How Much is That in Euros?

In 2007, there were not as many websites available to help travelers find flights, hotels, restaurants, and everything else you need to know when you travel.  After searching the few sites online I found a relatively inexpensive hotel with a restaurant and that advertised shuttle service to and from the airport.  We booked a room for 3 nights and Bill and Verda booked into the same hotel for 2 nights.

The idea of guest reviews was not as popular then as it is now, so there were not very many reviews to check.  But I sure wish someone had mentioned that the shower leaked all over the bathroom floor in our room.  We had to roll up our pant legs until it dried up.  

Another unpleasant surprise was that, when we arrived at Schiphol airport, we discovered that the shuttle cost 12.5 Euros per person, or about $33.00 for the two of us.  And, it was my mistake that I assumed that the shuttle would be free if we stayed at that hotel.  When the cost of the shuttle was added in to the cost of the room, it turned out not to be an inexpensive room after all.  

But upon arriving after a trans-Atlantic flight, you’re not going to care about much but sleep.  We crawled into bed immediately and had a nap til we woke up hungry.  My husband, Ron, and I took a walk around the neighborhood and found the markets.  We bought goodies for an in-room picnic and went back to sleep for the night. 

Bill and Verda arrived early the next morning, but had several hours before they could check in, so we decided to take our first tour of Amsterdam.  The hotel was quite close to a tram stop that would take us anywhere we wanted to go, and the hotel desk sold us two-day tram passes.  The first thing on our list was the “Damme” or Dam Square.

It is difficult to see this as the original dam across the Amstel River since it is so large.  The Dam Square is always full of living statues, like the one above, jugglers, protesters, and unusual monuments.

Right away, we had to learn how to walk around in Amsterdam.  In the U.S., the pedestrian always has the right of way, but not in the Netherlands.  We had to watch for trams, be on the lookout for speeding cars, and, most of all, not walk in the bike lanes!  We were sure Ron was going to get hit before our stay was over.  He couldn't help walking next to the canals, which were where the bike lanes were.  We constantly heard Brrrrring! Brrrrring! Get out of the way or get run over!

Coming from a car-centric country, we found it unusual that the favored mode of transportation is the bicycle.  There are literally thousands of bikes in Amsterdam with parking garages just for them.  Seeing these bikes, you can't help but think that the Dutch must be much healthier than Americans.  The other thing that strikes you is the lack of "safety standards."  You know that what you see in the photo above would never be allowed in the U.S.

Back at the hotel for dinner and we were ready to talk about our various options now that we were in Europe and had a car to pick up on Monday morning.  Since we were starting out from Amsterdam, we realized that it would be foolish to try to get to Rome, Florence and Venice.  Someone suggested that we each pick one thing that we really, really, really wanted to do.   My husband wanted to see the beaches at Normandy.  His uncle Willie had died in the invasion and Ron had always been interested in the history of World War II.   Our friend, Bill,  is of German extraction and expressed a desire to learn more about his family's roots, but since they were staying an extra week, they said they would do that after we left to come home.  Verda paints and said her trip would be complete if she could go to the Louvre.  Oh, and she wanted to make sure that we actually got to Paris and didn't fiddle around and run out of time.  I agreed with her but said that my heart's desire was to to stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset and see the lights of Paris come on below us.  So, first,  explore Amsterdam on the one day we had, then off to Normandy.

First Trip to Europe

When I was a little girl, my mother enrolled me in an educational program from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.  They sent a packet of information each month about different art museums in the world and the works of art that could be seen in them.  I pored over these materials for hours, and carefully, so carefully, put the stickers in my booklet in their little frames.  My favorite was the "Winged Victory of Samothrace."There was something about her power and grace that spoke to me.  I imagined myself transported from my little room in Selma, Alabama, to Paris, to the Louvre, and standing in front of her.  And then, over the years, I forgot about that dream.

Many, many years later when the children were grown and we had more time, we started investigating the possibility of more travel.  And, by then, we had the internet.  I was able to investigate sites like Travelzoo that searches out great travel deals and sends them to you in an email each week.  I happened to see an entry for “European Destinations,” which offers packages that include airfare, accommodations and, sometimes, ground transportation or connections when necessary.  For example, in 2007, this was available: Fly to Rome, spend 2 nights, take the Eurostar train to Florence, spend 2 nights in Florence, take the train to Venice, spend 2 nights in Venice and fly home for an unbelievable $955 per person.  Allowing ourselves $1000 for meals, fees for attractions, and shopping, we could have 6 nights in Italy for just under $3000.

I emailed our travel friends and sent them the link to this amazing package.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, as it turned out) they were on vacation at Hilton Head and had no computer access in their condo.  Days crept by with no response from them and the longer we waited, the higher the price went as the less expensive hotel spots were taken.  

Note: as I remember this now, I realize that 10 years ago, not everyone had a cell phone, a data plan, an iPad, and Wifi everywhere.

When we were finally able to speak with Bill and Verda on the phone, we discovered another glitch.  They had recently been bumped from a Delta flight and were given a voucher for a free flight as long as it was the same price or less than the flight they’d been bumped from.  When Verda checked the voucher, she saw that it expired in two days!  Therefore, we had no time to work out an itinerary with European Destinations since there are options to choose from - including length of stay in each city; 3, 4 or 5 star hotels; which mode of transportation ( train, bus, or car) -  so planning was imperative.  We were on our own as far as planning this trip.

The next thing we knew, Bill and Verda had booked tickets to Amsterdam!  I was surprised, to say the least.  Amsterdam is quite a ways from Rome, Florence, and Venice.  And they booked their flight on May 30th without thinking that, if we traveled from Amsterdam to Rome, it would put us there right at Easter, which that year was on April 8th.  Trying to find an inexpensive hotel in Rome on the holiest of days in Christendom?  You guys do know that the Vatican is in Rome, right?  

True to their adventuresome character, Verda said

“Don’t worry.  Wherever you guys fly into, we’ll just take a train and meet you.”

So, with that in mind, we started searching online for airfares.  As I looked and looked, I was getting discouraged because I couldn’t find anything - not to Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Munich, anywhere - for less than about $800.  Too much for us to spend.  Finally, one night, my husband was standing by the computer while I showed him what the fares looked like.  He suggested that I look for the previous day - the 29th - instead of the 30th.  Lo and behold!  Flight to Amsterdam for $478 each!  Instead of European Destinations to Italy, this was Cross Your Fingers to The Netherlands. 

More to come.   

Great Sand Dunes National Park

We're planning a trip in May with our best friends. They're flying here to Phoenix and we'll drive to Gallup, New Mexico, then head north into Colorado. We'll go first to Durango and meet another couple there whom we haven't seen for many years. Together we'll ride the Silverton Railroad which is a 9-hour round trip. We'll stay another night in Durango before heading east to Alamosa. On the way, we hope to sample the hot springs at Pagosa Springs. Maybe even a bit of white-water rafting if that's available. We'll stay in Alamosa so that we can visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park, something I've wanted to do for a long time. Visit their web site for some spectacular photographs of the dunes. I might have to even get up early to get some good shots. After we explore the park, we'll return west to Mesa Verde and enjoy the magnificent views and architecture of the pueblos. Then back home to Phoenix. It should be a very enjoyable and informative trip.

Finding Our Sloth

You can't go to Costa Rica without going to Manuel Antonio National Park, so we left the rainy mountain and headed for the beach. The single most interesting sight before we reached the coast was this bar we came across just sitting by the side of the road, nothing else in view.  It was time to stop for a beer anyway, so we decided to take a chance and go in.  We walked through the doorway and were astonished.  The entire floor was covered in a mosaic that was obviously done by hand.  It appeared that the entire place was the work of an incredibly talented craftsman.  Even better, the bartender had a video of Alan Jackson playing, so we felt like we were in Texas instead of the jungle.  There was a beautiful deck built in the rear, and it was only feet away from a rushing rapid of a river, running full because of all the rain from the hurricane.  You learn that surprises wait for you to be adventurous.

After our thoroughly relaxing couple of hours at the bar we drove on.  Our next surprise was when we reached the Tarcoles River.  For some reason, this is a hangout for crocodiles.  There are usually 10 to 20 gargantuan crocs visible from the bridge.  Look at these rascals!

We took Frommer's advice and stayed at Hotel Verde Mar at Quepos.  This turned out to be an excellent choice.  Their brochure says this delightful hotel is "nestled in the jungle only a few hundred yards from the jewel of the national park system. World famous Manuel Antonio National Park."  It's just a short walk to the beach via a raised wooden walkway.  We found a great little restaurant just up the beach from the hotel.  An altogether pleasant place to stay.

The Park itself was amazing.  My first realization was that rain forest meant you camera lens was going to get wet!  I just never took the name literally, silly me!  Here is a photo of my friend in the forest.  The sounds of monkeys was everywhere and we became so used to them that we didn't felt was even necessary to look up anymore as they romped through the trees.  And, finally, we saw the three-toed sloth.  It was very high up in the tree, and my camera didn't get a very good shot, so it looks more like someone just threw an old fur coat up in the branches.

The week we spent in Costa Rica was too short.  There was so much more to see.  We have since learned that the airfare is the most expensive cost in travel, so if you're going to pay that, you might as well spend the few extra dollars it will cost to stay two or three weeks, or a month.

What I learned: Travel More! Stay Longer!

Horrible Roads

The Monteverde Cloud Forest was next on our list, so, we packed up the SUV and headed for Santa Elena.  Here is what Frommer's says about driving to Monteverde.  "Whichever route you take, the final going is slow because the roads into Santa Elena are rough, unpaved dirt and gravel affairs." Make no mistake, driving these roads is daunting, and there were times when it seemed impossible that we would make it to our destination.  The Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the most developed and maintained attractions in Costa Rica, so you would think there would be a decent way to get there.  The back seat of the Kia SUV was not especially comfortable and the potholes in the road meant we were bouncing up and down, swaying side to side, and hanging on to the straps to keep from hitting our heads on the roof.

Thanks to my husband's driving skills, we made it to our lodgings in Santa Elena.  Exhausted, we had dinner in the restaurant and crashed.  Our zip-line tour was scheduled for the next morning, but the weather report was unsettling.  It was the tail end of hurricane season, and the news channel reported that a hurricane was blowing across Nicaragua, the country to the north of us.  During the night, the rain swept in.  When we went to breakfast early the next morning, there was a group of German tourists talking with their guide who was telling them that he advised postponing their zip-line tour.  We immediately found the hotel manager and asked her to contact the tour guide who was supposed to meet us there and ask him to please cancel our tour and issue us a refund.  We would not be able to reschedule because we were due in Quepas the next evening.

Another lesson learned: the tour guide couldn't issue a refund because we had paid the travel agent.  When we called the travel agent, he said he couldn't issue a refund because we had cancelled, not the tour guide.  Arguing was futile.  Now I am aware of TripAdvisor and I would, at the very least, have threatened to write a scathing review of the travel agency.

Even in the rain we were able to ride the gondola up into the Forest and learn a great deal about the 2500 species of plants, including 400 types of orchids, 400 species of birds, and 100 different species of mammals.  Our tour guide was an extremely pleasant and informed young man, who confessed that he had never been outside of Costa Rica.

Things I Learned: Do not assume that the standards for highways and roads are the same in other countries as the ones in the U.S.  We have never encountered roads and bridges as horrible as those in Costa Rica.  On one occasion, we saw something in the middle of the road ahead, but we could not identify it.  It didn't move, so it wasn't an animal.  But it was bigger than a cardboard box.  As we approached, we all peered through the windshield to try to figure it out.  Finally, aha, it was a 50-gallon drum stuck in a huge pothole so that cars did not fall in it!

Rookie Mistakes

This was our first trip together, and our first experience in Central America, so we made all the rookie mistakes.  They ended up costing us, but we learned what not to do.

The first mistake was ever setting foot inside the travel agent located a few steps from the hotel.  Since our friend from Virginia spoke fluent Spanish, he talked with the agent who assured us he could make all the arrangements for a perfect vacation in his country.  First we needed to rent a car.  That part seemed simple enough, except that I gave the agent my debit card just to secure the car, and then we would pay the final cost with our credit card because our friends would be splitting the cost with us and we could settle up when we returned to San Jose.

The agent made reservations for us at Arenal and at The Monteverde Cloud Forest.  He also talked us into signing up for a zip line adventure at Monteverde at a cost of $60 per person.  We would never do that now - sign up with an agent miles away from the actual event.  But after what seemed like hours and hours, we were finally done and ready to explore Costa Rica.  Then, suddenly, I was told that there would be a $1000 hold on our bank account until we returned the car.  That would mean we wouldn't have access to most of the money we planned to use on the trip!  So, another half hour was spent crediting back the debit card and using a credit card for the security.  Too confusing!

Driving through the countryside was a delight.  We stopped to feed coatamundi bananas by hand, took photos with coffee plantations in the background, gasped occasionally at the narrow, pot-holed roads, and stopped for lunch where "cow meat sandwich" was on the menu.  This "cow meat" sandwich, aka hamburger, was 800 colones, or $1.60.  French fries were 450 colones, or less than $1.00.  I found the best, most economical meal was the standard local fare, called "Tico" food; generally rice, beans, fruit, maybe a bit of chicken.  Always good, and always less than $3.00.

We arrived at our destination, Los Lagos, in La Fortuna.  We had comfortable cabins next to each other right at the foot of the volcano.  We were astonished at the size of the pool that was heated by the volcano.  Best pool I have ever been in.  We didn't want to get out.  But food and drink were calling.  I was in my nightie, ready to fall asleep after the hot soak in the pool and all of a sudden we heard a boom!  Thunder?  Guns?  What?  Oh, for heavens sake, it was Arenal, the volcano, showing off for us.  I have to say, it was scary.  I don't think I could get used to it.  But I was so tired, I fell asleep anyway.

What I learned: Don't go to a travel agent in a country you don't know.  If you have an agent at home that you have used and trust, then that's fine, but don't put yourself at the mercy of a fast-talking hustler.  Take one credit card that you don't intend to use in case you have to give them a card to rent the car.  Now, after years of travel, we know that we can find great accommodations and negotiate a good price, often lower than a travel agent could get.

Searching for a Sloth

You can be bitten by the travel bug in ways you never expected.  In my case, it was a conversation I had with my friend in Virginia.  She told me that her grand-daughter had spent three weeks in Costa Rica doing some environmental work with her university.  Dani told her grandmother about the beauty of Costa Rica, how marvelous the people are, how natural and healthy and inexpensive the food is, not to mention the coffee, and how little money it takes to visit there.  My friend sort of casually said, "We should go."

That's all it took.  Before you could snap your fingers, we had set a date, and were looking for flights.  Because both our husbands had birthdays in October, we decided we could more easily convince them to go if we said it was a birthday trip.  I don't remember now what sites I checked, but I am sure we bought the cheapest tickets we could find.  Although the best travel site on the web, Kayak, started doing business in 2004, I doubt that I knew about them when we were planning our Costa Rica trip.

I can't recall the details of planning the trip, but I do remember that both pairs of travelers bought travel books and began reading about where we wanted to go and what were our "must see" destinations.  I have read many different guide books, mainly from the library, but my favorite is Frommer's.  From our separate research we agreed that we wanted to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the Arenal National Park, and Manuel Antonio national Park.  The Virginians wanted to see as many species of birds and reptiles as possible and, top of the list was seeing a three-toed sloth in the wild.  I was both excited and afraid to sleep in the shadow of an active volcano.

So, on October 29, 2005 we set off on our first trip to Central America.

Arriving in San Jose

Flying to Central America is fairly easy from Phoenix, often a non-stop ride.  But no matter how easy your flight may be, going through immigration is always a pain.  There are always long lines, most often you're experiencing your first immersion in a foreign language, and nothing is familiar. And, if you are like my husband and are a picky, mostly vegetarian eater, you're probably hungry.  What's worse, if you're a smoker (like he is) you're on the ground but still not in a smoking zone.

When we had arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica, made it through immigration, and had our luggage, the first thing that happened was that my husband took off like a shot out the door to light up.  Left me just outside the doors with the luggage and about two dozen taxi drivers swarming over me rattling Spanish at me.  I just kept screaming, "No, no, no!" "Mi spousa!" Of course, I don't know if that's even Spanish, maybe it's Italian or totally made up. I thought I was going to be kidnapped and never see home again!

Then my husband returned, we got a taxi, and headed off to the Gran Hotel Costa Rica where we would meet our friends.  I think about that now and how much simpler life is with cell phones!  Our taxi driver was very nice and spoke passably good English, so he was able to point out various sights and buildings on the way, and he delivered us safe and sound to the hotel.

Immediately we made our way to the outdoor patio to have a drink and something to eat.  Our friends spied someone they had met the day before.  He was stranded at the hotel because he had made the mistake of going to the market in the center of town and had his pocket picked.  Lost his wallet, and his passport.  Unfortunately it was Saturday night, the next day the Embassy was closed, so he couldn't do anything until Monday.  By that time, we were gone.

Things I learned:  Don't get separated from your group, or your spouse.  Pay attention to the warnings about protecting your valuables in crowds.  Make sure you have copies of your passport, your credit cards, and the phone numbers to call if your cards are stolen. And now, I make sure we have at least two different cards and two different bank accounts with debit cards.  If one set is stolen, we aren't stranded and unable to get money.  Another good idea if you are going to be traveling for a month or longer, is to have a trusted family member added to your bank account so that they can straighten out any problem that arises.