyone constantly had drinks, I never saw anyone pay for them, and that bartender sure looked at me funny when I tried to pay.

The boys at Deja Vu are typical Central American gay boys . . . GORGEOUS! And they can DANCE!!! I could have spent the whole evening just watching the boys on the dance floor.

Like I said, I went home alone, but that could be because I was with my friend Justin who looks vaguely Latino. Perhaps they all thought I was spoken for. Numerous friends of all ages, sizes, and looks have always seemed to take home one or MORE cuties from this club, though, so perhaps you'll have better luck than I.

It was a fun experience, great club, great music, but a little Spanish would make this a much better experience.

From the "Sendero la Pava" trailhead, 2.1 miles from the park entrance, hike a few minutes to a junction marked "Sendero las Cataratas" branching to the left. Turn left here and follow the trail to where it meets the river. You have an excellent view of Salto Falls on the opposite wall of the canyon.

Take careful note of the point where the trail spits you out on the riverbank so you do not miss it on your way out!

From this point, you are on your own. There is no trail leading upstream. You must hack your way through the jungle, sometimes swimming or wading in the river. The canyon walls will begin to close in, and eventually you will come to an area of waterfalls where side streams pour straight over cliffs into the river. You'll pass at least six of the smaller falls before you reach a very large waterfall on your left called Palmitos Falls. It is about 50 feet high, and the swimming hole is just magical, shrouded in misty jungle with waterfalls crashing all around you.

There are large flat rocks here for a nice picnic and a nap. You can only continue upstream a few minutes farther to another waterfall before the large boulders close in.

This trek is enchanting but difficult. It will take you at least four hours to reach Palmitos Falls and hike back to park headquarters, though most strong hikers will need at least six. A sturdy hiking stick is nice while crossing and trekking in the river. If you do not have trekking poles, you can usually find some sturdy sticks along the riverbank.

The Orosi River, though shallow in many places, is very powerful. Be cautious and alert while hiking in the river.

This trek will take you into country that will remind you of Jurassic Park. You will be utterly alone, with no one around for miles. You'll feel buried alive in wild, untamed rainforest filled with parrots and monkeys and sloths and colorful butterflies the size of your hand. It is a trek you'll never forget in a small country that is soon to be overrun with tourists. Go now!

The fact that Tapanti National Park remains unvisited is a miracle. The park is only an hour's drive from San Jose. It is literally the closest tract of pristine rainforest to the national capitol, however, most tourists venture 4 or more hours to visit similar, more-crowded parks.

If you go on a weekday, outside June-August, you will likely have the entire park to yourself. Should you happen to arrive on a weekend in July, there may be a handful of others in the park with you. However, we're talking about a park the size of Yosemite! The average visitation is less than 1,000 per year. Amazing!

The park showcases the mighty Orosi River Gorge, a vast canyon draped in rainforest and filled with wildlife. Your chances of seeing a monkey or a sloth are about as good here as in any other spot of rainforest in the country. You will see and hear lots of birds and butterflies.

Swimming is great at a large swimming hole called Oropendula. Just past the park entrance is the trail marked "Sendero Oropendula." Hike this trail approximately 10 easy minutes to the river. Turn right and follow the trail along the riverbank until it deadends at the swimming hole which is flanked by diving rocks. The river is cold and deep here, and the current is strong, so if you choose to climb up the dangerous boulders and dive in, do so at your own risk!

You can follow the excellent dirt park road about 15 miles past the park entrance to the foot of a lovely waterfall.

But if you want to get up close and personal with wild untamed falls, you should hike deep into the Orosi River gorge to Palmitos Falls. The hike is described in the section entitled "The Trek."

Entrance to the park is a nominal sum of a few dollars, and no camping is allowed.

The park is so obscure that many San Jose cabbies do not know about it. There is public transportation from San Jose only as far as Orosi, and it is another 6 miles to the park entrance, so do yourself a favor and hire a cabbie to take you and wait for you. Instructions are in the "Getting Around" heading under the Basics section of this journal.