I stayed up until 3am Saturday finishing phase one of evilgobin cleanup (take the working code of ver4 and re-architect it so that it's good enough to build on), and Sunday I cleaned the house and packed. We left the house at 3pm, drove to Montréal airport, checked in at aloft hotel (which included parking the car for the week), and had dinner at St. Hubert's (a short drive away, but without directions we wandered though Dorval for a long time). Back at the hotel we watched figure skating Olympics, saw (not live) the first Canadian at-home gold medal and had a great night. Next morning, Amanda "lost" her wallet (actually it was on the night-stand beside the phone) which caused some unpacking and re-packing and general unhappiness. But the juice/croissant/fruit breakfast provided by the hotel put us back in good spirits.
The shuttle got us to the airport in no time. We flew Air Canada 1810 YUL-UVF departing 9:05am. Self check-in was easy except for figuring out how to put the stickers on the bags, and there was a ~10 minute line up at the baggage drop-off. Security had almost no line, but they took more time than usual looking at the bags in the x-ray machine, and my boots and rings set off the metal detectors so I got the "detailed" screening. Finally on the plane, our seats were separated by several rows, but the ride was good. There was almost no waiting on-plane before take-off or after landing. We deplaned via stairs, but it was much quicker than boarding because we were able to use both the front and rear exits. There was ~15min wait at customs and we were met at the exit by a taxi (8-person mini-van) driver named Ed who had been booked for us by the Oasis Marigot. He was really great. The drive took about an hour, but he showed us on a map where we were going and talked the whole way about what we were seeing and answered all our questions about St. Lucia. It cost $70us but we gave him $80.
The Oasis had suggested a taxi rather than a rental because "it's hard to find" but I think we could have done it ourselves with a decent map. That said, I really appreciated Ed's commentary and avoiding the stress of driving on the left after a long flight, so no regrets. At the end of the road we were (eventually) met by the Oasis' water taxi that took us and our luggage across the bay and were shown to our room (which was fantastic). To get up the hill side they have a trolley which is a great idea considering our luggage. I asked, and was told that both the trolley and the no-road-access are not common in St. Lucia.
There is some shared space (with a pool) outside our room (ocean cottage four aka Large Floor Plan 4) where we met Yan and Dean from Kingston Ontario (they'd arrived the previous day). They advised us that the restaurant at the bottom of the hill (Doolittle's) had a special on: "Lady with a flower in her hair accompanied by a gentleman gets her meal for free". We were starved so we ditched our stuff, picked a flower and made our way down, but the kitchen wouldn't open for another hour. We had drinks while we waited and I talked the bartender into fast-tracking us some chicken fingers from the kitchen. He was great. He brought me a second bottle of beer (Piton) without asking and didn't charge us for it or for the chicken fingers. Dinner was fairly good but it took a very long time and we were both exhausted after the walk back to our cottage. We slept almost twelve hours.
Next morning was another beautiful day. I went to the office to check-in. The lady there (Nahdjla) was great, she set me up with a car rental and talked them down to $75us from $85us. She also gave me the lay of the land and confirmed our boat pickup/drop-off. She was really good at summarizing at the end of a booking phone call so that it was obvious what both parties had agreed to. Afterwards, I picked up Amanda and we headed down to the public ferry and bought two 4day passes. On the other side (which has road access) we had lunch at a bakery on the shore (again expensive for average quality food). Afterwards we spent $200ec at the grocery store and took the loot back to our flat. It has a nice little kitchen (actually bigger than our kitchen back home) well stocked with pots, cutlery, etc, but lacking in some critical respects: salt, pepper, matches (to light the gas range). Also the propane tank (under the sink) had a safety switch in the off position. So it took some figuring. We scored matches from the neighbors and used the toaster to light them.
I cannot stress enough how beautiful this bay is.
Anyway, after stowing the groceries we went down to the beach. It's small but pleasant enough. The guy in charge of the chairs (which are free for tenants) said: "Your lady told me that she likes the ganga". I replied: "Oh. No thanks. We don't need that." To which he countered: "No? You don't need no cocaine?". I think in the remainder of the trip we were offered marijuana five or six more times and cocaine a second time. People in St. Lucia are forward but not too pushy and are easily dealt with if you are polite but firm.
After setting up Amanda with a beach chair, I snorkeled around the little swimming area for a while (which was relatively barren and polluted) and eventually found lots of fish, anemones and urchin type things around a little rock jetty that marked the left boundary of the swimming area. That was neat and I spent a long time staring at them. Afterwards we retired back to our cabin, but on the way I checked at the office to see if it is permitted to climb the hill. It turns out that the land behind the Oasis Marigot is a nature preserve and there is a trail to the summit. So I changed clothes, grabbed my camera and set off.
I was surprised to discover that the Oasis is enclosed in a razor-wire fence. I don't know if that keeps out animals or criminals. There are two little gates that you though. During the day they are left ajar. I assume they're shut in the evening. They can only be opened from the inside, so don't stay out past dark! The trail was a good climb (and pleasantly deserted) but there wasn't much to see. I did find a tiny bird's nest and on the way down ventured off the track several meters and found a giant caterpillar (maybe 11cm long, 2cm thick). The view from the top was fairly spectacular, but not really much better than from our cottage. And there were millions of tiny insects (which may or may not bite) flowing past me on the prevailing winds, so I didn't stick around for long.
At the grocery store, I had picked up a few bottles of Piton (their local lager, quite good) and a bottle of "Guinness Foreign Extra" which sadly tastes like a cross between real Guinness and tobacco juice. Yuck. Amanda made fruit, cheese, shredded cucumber and garlic-butter-pasta for dinner, then we played a game of scrabble which neither of us could finish because we played our words so densely.
Next morning we had muesli for breakfast and footed our gear over to the parking lot for our 9am meet with Jeanine from Avis. She arrived after a few minutes wait (early, I'm fairly sure) and I filled out our the rental agreement on the trunk of the car. With insurance, etc. it came to ~$100us/day (as promised), was a Nissan automatic, was shockingly scratched and dented, and had a big red sticker on the inside reminding you to drive on the left and to put it in 2nd when going down steep hills. Along with the rental, you must purchase a driver's permit, but she didn't have it with her. We arranged for it to be left at a nearby hotel. A driver was coming to pick her up and he'd have it with him.
So with that settled, we embarked on our crazy adventure. The driving is tricky. Its on the left, narrow, steep, windy and most intersections aren't posted. We went the wrong way that the first turn and were advised by an old man to turn around and "Go to the shanty, turn left, then at the other shanty, turn right". We drove (through much bedlam) to Anse Le Raye, Canaries, and on to Soufrière where people on the very narrow downtown streets continually offered directions (presumably wanting a dollar). By following other touristy cars we found ourselves on the way out of town and at the "Drive-in Volcano". It was interesting to see but was definitely a tourist trap. It was very crowded and we felt thoroughly corralled.
We got directions from two different staff at the Volcano (back through town) to the Diamond Waterfall, but when we arrived, it was thick with cruise boat tourists -- literally an infinite line of people standing three abreast. The ticket lady said they'd be all gone in a few hours so we drove back through town, parked at the waterfront and walked past "local's territory" to the beach (which was rocky and strewn with garbage). We persevered around the point and were rewarded with a great view of The Pitons and proper beach (although still quite rocky). After relaxing for a while we decided to head back to search for ice cream. I stopped at the car and re-applied sun-screen (having already burnt the tops of my feet). We picked up supplies at a local grocery store but no ice cream (because they only sold large tubs). Back at the Diamond Waterfall we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. It's definitely worth the visit when the crowds aren't there. We took our time wandering the paths and just sat around several times.
The drive home was relatively uneventful. We stopped at a few road-side lookouts. Back in Marigot we again took a wrong turn and had to be advised by a local: "Hey Papa, wrong way!" Before the long climb back to our cottage we took a swim at the beach and I started stared some more at the fish clustered around the rocks. Then back at our cottage we took a short dip in the pool to wash off the salt. After a rest we cleaned up than went to Chateau Mygo for dinner. It was characteristically expensive and took ~2.5 hours but was really superb. Amanda had scallops and I Had fried fish. That doesn't sound too exciting but let me assure you it was excellent.
I've forgotten to mention that each of us had picked up a variety of bug bites, mostly around the feet and ankles. So before dinner and again before bed, we started putting on DEET, and that seemed to significantly reduce the problem. There's nothing like scratching mosquito bites on sun burnt feet.
Next morning (Thursday 18th) we had muesli again and it was another beautiful day. But quelle disaster, I'd lost the car keys. I'm normally a very careful person and this sort of thing doesn't happen to me. I double searched the room, checked the path to the car and back and decided they must have been in my shorts pocket when I went swimming, and were irrevocably lost in the sea. I asked around but no one had found any keys, so I got Nahdjla to phone Avis for me and ask for another pair. They said that the spare keys were in another facility and they'd find them and call back with a quote (for delivery cost). So I agreed to check back with her later and fetched Amanda from the house so I could snorkel for the keys. Unbelievably, I swam right to them. They were beside an urchin beneath a buoy that I had been looking at the other day. Hooray! This un-ruined my day. I ran back to advise Nahdjla.
Amanda and I had egg salad sandwiches for lunch before driving to Castries. The drive north is much easier than the drive south. The roads are wider, less windy, less steep, less fast. But Castries is a city and there were three huge cruise ships in the harbour. After some sweating and swearing we found a multi-level car park and walked around the markets. After driving, I was in no mood for shopping, but I did my best not to grouch on Amanda's parade. Seeing my eminent collapse, she stopped us at a grocery store and scored me some Snapple and two bananas. Then we drove on to Rodney Bay and went swimming at their beach. It's nice but not as good as Varadero or Manual Antonio for that matter.
After our swim we walked the length of the beach and back and got a look at the free-with-the-flights hotel: very depressing. I much prefer Marigot Bay. On the way home we had to punch through some rush-hour traffic, but got back to the Oasis in time to watch the last light fade from the horizon. We had a quick swim in the pool, then Amanda cooked and amazing meal: carrots, orca, garlic potatoes, fried fish. But she had a stomach ache, so I ate alone.
There is a lot I love about Marigot Bay, but it has its faults. There are mosquitoes. Although I never saw them I had ten or twelve nasty bites to remember them by. There is hot water but the water pressure (both hot and cold) is bad. When you run the tap or flush the toilet or take a shower it comes in fits and bursts as though the pump is drawing air. The birds are pretty but there is a lot of forest noise all night and the walkway lights shine into your room so that it's never dark enough for proper sleeping. The bed is large but is hard and you can feel the springs and despite its hardness passes all your partner's slightest movements to you as little earthquakes, almost as efficiently as a waterbed. Also, I hate the pillows.
Anyway, for whatever reason (I blame the pillows), I woke up mid week with a stiff neck. And Thursday night it got so much worse that I couldn't sleep. Near morning I took some Advil and switched to a towel for a pillow and the situation improved but I was largely incapacitated until noon.
After lunch we drove out to Barre de L'Isle, which is an Inland hike along a ridge and up a mountain. The ridge was beautiful and breezy and the mountain (steep hill) was a very difficult climb but a great adventure. The views were nice but not spectacular. The value was in the journey.
Back home after a leisurely dip in the pool, Amanda made dinner and we packed for the boat. We read some of "The Last Chronicle of Barset" together (Amanda caught up to me the previous night), and went to bed. I slept with a towel for a pillow again which helped but next morning my next was still quite stiff.
Saturday was another beautiful day. I met Avis at 9:30am to return the car. They were on time and the process was easy. I stopped at the bank to pickup some cash and luckily they were open. Unluckily, the only way to get cash (I have TD debit and visa) is as a cash advance on a visa (which collects interest immediately) plus a bank fee of $20ec. Hotels and restaurants take visa but everyone else (taxi, park admission, ferry, grocery store) requires cash (us or ec). So after waiting forever in line, getting the bad news, trying (rejected) my debit card in the ABM, waiting again forever in line trying (rejected) my visa in the ABM (fee is only $5ec if you use the ABM), I eventually got $200ec form the bank teller (after handing over Visa, Driver's License, foreign address, local address, and signing ~nine times).
In the mean time, Amanda's attempts to email the Girl Guides were frustrated by repeated IE crashes. We were both late so she brought down all the luggage all by herself (therefore super pissed). But finally we were on the boat and under sail to Pigeon Island in Rodney Bay.
The journey by boat is very different and much better then the journey by car. Our skipper "Mike" (born and raised in Marigot Bay) anchored near Pigeon Island and motored us in (via little rubber dingy) and we agreed to meet at 3pm. We paid entrance (it's a national park), used the washroom, had an excellent lunch (Roti) and climbed the hill, which has an unbelievably great view. Then motored back to the boat, went for a swim and sailed back to Marigot Bay.
We were both pretty burnt but not yet incapacitated (I actually bummed some sunscreen from a Brit on Pigeon Island beach). Three things we were short on: Cash, Sunscreen, Water. On the sail home we saw a pirate ship "The Unicorn", a big turtle, and the green flash as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Mike dropped us off at the Chateau Mygo and arranged to meet us in the morning. We had drinks and dinner and Amanda read aloud from "The Last Chronicle of Barset". She's the best.
Later in the evening we met a great couple from Lunenburg who run a bed and breakfast there. We got the ferry to take us back to our boat (a distance of maybe 20m) for $10ec. We pretty much went straight to bed.
Next morning Skipper Mike was very drunk. I didn't notice at first (when he boated us to shore where we bough two Pain aux Chocolat and 4.5L of water and a baguette). But it was obvious to both of us, and he mentioned it as he boated us to the Oasis side. We agreed to met him at 10am (so that he could sleep it off) and Amanda went to the office to use the internet (and finish off the Girl Guide emails).
10am came and went with no skipper. I found him passed out and snoring on one of the lounge chairs on the beach. I spoke to him but he didn't wake. I spoke and nudged him several times, and finally he came-to. Eventually we were under sail (downwind) to Soufrière. He did most of the steering asleep, which is to say lounging in the back of the boat until the sails made a lot of noise at which signal he would nudge the wheel with his feet. But he did keep us on course and it was a beautiful day.
We went snorkeling near Jade Mountain (~$1500/night) north of Soufrière and saw lots of neat ***fish and motored in to Soufrière, tied up at the pier and walked to the Hummingbird for a late lunch. We also bought take-away sandwiches for dinner. They were characteristically slow and had trouble with the visa lines (had to take an imprint). So we didn't get back to the boat until ~5pm. We motored back to Marigot Bay (although I think we could have made just as good time sailing). The sun set as we went and the stars were out by our journey's end. It was very beautiful. Mike left us on the boat, and I re-packed our gear. Before bed we played a game of scrabble and read aloud. I slept with a proper pillow and had my first restful sleep all week.
In the morning, Mike (sober) boated us to shore and we bought water and two chocolate twists and two Pain aux Chocolat from the bakery and relaxed on the beach. Amanda read aloud for most of the morning. It was another beautiful day. I went on an adventure down the rocky shore of the bay until I found a large rock outcrop which I climbed. Then back at the beach we went for a swim and met a nice couple from New York with whom we shared a cab to the airport (organized by Nahdjla). At the top of the hill out of the bay we stopped for ice cream. At the airport, I remembered my customs form just before we checked our bags (which was lucky because it was in one of the bags). Past security we bought a delicious lunch and were soon on the plane. All US flights had to do a second security screening but since our was a direct to Montréal, we just waked though.
There was considerable turbulence on the flight home, but I like that. The Montréal airport was smooth and efficient with short lines. We were pretty exhausted and Amanda (bless her) drove us the two hours home to Ottawa. To bed after midnight, and straight to work in the morning. Ouch.
St. Lucia is a great country. I had a great time. But for inland adventures, I think I prefer Costa Rica. However I would like to meet a skipper I could live with and go on a Bahamas sailing trip for a few weeks or a month where all nights and most meals are spent on the boat.
I didn't get underwater photos, but here's some of the fish I think we saw.
Conclusion: Last minute sucks. Book in advance.
The Long Story
I've always wondered why you can't just go to the Ottawa airport's website and ask: "What are all the locations that fly direct from here?". I want to know this because most of the time I'm flying to escape winter and a lay-over in Chicago delayed by a snowstorm can really rain (or sleet) on my parade.
Andy says that he's seen flights from Ottawa to Cuba (Varadero or Havana) for as low as $299 (including tax) via Sunwing or AirTransat, and that at last minute the prices get better and better. James says that WestJet Vacations also flies to Cuba, but the flights aren't on their website. You have to call them to get the prices. When he booked, they had by far the best for Ottawa to Varadero.
Here's a list of direct flights from Ottawa that I got from www.ifly.com. Note that "Non-Stop" means that you fly from A to B without landing whereas "Direct" means that you fly from A to B but may stop at C to pickup more passengers before arriving at B. You don't have to deplane, but there may still be a connection.
# Boston Logan (BOS)
# Calgary (YYC)
# Cancun (CUN)
# Fort Lauderdale Hollywood (FLL)
# Halifax (YHZ)
# Memphis (MEM)
# Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA)
# Philadelphia (PHL)
# Quebec Jean Lesage (YQB)
# Regina (YQR)
# Saskatoon (YXE)
# Vancouver (YVR)
# Winnipeg (YWG)
Here's a list of international flights from Ottawa that I got from www.flylowcostairlines.org. For some of them, I've also provided the www.expedia.ca price for a February 13-20 one-person return flight from YOW booked on Jan 13 2010, with one stop unless noted.
# Paris CDG
# London LGW
# Philipsburg SXM $1,287 (7hr)
# Freeport FPO $805 (20hr) (2+ stops)
# Nassau NAS $934 (6hr)
# Bridgetown BGI $1,114 (8hr)
# Puerto Plata POP $1,505 (20hr) (2+ stops)
# Punta Cana PUJ $1,010 (4hr)
# Montego Bay MBJ $992 (8hr)
# St. Lucia UVF $1,957 (8hr)
# Providenciales PLS $1,264 (7hr)
# Cancun CUN $897 (5hr)
# Cozumel CZM $1,354 (7hr)
# Mazatlan MZT $783 (22hr) (2+ stops)
# Puerto Vallarta PVR $1,316 (13hr)
# San Jose Del Cabo SJD $1,011 (10hr)
# Zihuatanejo ZIH $1,213 (22hr) (2+ stops)
I really like Costa Rica. I've been there once and we flew from Toronto to Liberia with a stop (change planes) in Miami. We booked ~2 months in advance. The flight cost $790.69 return per person, with 7hr 40min duration. The main airport in Costa Rica is SJO in San Jose, and unless you're exploring the western part of the country, it's the logical choice.
Here's a list of carriers that go from YOW to SJO.
# Air Canada
# American Airlines
# United
# LACSA
# Continental
# US Airways
# Delta
# NWA
I've booked flights through www.expedia.ca several times and I've always wondered what cut they are taking. So, I looked up some flights on the www.continental.com website and sure enough they looked cheaper, but once you go through the hassle of half-way purchasing the tickets, they rack on significant extra fees. With zero effort I found the exact same flights on www.expedia.ca for almost the same price. Here's what I found (one-person, return).
YOW to EWR to SJO
CO2892, CO1754
Fri Feb 5th, depart 11:25am, arrive 7:40pm, duration 9h 15min
SJO to EWR to YOW
CO1797, CO2762
Mon Feb 15th, depart 7am, arrive 4:48pm, duration 8hr 48min
Continental Final Total: $1,048.52
Expedia Total: $1,096.24
So it looks like there's a little overhead, but in my opinion it's worth it. I wanted to get an idea of the flight possibilities from YOW to SJO, so I did an expedia search from every day from Feb 1st to Feb 13th with the following criteria: one-person, one-way, YOW-SJO, duration under 11hr, booked Jan 26th 2010 via expedia, cost in CAD$.
mon 1, 6:00 am, 1:55 pm, 8hr 55mn, $835, Air Canada 479 / 998
mon 8, 6:00 am, 1:55 pm, 8hr 55mn, $635, Air Canada 479 / 998
wed 3, 6:00 am, 1:55 pm, 8hr 55mn, $1045, Air Canada 479 / 998
wed 10, 6:00 am, 1:55 pm, 8hr 55mn, $705, Air Canada 479 / 998
mon 1, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $787, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
mon 8, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $787, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
tue 2, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $494, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
tue 9, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $787, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
wed 3, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
wed 10, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
thu 4, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
fri 5, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
sat 6, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $787, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
sun 7, 12:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10hr 25mn, $787, American Airlines 4300 / 1374 / 2141
thu 11, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1207 / 2141
thu 11, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $1314, United & American Airlines 6744 / 1207 / 2141
thu 11, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $853, Air Canada & American Airlines 4229 / 1207 / 2141
fri 12, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1207 / 2141
fri 12, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $1349, United & American Airlines 6744 / 1207 / 2141
fri 12, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $1349, Air Canada & American Airlines 4229 / 1207 / 2141
sat 13, 12:05 pm, 9:50 pm, 10hr 45mn, $853, American Airlines 4300 / 1207 / 2141
mon 8, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $648, Continental 2892 / 1754
tue 2, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $628, Continental 2892 / 1754
tue 9, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $628, Continental 2892 / 1754
wed 3, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $628, Continental 2892 / 1754
wed 10, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $838, Continental 2892 / 1754
thu 4, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $628, Continental 2892 / 1754
fri 5, 11:25 am, 7:40 pm, 9hr 15mn, $648, Continental 2892 / 1754
wed 3, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $984, Air Canada & US Airways 7730 / 2269 / 1707
wed 10, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $976, Air Canada & US Airways 7730 / 2269 / 1707
wed 3, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $986, United & US Airways 8402 / 2269 / 1707
wed 10, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $977, United & US Airways 8402 / 2269 / 1707
thu 11, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $997, Air Canada & US Airways 7730 / 2243 / 1707
thu 11, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $998, United & US Airways 8402 / 2243 / 1707
fri 5, 6:10 am, 2:35 pm, 9hr 25mn, $835, Air Canada & US Airways 7730 / 2269 / 1707
sat 6, 6:50 am, 1:50 pm, 8hr 0mn, $805, US Airways 3645 / 1923
sat 13, 6:50 am, 1:50 pm, 8hr 0mn, $734, US Airways 3341 / 1923
wed 10, 11:54 am, 9:30 pm, 10hr 36mn, $1092, Air Canada 4229 / 1374 / 2141
wed 10, 11:54 am, 9:30 pm, 10hr 36mn, $1092, United 6744 / 1374 / 2141
thu 11, 2:31 pm, 9:35 pm, 8hr 4mn, $812, Continental 2623 / 1796
fri 12, 2:31 pm, 9:35 pm, 8hr 4mn, $1035, Continental 2623 / 1796
sat 13, 6:03 am, 4:02 pm, 10hr 59mn, $917, Continental & United & LACSA 2369 / 3714 / 621
So, they're all expensive, but they're not booked well in advance and they're only one-way which presumably doesn't get some kind of return discount. It's important to note that [wed,thu,fri,sat] have arrivals [1:55,2:35,1:50] with [Air Canada, United, US Airways]. Unless you want to spend the night at San Jose or drive in the dark, you'll want these arrivals.
I'd love to go to Costa Rica again, but we're going to just wait until the week prior to our trip and then book (to some place warm) whatever flights are cheap. I've never tried a last-minute vacation before, so I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully we won't have to take some package-sit-at-a-resort-all-week deal.
On Jan 31st, I checked for flights from Ottawa to the airports on my map for one person, return. When no flight less than $1000 / 11hrs was found, I marked it as expensive.
Feb 6th to FEb 13th
SXM $872, 6hr 55mn
FPO $950, 9hr 8mn
NAS $751, 6hr 2mn
BGI $826, 8hr 4mn
POP expensive
PUJ $488, 4hr 25mn (charter)
MBJ $693, 6hr 56mn
UVF $824, 8hr 19mn
PLS $830, 6hr 50mn
LIR expensive
SJO expensive
Feb 13th to Feb 20th
SXM expensive
FPO expensive
NAS $839, 6hr 2mn
BGI expensive
POP expensive
PUJ $716, 4hr 30mn
MBJ $896, 6hr 56mn
UVF expensive
PLS expensive
LIR expensive
SJO expensive
I found some blog that says that flights from Jet Blue, Southwest, Spirit, and Air Tran aren't searched by expedia. I searched on those sites and the others below but didn't find any good flights to SJO.
Jet Blue (doesn't fly from ottawa)
Southwest (doesn't fly from ottawa)
Spirit (doesn't fly from ottawa, but you can fly very cheaply from detroit to SJO)
Air Tran (doesn't fly to costa rica)
Last Minute Travel expensive
Priceline (us departure only)
Sunquest Vacations expensive
Red Tag expensive
Flight Centre expensive
From Sunwing you can get very cheap round-trip flights from Ottawa to:
Cancun, Mexico
Cayo Coco, Cuba
Holguin, Cuba
Jamaica
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Roatan, Honduras
Varadero, Cuba
On the same site, you can get good round-trip flights from Toronto to many destinations, including:
Cienfuegos, Cuba
Acapulco, Mexico
Cozumel, Mexico
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Liberia, Costa Rica (but you have to travel on monday)
Los Cabos, Mexico
Manzanillo de Cuba
Panama
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santa Lucia, Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
St. Lucia
I did some more digging and found these expedia competitors:
www.cheapoair.com
www.flightnetwork.com
I also found this site that lists airlines flying to Costa Rica.
* JetBlue: Orlando, Miami, daily flight
* Air Canada : Toronto
* American Airlines : Miami, Dallas
* Continental : Houston, Newark
* Delta Airlines : Atlanta
* Delta : New York to San Jose (Juan Santamaria) non-stop flight 5 x per week
* Delta : New York to Liberia Guanacaste non-stop flight twice x week
* Northwest: Mineapolis
* Sky Service : Toronto, Calgary (seems to only operate in the summer)
* United Airlines: Chicago
* US Airways : Charlotte
* Iberia - *new ( May 2007 ) 10 direct flight Madrid / San Jose per week
But finally, the gold mine: Charter flights from Expedia, but they're not easy to find. You have to click "Deals" on the right side of top bar, then "last minute getaways", second from top of left bar, then "charter flights" (middle tab). Don't forget to select origin and region in the drop downs. Note that Costa Rica and Mexico are in Latin America, not the Caribbean.
When searching on Feb 1st, I found the following departing from Ottawa.
Feb 12, 7days, Jamica, 616
Feb 12, 8days, Punta Cana, 699
Feb 13, 7days, Punta Cana, 716
Feb 14, 7days, Aruba, 839
Feb 14, 7days, Aruba, 833
Feb 12, 7days, Puerto Plata, 589
Feb 12, 7days, St. Lucia, 608
Feb 14, 8days, St. Lucia, 951
Feb 12, 7days, Jamica, 617
Feb 13, 7days, La Romana, 618
Feb 14, 7days, Puerto Plata, 649
Feb 13, 7days, Punta Cana, 649
Feb 12, 7days, Punta Cana, 649
Feb 14, 7days, Punta Cana, 649
Feb 12, 7days, Bermuda, 912
Feb 13, 7days, Bermuda, 912
Feb 14, 7days, Bermuda, 912
Feb 14, 7days, SanJuan, 915
Feb 13, 7days, St. Martin, 962
But I'm not really interested in any of those destinations.
Search expedia on Feb 2nd
YOW - PLS, Feb 6, $662, 6hr 29mn
YOW - PLS, Feb 13, $1188, 6hr 29mn
YOW - SJO, Feb 6, $953, 8hr 0mn
YOW - SJO, Feb 13, $1239, 8hr 0mn (6:50am-1:50pm, US Airways 3341 / 1923)
Search expedia on Feb 3rd
YOW - PLS, Feb 6-13, $707, 6hr 50mn (west jet YOW-YYZ-PLS)
YOW - PLS, Feb 13-20, $1301, 6hr 50mn
YOW - SJO, Feb 6-13, $953, 8hr 0mn
YOW - SJO, Feb 13-20, $1239, 8hr 0mn
Search expedia on Feb 4th
YOW - PLS, Feb 6-13, $599, 6hr 29mn (connect in philadelphia, westjet is $870)
YOW - PLS, Feb 13-20, $1288, 6hr 29mn
YOW - SJO, Feb 6-13, $953, 8hr 0mn
YOW - SJO, Feb 13-20, $1229, 8hr 0mn
So it appears that you do get a discount when booking the week of your trip. But that same SJO flight booked 3 months in advance costs $987, so the last-minute discount is inconsequential.
The plan: on the morning of Tuesday February 9th, book flights Feb 13-15, either to SJO, PLS, or failing those two, to whatever is available (maybe an all-inclusive in Cuba). Then scramble to plan the rest of the trip that same day.
Charter Flights From Ottawa (searching Feb 3rd)
St. Lucia, 8 Days, Feb 14-22, $736
Jamaica, 7 Days, Feb 14-21, $803
Aruba, 7 Days, Feb 14-21, $833
Puerto Plata, 7 Days, Feb 14-21, $865
Bermuda, 7 Days, Feb 14-21, $912
San Juan, 7 Days, Feb 14-21, $915
Punta Cana, 7 Days, Feb 14-21, $935
Grand Cayman, 5 Days, Feb 14-19, $967
This site says that YYZ flys direct to the following:
iFly Direct from YYZ to:
* Barbados Grantley Adams (BGI)
* Bermuda (BDA)
* Cancun (CUN)
* Hong Kong (HKG)
* Mexico City Benito Juarez (MEX)
* Montego Bay Sangster (MBJ)
* Nassau (NAS)
* San Francisco (SFO)
* Vancouver (YVR)
* Victoria (YYJ)
But that's obviously an incomplete list because WesJet flys direct from YYZ to PLS.
Well, our plan didn't work.
Searches on Feb 9th, YOW-SJO
13-20, $1290
14-21, $1282
15-22, $1427
16-23, $1267
17-24, $1045
feb 20-27, $1005
f/m 27-06, $1240
mar 06-13, $1008
mar 13-20, $1458
mar 20-27, $953
What about St. Lucia? YOW-UVF
13-20, $1336
14-21, $1117
15-22, $1136
16-23, 20hrs
17-24, 20hrs
Okay, what's available on West Jet?
Feb 13-20
YOW-BGI, $1370
YOW-BDA, n/a
YOW-SJD, n/a
YOW-CUN, n/a
YOW-CCC, n/a
YOW-CZM, n/a
YOW-HOG, n/a
YOW-ZIH, n/a
YOW-MBJ, $828
YOW-NAS, $1408
YOW-PLS, $1420
YOW-PUJ, $770
YOW-UVF, $1000
YOW-VRA, n/a
YYZ-UVF
14th 6am-11am
21st 12:30pm-5:55pm
$632
Okay, Air Transat.
Nope.
We just couldn't get cheap flights to anywhere good. So we bought an Air Canada Vacations package (flight and hotel) to St. Lucia (monday to monday when we wanted saturday to saturday, and flying from Montreal when we wanted to fly from Ottawa) for $1,000/ea, but we don't intend to actually stay at the hotel. It's just that the package was the cheapest way to get the flights.
Juxtapose that to the earlier $900/ea for roundtrip flights YOW-SJO on Sat-Sat, if you're willing to book in advance.
Conclusion: Last minute sucks, book in advance (unless you want a flight/hotel package).
My Advice
Learn some Spanish. Bring colónes (their money) into the country, and withdraw more from their bank machines. Don't use USD because it'll be harder to know what it's actually costing you. Get a good guide book with details on small towns and lots of maps. Get good road maps or a GPS. Rent a car from adobe and get a cell phone from them. If you get into trouble, they'll help you out. Note that your key chain probably has a RF security device in it, so it has to be next to the drive-shaft or the car won't start. So don't take it off and chuck it in the glove compartment. If you get lost: backtrack. Don't try an alternate route. Book only hotels in advance. At the hotels, someone will speak English. Ask them about local tours and services. Pay for the expensive tours. You'll get smart guides with small groups. Costa Rica is great. Go soon. Go often. And here's a video from Amanda.
Why Not To Book With Gap Adventures
Gap looks like a great company, and they probably are good at their core business which seems to be low-cost group tours on a well worn route. But they will also book custom self-directed tours for you. For $25, they give you a suggested itinerary which I've copied most of below in case that link dies. We were exclusively in contact with Cindy Kwan from Gap, so maybe it's just her, but in any case I was totally dissatisfied with their service.
Feb 7 Liberia - Tamarindo
Pick up your car at the airport and transfer to your Tamarindo
Overnight at Hotel PasatiempoFeb 8 - Tamarindo
Get ready for your 2hr surf lesson today! Spend the rest of your day testing out the waves.
Overnight at Hotel PasatiempoFeb 9 Arenal
Transfer to Arenal today and take part in the Arenal Volcano Hike followed by a relaxing soak at the Tabacon Hot Springs. Tonight your dinner is included as well.
Overnight at Arenal Paraiso HotelFeb 10 Arenal
After breakfast get ready for the Venado Caves Tour. The rest of your day is at leisure.
Overnight at Arenal ParaisoFeb 11 Manuel Antonio
Transfer to Manuel Antonio and this small beach town.
Overnight at Tres Banderas HotelFeb 11 Manuel Antonio
Spend the day at leisure. There are plenty of watersports or other outdoor activities to take part in.
Overnight at Tres Banderas HotelFeb 12 Manuel Antonio
Tour Manuel Antonio National Park today and spend the rest of your day hiking the trails or relaxing and one of the many beaches found in the park.
Overnight at Tres Banderas HotelFeb 13 Liberia
No services booked.Feb 14 Liberia
Tour ends today. Bring your car back to the airport and prepare for your flight home.
The Pre-Book items below are the things we were considering having her to book for us. Note that I easily found all this detail on the internet. None of it was provided by her. What you see above is all we ever got: "Pick up your car at the airport". What kind of car? I only drive automatic.
Another important thing completely lacking from Gap was any help with transportation: "Transfer to Arenal today". What route? How long will it take? Will I be able to get there in time for whatever we've booked next? I googled around and found some discussion boards (links below), so I was able to roughly estimate travel times.
So anyway, I sent the following to her as a suggested itinerary based on her original itinerary. I wanted to know: Can you book this? What will it cost? What benefit do I get by booking with you instead of booking it myself?
--- Feb 7th ---
3:45am Arrive at Direct Flight Economy-Park (map). Shuttles run 24hrs with max 20 min wait for pickup.
4:15am Arrive at Pearson Airport.
6:15am American Airlines flight 1409 departs from Terminal 3 (food for purchase).
9:40am Arrive in Miami (3hr 25min air time).
11:05am American Airlines flight 2127 departs.
12:55pm Arrive in Liberia (2hr 50min air time).
Pre-Book Pickup rental car from Budget 100m west of airport.
- Rental for 7th at noon to 14th at noon of a CFAR compact 4x4 automatic, with coverage for supplemental liability, an additional driver, and a GPS. $387.30 USD (+taxes?)
- An extra $132.65 USD (+taxes?) for "super collision damage" coverage.
- Cost of GPS is $69.95 USD (+taxes?)Drive to Tamarindo (~1hr?) (~total travel time 11.5hrs)
Pre-Book 2 nights~3:00pm Check in to Hotel Pasatiempo. 2 nights, standard room, $109.00 x2 (USD+taxes?) (a different hotel would be okay)
--- Feb 8th ---
Pre-Book Surfing Lessons
--- Feb 9th ---
10:00am Check-out and drive to Arenal (~2.5hrs?)
Pre-Book 2 nightsArenal Paraiso Hotel "superior" room (unless the "standard" room has a better view), $110.00 x2 (USD+taxes?)
Pre-Book3:45pm Volcano Hike (~3.5hrs?) $35 x2 (USD+taxes?)
Hike to the Arenal Volcano along the Silencio path with a professional local bilingual guide. The walk to the Silencio viewpoint takes about 1.5hrs. There you will be able to see lava flows. After this you will head for the Arenal hot water springs for a relaxing hot water spring bath. $35.00ea
10am-10pm Hot Springs (no cost)
[edit: at the time, the arenal paraiso website was much less sucky and provided lots of details on bookable events like the volcano hike and their free hot springs. I turns out that Cindy was talking about completely different hot springs which were admittedly awesome.]
--- Feb 10th ---
Pre-Book2:00pmVenado Caves Tour (~3.5hrs?) $45 x2 (USD+taxes?)
--- Feb 11th ---
10:00am Check-out and drive to Manuel Antonio (~6hrs?)
Pre-Book 2 nightsHotel California "deluxe" room (unless the "standard" room has a better view), $160.00 x2 (USD+taxes?)
--- Feb 12th ---
Tour Manuel Antonio National Park ($3 parking, $7ea entrance, $20ea group guide 2hr tour, not pre-booked)
--- Feb 13th ---
Drive back to Liberia
Pre-BookBest Western Las Espuelas (or similar), $76.00 (USD+taxes?)
-- Better than this would be to drive back to within a 3hrs drive of Liberia and spend the day/night there. That way we can wake up and drive straight to the airport, and we don't waste the entire day.
could stay at "Canas"
could stop at waterfall in "Bagaces"
could stay at ots.ar.cr or at the ranger station in "Parque Nacional Palo Verde"--- Feb 14th ---
11:30am Arrive at Liberia Airport and return rental car.
Pay $26 x2 cash (USD?) exit tax.
2:00pm American Airlines flight 2130 departs (food for purchase).
5:40pm Arrive in Miami (2hr 40min air time).
8:05pm American Airlines flight 646 departs.
11:14pm Arrive in Toronto at Terminal 3 (3hr 9min air time).
So, I give her all that, and I point out that neither of us have ever driven a manual transmission and eight days later she replies with that no-details itinerary that I copied above. As far as I can tell, she's simply offering to book you at a hotel, and book some of the hotel-provided tours for you. But since she's only offering major hotels that are bookable over the web, you can easily do it yourself. And that way you can choose from the 10 tours they offer rather than just doing what Cindy supposes you'll prefer. Better yet, don't book the tours in advance, just show up and ask the people at the hotel what kinds of local services are available. There's no shortage of advertisements.
Now about the car. She sends us itinerary #1. I send her the details above and call her to discuss them and make a big deal on the phone about absolutely requiring an automatic. She says sure, no problem, give me a couple of days. Eight days later she replies with itinerary #2. Amanda calls her to confirm that she'll book us an automatic (because it's not specified in the itinerary). She says no, sorry, that'll cost extra (what? wasn't I clear?). She replies with itinerary #3 which is identical except the price has increased.
At this point I've lost all confidence in her, but it's Jan 19th and our flight is Feb 7th. On the 14th we told her to make it an automatic and book it. But on the 20th she sends us an itinerary (the identical one with the increased cost) for approval. What approval? We've already approved it. Book it. I should have backed out then. I could probably have booked the whole thing myself in a couple of hours.
Jan 23rd. Still not booked. Now she tells us that we must provide proof of "travel insurance with emergency evacuation and repatriation up to US $200,000" or pay for hers. Well, we do have travel insurance (from work benefits) but I have no idea if it covers "emergency evacuation and repatriation", so I send her my policy and ask her to confirm that it is acceptable (after all, I might as well get her to do some work for that $500+ that we're paying). No reply.
That's my biggest complaint. No reply. She sends proposals that are always in the same cut-and-paste style, never with the detail I request, and when I ask a question to which she can't provide a cut and paste (albeit insufficient) answer, she just doesn't reply.
Jan 23rd. She's booking stuff now. We get this message:
The Suzuki Jimmy is not available and we can also offer the Tucson for an extra $72 CAD. Also the Hotel California in Manuel Antonio is sold out, the other hotel we use is the Tres Banderas. Let me know if this is ok and to go ahead with the confirmation.
I reply:
Hi Cindy,
Yes the Tucson is fine.
Yes the Tres Banderas is fine.
Please book them.Once everything is booked, can you send us specific details for our itinerary.
For example:
- checkin at Arenal Paraiso Hotel after Xam/pm + description of room
i.e. superior/standard
- Volcano Hike departs from X at 3:45pm, duration ~3.5hrs
- etc.
All these details were of course on the itinerary I sent her. But I've lost all faith in her ability, so I want a written record of what to expect when we arrive. Is that too much to ask? Yep. She ignores me again.
Jan 26th
Hi Michael and Amanda,
Please send me your flight details as soon as possible so I can your final documents to you.
What the hell?
Hi Cindy.
Our flight details are included in our suggested itinerary.
[dead url here]
Here's a copy.
...
Jan 26th at 3:10pm
Services booked:
Attached are your final documents. Please review them and ensure all details are accurate. You will be met by your representative at the airport and brought to Adobe Car Rental. All of the details regarding your trip, activities, maps, check in's and hotel information will be given to you once you arrive.
Ensure the details are accurate? What details? The final documents are really just the itinerary that we already approved. Very vague. But she has let some detail slip: Adobe Car Rental. I'd suggested Budget in my proposal. Who cares. I check out the site anyway. Big surprise.
Thank you.
Could we possibly see the details regarding our trip, activities,
check in's and hotel information before we depart?One other thing.
Below, you mention "Adobe Car Rental".
http://www.adobecar.com/ describes the "Suzuki Jimmy" and "Tucson"
that you mentioned in you Jan21 email as manual transmission.Please confirm that the car you book for us is automatic transmission.
Thanks.
Her reply
Hi Michael,
The car booked for you is automatic as we have discussed. In fact you have been upgraded to a Mitsubishi Nativa at no extra cost.
I cannot send you the details regarding check ins and hotel info as the operator that we work with in Costa Rica will meet you once you arrive and give you those documents. We don't issue them from here.
Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. It's obvious to me that she didn't book an automatic. We were billed $2,447.00 on the 21st when we approved her itinerary. Then a separate $72.00 on the 23rd for the upgrade from (manual) "Suzuki Jimmy" to the (manual) "Tucson". Note that I expected a $160 room at Hotel California but received a $70 room at Hotel Las Tres Banderas instead but this didn't reduce our bill. It's obvious to me that she only upgraded us to the Mitsubishi Nativa when I for the 3rd time pointed out that we requested an automatic but she provided a manual. I'm convinced that I spent more time checking up on her shoddy work than I would have spent booking the entire thing myself.
Okay, what about: "The operator that we work with in Costa Rica will meet you once you arrive and give you those documents." Also bullshit. The free airport shuttle from adobe car rental met us at the airport and had a little packet of vouchers to give us. That's it. No detail. No maps. What follows is the entire deliverable from Cindy Kwan (minus the vouchers for Adobe Rent-A-Car and Hotel Pasatiempo which I didn't think to photograph).
So that's my big long angry story about why not to book with Gap Adventures. I've heard good things about them, so maybe it was just Cindy, or maybe they're only good at their pre-packaged group tours, or maybe there more useful in a less internet-enabled, tourist-friendly country than Costa Rica. But next time I go, I'll just book a car and some hotels in advance and leave everything else to chance.
Here's what actually happened to us in Costa Rica
--- Feb 7th ---
3:15am Get in the car and drive to the park-and-fly at 655 Dixon Road. (map).
3:45am Arrive at Direct Flight Economy-Park. (requires voucher) Shuttles run 24hrs with max 20 min wait for pickup.
4:15am Arrive at Pearson Airport.
6:15am American Airlines flight 1409 departs from Terminal 3 (food for purchase).
9:40am Arrive in Miami (3hr 25min air time).
11:05am American Airlines flight 2127 departs.
12:55pm Arrive in Liberia (2hr 50min air time).
We were met at the airport by guy from Adobe Rent-A-Car with a sign with our name on it. He had some English. He drove us to Adobe. This service is free with the rental.
At adobe they gave us our vouchers. We paid an additional $160.89 CDN for extra insurance (i.e. the maximum that they offer), cell phone rental, and coverage for both of us as drivers. Basic insurance was covered by the GAP voucher. They said that they were giving us the cell phone for free. We should have also rented a GPS. They gave us a free map, but it didn't have nearly enough detail to navigate.
2:00pm Pickup rental car Mitsubishi Nativa / Automatic 4WD from Adobe Rent a Car(requires voucher)
Drive to Playa Tamarindo (took a little over an hour, paved the whole way)
4:00pm Check in to Hotel Pasatiempo. (requires voucher) (booked for 2 nights) (we left Scarborough 13 hours and 45 minutes ago)
This hotel was fantastic. In my opinion, it's the best in town. Very private.
Had dinner at Taco Stop. Run by an American girl. Excellent. Walked on the beach at sunset.
--- Feb 8th ---
Breakfast at some place by the water. Not so great.
Went walking around the outskirts of town. There is a sort-of nature preserve. Saw some monkeys, and lots of birds. Also climbed up a huge hill behind the centre of town. Great view. Lots of land cleared as if they will be putting up condos soon.
12pm 2hr Surf Lesson. (requires voucher) A guy met us at our hotel at noon. We walked down the street to the surf shop and picked up boards and rash-guard. Then down to the beach for some surfing. Was lots of fun.
Have been buying food at the local's grocery store. Great banana bread. Another great sunset on the beach.
Dinner after dark at an Italian place at the end of our street, near the water. Great lady runs the place, but didn't much like my sandwich. Amanda's pizza was excellent though.
--- Feb 9th ---
9:00am Check-out and drive to Arenal Volcano near La Fortuna (got lost, ~6hrs)
Instead of backtracking to Liberia, we took the only other obvious route on our map. It was very slow dirt roads at first, but then was paved for the rest of the way. But we missed a turn off and were lost for hours. Finally arrived at 3pm. Rescheduled Volcano and Hotsprings to next day.
3:00pm Check in to Arenal Paraiso Hotel. (requires voucher) (booked for 2 nights)
This place is a resort. It's very beautiful, but very American. Relaxed in the hot springs. Very great. Dinner at the Hotel restaurant. Decent.
--- Feb 10th ---
7:45amVenado Caves Tour(requires voucher)
Okay, this is exactly why GAP sucks. This tour was great, but we didn't know that it would be early morning or that we were going to crawl through a muddy cave, get soaking wet and need a complete change of clothes. Happily the guide warned us of all this when he picked us up.
This tour is lots of fun if you like crawling around in dark, dank, humid caves. On our tour there were five people total: us, the guide, and a couple from Lithuania.
3:15pmVolcano Hike(requires voucher)
Great tour. Guide picks us up and drives us to the other (active) side of the volcano. We hike through the park (jungle with very wide path) to about 1km from the volcano (actually on top of the rubble from an old eruption). He tells us about the area along the way and we see some interesting birds and termites. Little white clouds of dust roll down the slope as the volcano spits out white hot chunks of rock. This sounds like gunshots. This is what they mean by "you will see lava". Not what I expected, but very much enjoyed it. There were four other tourists on the tour with us, and the guide was excellent.
6:30pm Tabacon Hot Springs (requires voucher)
After the volcano, they drove us to a nearby resort: The Tabacon Grand Spa Resort. We played in the springs then had buffet dinner. I cannot begin to express how amazing and decadent these hot springs are. Not sure how I feel about it, but was very amazing. Quite an experience.
--- Feb 11th ---
9:30am Check-out and drive to Manuel Antonio (stopped for lunch so took about 7 hours)
Before we left, stopped for souvenirs at Galeria Aguas Verdes Alajuela. Lunch at a great little place called Rancho Ceci Alajuela where they have as little English as I have Spanish.
4:30pm Check in to Tres Banderas Hotel. (requires voucher) (booked for 2 nights)
This place is decent. It's run by a Polish guy. They have an open kitchen and a bar, but the cook and bartender seem very grouchy.
--- Feb 12th ---
7:25am(requires voucher) A bus picked us up and took us to Manuel Antonio National Park. We had a guide and a group of about 12 people. Definitely tour this park with a guide. You walk through the jungle basically on a dirt road. He sets up a scope on a tripod when he spots something (i.e. bat, tree frog) and you get a great view and can take great pictures through the scope with a standard pocket sized camera. Don't bother taking pictures of the monkeys if you seem them on this hike. There will be lots more, much closer near the beach at the end of the hike.
Spent the second half of the day body-surfing. Great day. But separated the key from the keychain, so later the car wouldn't start. The keychain contains an RFchip that has to be near the steering column or the car won't start. Good thing we had the cell phone.
Dinner at Ronny's Place (Resturante Mirador Mi Lupuntarenas). Amazing food. And would have an amazing view, but we went after dark.
--- Feb 13th ---
10:00am Check-out and drive to Playa del Coco. (about 7 hours)
Stopped for groceries at the Supermercado in Canas. Also got lost looking for a waterfall in Bagaces.
This was our rebellion from Cindy's bad advice. Instead of spending the night at a Best Western, we had a fabulous time at the Hotel Villas Del Sol in Playa del Coco. We just looked them up in the Lonely Planet book while driving toward Liberia and called with the rental cell phone (unlimited calling in Costa Rica) and booked for that night. (Here a little Spanish is necessary).
The guide book says that Playa del Coco is no great shakes. But I loved it.
--- Feb 14th ---
11:30am Arrive at Liberia and return the rental car at the airport.
Pay $26 x2 USD cash exit tax.
2:00pm American Airlines flight 2130 departs (food for purchase).
5:40pm Arrive in Miami (2hr 40min air time).
8:05pm American Airlines flight 646 departs.
11:14pm Arrive in Toronto at Terminal 3 (3hr 9min air time).
Go to the courtesy phone near the reservations board in Terminal 3 and select "Direct Flight Economy Park" and request a shuttle. Wait at the post they indicate.
--- Cost (in canadian dollars) ---$790.69 x2 -- Flights Toronto to Liberia and back for 2 people (all taxes and fees included) via Expedia
$58.47 -- Park-and-Fly via Expedia
~$130 -- Travel doctor consultation and hepA shot each ($240 but was partially covered by benefits)
$10.31 $85.72 $13.45 $22.89 $14.43 $31.60 $6.49 $24.44 $9.20 $35.00 $4.72 -- Misc. supplies (like fuel to drive to toronto, sunblock, airport food, magazines)
$22.59 -- Photo for International Driver's Permit
$15.00 -- International Driver's Permit (from CAA, should have also got the photo here, cheaper) (note, this permit is not required, I was just being over cautious)
$72.00 $2,447.00 GAP
$120.26 for 50,000c cash
$505.20 for $400usd cash
$160.89 for additional insurance, both drivers covered and cell phone from Adobe Rent-A-Car
$123.04 for dinners and drinks at Hotel Arenal Paraiso
$76.61 for souvenirs at Galeria Aguas Verdes Alajuela
$12.11 for lunch (black egg soup) at Rancho Ceci Alajuela
$95.84 for dinner at Ronny's Place (Resturante Mirador Mi Lupuntarenas)
$70.18 for breakfast/dinner and drinks at Hotel Las Tres Banderas
$27.51 for groceries at the Supermercado in Canas
$82.54 for one night at the Hotel Villas Del Sol in Playa del Coco
Notes
Sunrise 5:30am, Sunset 5:30pm. Costa Rica uses 120V 60Hz ..1 CAD = .....453 CRC $0.50 (USD) - loaf of bread | Hotel Meals |
While ATMs are widely available, there are no guarantees that your credit or debit cards will actually work in Latin America. Check with your bank. You should be aware that to purchase products or services on a credit card a fee of 5%-10% usually applies. Do not rely on credit or debit cards as your only source of money.
It is customary in Latin America to tip service providers such as waiters, at approximately 10%, depending on the service. Please note that in Costa Rica, a 23% charge is added on to almost every meal (13% tax, 10% tip). Further tipping for wait staff is appropriate in the case of excellent service.
Canadian Embassy
Travel Report for Costa Rica
- There is no Official Warning for this country.
- Leave copies of your passport identification page, itinerary and insurance policy with friends or family.
- Visitors should be vigilant at all times when travelling in the country due to high levels of crime.
- Petty crime such as pick pocketing, bag-snatching and theft from vehicles, buses and hotel rooms occurs regularly. Crimes against tourists are particularly common at airports, bus stations, ports, car rental lots, crowded tourist attractions and resort areas.
- Travellers should also be cautious in Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio.
- Beware of "good Samaritans" offering their help to change a flat tire, as they are often the cause of the situation.
- Remain vigilant in a stopped car (e.g. at traffic lights) and always drive with the doors locked and windows closed.
- Travellers should also avoid leaving their drinks or food unattended in bars and places of entertainment.
- Visitors to jungle areas should always be accompanied by an experienced guide.
- Few people outside major hotels, and very few public service providers (e.g. police, lawyers, hospitals) are able to communicate in English or French.
- Tourist Visa: Not required.
- The passport must be valid for at least thirty days from the date of arrival in Costa Rica.
- A tax of US$26 is charged upon departure.
- Canadians arrested or detained have the right to contact the responsible Canadian government office
- It is illegal to photograph official buildings. You should verify with local authorities before taking photos.
- Costa Rica has one of the highest accident rates in the world. Drivers and pedestrians should exercise great caution since traffic laws and speed limits are routinely ignored. Traffic signs are not sufficient. In some areas, potholes, sharp curves, landslides, and narrow or unpaved roads create dangerous road conditions, therefore be careful after dark, especially on rural roads.
- Terms and conditions of car rentals in Costa Rica are unlike most North American contracts. You should carefully review contracts and, in particular, be aware of the mandatory insurance liability coverage. Many driving situations can nullify insurance.
- Traffic enforcement is the responsibility of the Transit Police (222-9330 or 222-9245). Transit Officers often perform roadside inspection of vehicles and request the driver's permit, vehicle registration, and insurance documents. Traffic fines are not supposed to be collected on site. Travellers involved in driving accidents should call 911 to notify authorities of the accident. Do not move the vehicle until advised to do so by the police.
- The currency is the Costa Rican colón (CRC). To avoid complications, carry U.S. dollars (USD) or colónes. Street money changers often pass counterfeit U.S. dollars and local currency. Credit cards are widely accepted. Credit card fraud is a growing problem.
- It is extremely difficult to exchange Canadian currency and traveller's cheques in Costa Rica. Access to cash via ABMs is available in major cities. Only local currency can be withdrawn.
- Credit cards and debit cards should be used with caution due to the potential for fraud and other criminal activity.
- ABMs should be used during business hours inside a bank, supermarket, or large commercial building. Leave copies of your card numbers with a family member in case of emergency.
- An International Driving Permit is recommended. (I got this from the Kanata CAA Travel Store. They take the photo and issue the permit on the spot. ~30min. $15 for permit. $15 for photo.)
Costa Rica - SAN JOSÉ, Embassy of Canada
Address: La Sabana Executive Business Centre, Building No. 5, 3rd Floor, behind the Contraloría General de la República, San José
Postal Address: P.O. Box 351-1007, San José,
Tel.: 506 2242-4400
Emergency toll-free to Ottawa: 0-800-015-1161
Fax: 506 2242-4410
E-Mail: sjcra@international.gc.ca
Internet: http://www.costarica.gc.ca
British Columbia (Sept. 5th-13th, 2008)
Flights where expensive (two people, round-trip, $1552.60), but direct. I'm told that if you book well in advance and your schedule is flexible, then you can get a much better price.
AC189 Ottawa (YOW) Friday September 5th 5:00pm
to Vancouver (YVR) arrive at 7:15pm - Terminal M
Duration: 5hr15
AC138 Vancouver (YVR) Saturday September 13th 4:35pm - Terminal M
to Ottawa (YOW) arrive at midnight
Duration: 4hr32
Resources
Local Flights
Vancouver (YVR) to Powell River, $240, two adults, one-way.
They're not cheap, but they are frequent, and you get a discount if you book in advance. If you drive, then you have to take two ferries to get to Powell River, so you're sort of a slave to their schedule. Choose flights if time is your scarce resource. Choose a rental car if you want to see more of the region.
Shuttle Bus
Vancouver (YVR) to Victoria downtown.
$91, two adults, one-way (this includes the ferry).
Local Bus
- Route # 620 connects to the BC Ferries in Tsawwassen for $5, two adults, one-way
- Get on at # 58058 AIRPORT STN BAY 2 -- 8:03pm
- Get off at # 56669 TSAWWASSEN FERRY TERMINAL -- 8:40pm
Ferries
I found the ferries to be very timely and efficient. They sell food on-board, but it's at a considerable mark-up. And they seem to be universally in out-of-the-way locations. So if you think you're going to stop to pickup some food before-hand, do it well before-hand. Once you get to the ferry terminal, there'll be nothing else around.
Comox to Powel River Ferry
- Monday Sept. 8th, 7:15pm-8:35pm, $64.10, two adults+car, one-way
- (also 10:10am-12:00pm and 3:15pm-5:15pm)
- Comox Parking: Robbins Parking Lot #398: $4/24hours
- Could leave the car here, and go back the way we came
Else Drive: Landing to Bruce & Tracy's - 9 minutes - Google Map
Car Rental
There is a Budget car rental at the airport. They call the location VANCOUVER, BC-APO (YVR). The actual location is 3880 Grant McConachie Way, Vancouver, phone: 604-668-7000. You can get an intermediate car for $330, all week, unlimited km. I've found that car rental agencies universally try to sell you extra insurance. I'm convinced this is a waste of money. I phoned my insurance company before-hand and they confirmed that I'm covered on a rental car just the same as I'm covered on my normal car. And don't accept the "they fuel it up" feature. Unlike YYZ, this location has an obvious, reasonably priced gas station on your way to the rental drop-off. It's easy to re-fuel it yourself. Further note that when I picked up the car, I told the guy that my Visa is supposed to give me some kind of bonus when renting from Budget. I thought this would be a discount, but it's actually an upgrade, so I ended up renting a Luxury vehicle. It sounded fishy to me so I made him tell me "the total", which was just a bit higher than the $330 I'd expected. But he was giving me the total before taxes (which are considerable), so I ended up paying $534.70. Hereafter, I'll be clear that when I say "total" I mean "all the money I'm going to be expected to pay". It's a scam if you ask me.
Friday Sept. 5th
2:30pm - Leave Kanata
5pm - AC189 departs for Vancouver (round-trip $1552.60, pre-paid)
7:15pm - Arrive in Vancouver - Terminal M
8pm - Pickup car at airport (not paid, ~$325)
Airport To Lucille - 21 minutes - Google Map
8:30pm - Arrive at Lucille's place. ($35 cash, not paid)
At this point we were pretty tired, but walked down Fraser St. a few blocks to grab some Thai food before bed.
Saturday Sept. 6th
Explore Vancouver, Map of Downtown
Lucille's to Downtown - 15 minutes - Google Map
We had breakfast at a great place called Steamrollers.
Downtown to the Aquarium at Stanley Park (we didn't actually go here) - 7 minutes - Google Map
Stanley Park to Capilano Suspension Bridge (neat place, but kind of like disney land, and not cheap) - 32 minutes - Google Map
We had extra time, so we went for a hike up the mountains at Lynn Headwaters, which was fantastic.
Downtown to Ferry - 42 minutes - Google Map
5:30pm - Reservation Expires (confirmation number 54243713-2)
6:00pm - Ferry departs ($93.15, partly pre-paid)
7:35pm - Arrive at Swartz Bay
Swartz Bay To Victoria - 33 minutes - Google Map
8:30pm - Arrive at Evelyn & Nansen's.
Sunday Sept. 7th
To Galloping Goose Trail - 8 minutes - Google Map
To Inner Harbour - 21 minutes - Google Map
Visit Sandy/Climbing beaches, a 10 minute walk from their house.
Craigdarroch Castle, $12/adult daily (we didn't actually go here) Google Map
The Fairmont Empress (we didn't actually go here) Google Map
Monday Sept. 8th
Victoria to Englishman Falls - 2 hours 35 minutes - Google Map
Englishman Falls to Coombs - 12 minutes - Google Map
Coombs to Qualicum Falls (we didn't actually go here) - 9 minutes - Google Map
Qualicum Falls to Cathedral Grove - 8 minutes - Google Map
Cathedral Grove to Comox - 1 hour 12 minutes - Google Map
6:15pm - Arrive at Ferry.
7:15pm - Ferry leaves for Powell River
8:35pm - Arrive in Powell River
Powell River to Bruce's House - 9 minutes - Google Map
Tuesday Sept. 9th
Went in Bruce's big boat up Powell lake from Cranberry to the far end.
Did some fishing and explored a sand cave.
Wednesday Sept. 10th
Rented Kayaks at Alpha Dive and Kayak.
Paddled around Inland lake, had lunch on an island.
Picked tonnes of black berries.
Thursday Sept. 11th
Went out on the ocean in Bruce's big boat.
Dropped some Crab Traps and did some trolling and jigging.
Went up the coast to The Historic Lund Hotel and had lunch.
Went to Harwood Island, saw sea lions and some caves.
Friday Sept. 12th
Went cliff jumping off a waterfall in a little river.
Saw a salmon spawning ground.
Ate some raw oysters from the ocean shore.
Had a dinner party.
Saturday Sept. 13th
Powell River to Saltery Bay - 54 minutes - Google Map
Saltery Bay to Earl's Cove
5:35am to 6:25am
7:25am to 8:15am
9:25am to 10:15am -- preferred
Earl's Cove to Langdale - 1 hour, 13 minutes - Google Map
Langdale to Horseshoe Bay
10:20am to 11:00am
12:20pm to 1:00pm -- preferred
2:30pm to 3:10pm
Before heading back to the airport, we walked a bit around Vancouver downtown, and I had the best California roll of my life (with black rice).
Horseshoe Bay to Airport - 42 minutes - Google Map
3:00pm - Return rental car
4:35pm - AC138 (Terminal M) departs for Ottawa
Midnight - Arrive in Ottawa
Best way to get downtown - follow directions to bell centre:
- Take HWY-417 E
- Turns into HWY 40 (once highway becomes raised, stay in left lane.. you'll want to exit soon)
- Take HWY 15 S (get into left lane)
- Take Aut. Ville Marie which is HWY 720
- Exit on Rue Guy
- lots of parking around... you should be right at the Bell centre, 2 block north to St Catherine... everything in walking distance
Here's a google map.
3458 Avenue Laval (At Sherbrooke St.)
Have a look at google's street view. They have four front doors, each with a different street number (which was confusing for me).
1920 Rue Baile
This is a greeat museum.
Simons (the best department store in the world)
977 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Schwartz's World Famous Smoked Meat
3895 St Laurent
(everyone talks about this but I didn't think it was that big a deal)
And here's a bunch of stuff that's been suggested to me that I haven't done yet.
Old Montreal
(Bleury St east to St-Denis St)
(St-Antoine St south to the St Lawrence Rive)
Planetarium
1000 rue Saint-Jacques Ouest
St Viateur's Bagels
263 St. Viateur West
1127 Mont. Royal East
Marché Bonsecours (interesting artisan market)
350 rue St-Paul
Biodome
Next to Stade Olympique
4777 av. Pierre-de-Coubertin
Shopping - St Catherine street (start at Bell Center, walk east)
Lots of other stuff (Olympic village...)
You can fly with WestJet from Ottawa (YOW) to Toronto (YYZ) for a not-too-terrible rate.
Taxi from YYZ to Long Branch GO Station, $31 flat rate.
7:01pm GO Train to Burlington GO Station, arrive at 7:38pm.
Here's a google map that has some relevant transit interchanges.
Inter-terminal bus access between Terminals 1 and 3:
Terminal 3 pickup/drop-off location: Departures Level, column 21
Terminal 1 pickup/drop-off location: Departures Level, column 27
TTC 192 Airport Rocket (Bus)
from Terminal 1
6:12, 6:24, 6:36, 6:48
to Kipling Station
~20min duration
TTC 123 Shorncliffe (Bus)
from Kipling Station (123[red] or 123c[brown])
6:26, 6:39, 6:51
to Long Branch Station
~20min duration
Lakeshore West GO Train (Westbound)
from Long Branch GO Station
7:01, 8:01
to Burlington GO Station
37min duration
Here's Taxis & Limousines information from YYZ, and their price map.
ViaRailOttawa-Toronto is okay.
Greyhound Ottawa-Burlington is 9 hours.
We woke up to another bright morning and walked to the fountain in Grant Park, stopping at Starbucks on the way for breakfast. We took photos and walked to the aquarium but the entrance was expensive and we only had an hour. So we walked further to the Space Center and saw some great views of the city. There was a bears game on and thousands of people were streaming to the stadium. And there was a huge tail-gate party, like nothing I've ever seen. Eventually we took a cab back to the hotel, got our gear, and had (normal) pizza for lunch at Luke's. We took the EL around the loop and back to the airport. Porter is an excellent airline. We had a very short layover in Toronto and were home in plenty of time and well rested. I had a great trip.
Photos, Map.
We woke up slowly to a sunny morning. The hotel room was all windows on two sides and gave a great view of downtown. We were in the area called The Loop. Out of the hotel by 10am, we walked to Starbucks then had breakfast at the Corner Bakery. We walked around and through Grant Park and met a darling old Dutch lady who despite being almost entirely blind was sight-seeing. Next we boarded an architecture boat cruise, which was also a surprise, and I enjoyed it very much. The boat travels the downtown rivers and gives you a great view of the city and its history. Be warned though, it's cold and windy.
After the cruise we went shopping at H&M where I became the proud owner of Incredible Hulk underwear, a green merino wool sweater, and an orange dress shirt. Then we had to run from the rain and caught a cab to Gino's East for deep dish pizza. It's hard to describe what is meant by deep dish pizza in Chicago. Think of thick delicious almost cornbread-like crust in a deep metal dish with pizza soup on top.
The rain had let up so we started to walk back to the hotel, but stopped on the way for Amanda to get a manicure. After this, it started to rain in earnest so we bought two $5 umbrellas from a drugstore. The EL gives you the idea that you're sheltered from the rain, but its a fallacy. Back at the hotel, much fussing and stress ensued while I sat in my suite complacently waiting for the storm to pass. Of course, the result was that Amanda looked fantastic and we were bundled into a cab for the surprise main event. As we arrived, I realized that it starts with a red carpet, which was a little unnerving. Welcome to the symphony opening night gala. We ascended a spiral stair with hundreds of people watching us. I checked Amanda's coat while she fetched some complimentary wine. We sipped and discussed everyone's outfits and I felt decidedly like someone in a film. Later, in the symphony hall, they introduced themselves as the best symphony in the world. The first set was very good. The rest was very long. Afterwards, we stoped at Potter's Lounge on the way home and had expensive food and drinks. Porter's wasn't a great place but we had a great night. We talked about landmark events in our last seven years. I think mine were:
1. barrow and alex catching use at the earl street house
2. pride and prejudice in the victoria st. basement
3. getting engaged at frontenac park
4. our first stratford together
5. rogaine and exhausted at andy's house
6. hard winter and pushing people out of the snow at reaney court
7. costa rica.
I knew that we were going on a trip, but I thought I could leave work at 1:30pm, so I wasn't going to to book vacation. When packing on Thursday night, I realized that I'd have to leave Entrust at 10:30am, making any real work impossible. Thanks to Chris, I had exactly the two vacation days that I'd need. So on Friday at 10am, I booked Friday and Monday as vacation, and rushed to the airport. We arrived with plenty of time but discovered that all planes had been delayed due to morning fog that prevented earlier landings. After a long wait, they gave us a 4:30 flight. With the extra time, we went to lunch at Thai Lanna across from the south keys centre. Before heading back to the airport, we picked up a travel guide from Chapters. Much later we discovered that we had accidentally shuffled the guidebooks and accidentally purchased the least useful from the selection. Back at the airport, we boarded a small propeller plane. It was Porter airlines and I highly recommend them. There is no first-class, there are no TVs, there is lots of leg room, your drink comes in a glass (read that not wastefully disposable) cup and the whole experience was vastly superior to that provided by other airlines.
We landed on the Toronto Island but missed the next connection by a few minutes. We ended up waiting until 7:30pm in a nice lounge with free internet at apple terminals. When we finally arrived at Chicago in the Midway airport, we took the train downtown. They have a great system there, easy to navigate, similar to San Francisco. We eventually arrived at Club Quarters, which is an excellent business oriented hotel. At 9:45pm (which was very late our-time), we had dinner at the adjacent Elephant & Castle. The server was excellent. I had the Union Jack Burger with French onion soup and two very well deserved Guinness. We had a great evening and overheard some interesting conversation from nearby lawyers. Finally, a little drunk and totally exhausted, we retired to our room, had a shower, watched some Malcolm In The Middle and went to sleep.
