Today we drove back down to San Jose. The day before we left on the trip, I got a new gps from Amazon. I wasn’t going to get a new one, but my old Garmin III+ was having problems.
Scot had found a good routable Costa Rica map from GPS Travel Maps. I downloaded their map the night before we left. Their site didn’t indicate if it was a pc or Mac version, and the pc version was what I got. I was taking my Macbook on the trip and needed the Mac version. I emailed the company and they responded back immediately that they would send me the mac version.
I got the version I needed when we were staying at Mansion Inn at Lake Arenal. After I loaded it, I had to do a little finagling to get it to work. We had used a map to get to La Fortuna with no problem, but I thought the gps would be helpful while fuddling our way around.
When we left today, we set the gps up to guide us back to San Jose. At first it had us on the same roads as we arrived on, 142, but it switched us over to 141, a much more traveled route and one the travel books advise you not to use because of the truck traffic.
When we got to San Carlos, things started to go wrong. The gps told us to turn left, but there was no left turn, but we stilled seemed to be on tract. Then it wanted a sharp right, when you could only do a left. After this, it kept recalculating our route. It had roads that were not on the map or labeled different. We ended up circling around downtown San Carlos a couple of times, cutting back and forth, and trying to miss hitting the locals. The Ticos don’t much pay attention to stoplights, or signs. The pedestrians walk right out in the road in front of you in heavy traffic. While that is going on, I have a gps that is starting to sound like Hal from 2001 telling me to turn left or right. It even tried to have us do a U turn.
Dan go left.
Dan go right.
Dan your ignoring me. Make a U turn.
I felt like pulling it’s memory banks.
We finally got of downtown and figured we were on the right tract by the position of the sun. Using the map and gps, we were able to get on Highway 1 and back toward San Jose. We are staying at a cool, funky hotel, Orquideas Inn, with a Marylon Monroe bar. Which when we got here, we immediately patronized. Viva Caprihina. Tomorrow we meet up with Matt, Crickett, Gary, and Jenny, starting another road trip to Puerto Viejo, hopefully Hal will cooperate.
On another note, I just received very sad news from my brother that our step father, Larry Klawitter, died today. He raised us both like he was our own father and always looked out for us. I know alot of my interest came from things he was interested in or was involved. I am sitting up a 2am writing this in Costa Rica because of interest he passed on to me.
He lived a long and full life, which was surprising. He was born with a heart condition and was one first to receive open heart surgery. I remember when he and my mom traveled to Houston to Dr. DeBakey to have surgery in the 1960s. His mother, Bertha, was told he would not survive his childhood, but he managed 81 years. Larry had a love of music, playing several instruments, and engineering. He was always tinkering or working or inventing something. He was also a avid birder. My brother David and sister Rebecca are his surviving children. Darryl and I are also honored to be included with them.
Rest in Peace Larry.

Today started with our included breakfast. Most places include it in your rate.
Elaine couldn’t wait to meet up with Scot, D’ava, Amanda, and Dmitri. Scot had booked us on a Skytrek tour on their tram and zip lines for all of us. He had also set up the rappelling with Dasafio.
The tram ride was over 4100 feet. The zip line was 1.7 miles, at a much faster rate. The tram ride had great views of the forest, volcano, and lake at Arenal. Everyone was a little anxious on the zip line, one person, not in our group did their first cable hooked to a guide, but she got braver after that and went out on her own. I will try it again, and spend more time looking around.
Elaine and D’ava had no interest in rappelling after the zip lines, so Scot, Dmitri, Amanda, and I were picked up in a 4 wheel drive. It was a rough ride up to the Lost Canyon, where Dasafio has their canyon house.
We were given a quick lesson, driven further up the canyon, and did a practice rappel of 16 feet. Dasafio’s motto is Safety, Have Fun, and get Wet. They accomplished all three. You cannot help but getting wet rappelling down waterfalls and hiking down the river. We all had a great time.
Afterwards, a soak in the hot springs was great. Later, we had an good Italian meal at Que Rico.
Tomorrow we had back toward San Jose and a visit to the rescue zoo at Zoo Ave.