Backpacking Advisor

Cerro Chirripó - Costa Rica's Highest Peak (3820m)

2009-02-23T21:50:00.047-06:00

As always, this post was written to give you a general idea of how "Chirripó Works", but it is in no way an official source of information. Please call the ICT (Costa Rican Institute of Tourism) several months ahead of your planned visit. Note that all the information given here is as of february 2009.

Steps to get there:
1- Call the ICT aprox. 6 months before your planned trip date. Many people want to go, so do that ASAP. A permit is necessary to climb the mountain. 2- Once you have your permit,get a bus from San Jose to San Isidro del General. I reccomend Transportes MUSOC(Tel. 2222-2422). The bus terminal is located in the downtown area of San José, close to the Pacific Train Station. Buses leave each hour starting at 5:30am (It is wise to arrive 2hrs before the hour you plan to leave). The trip takes from 2.5-3hours, and it costs 2185 colones. Once you get to San Isidro, find the central market, there is a bus terminal there where you will take a 700 colones bus to San Gerardo de Rivas (there are only 2 buses, one at 5:30am and the other at 2pm. Call the company at 2771-2314 to be sure of the times. The trip takes from 1-1.5hrs). If you miss the bus, you have 3 options. 1-pay a taxi to San Gerardo, expect to pay 15000 colones. 2-take a bus to Rivas. Once in Rivas, take a taxi to San Gerardo or start walking towards San Gerardo and ask for rides. 3-sleep in San Isidro and leave the next day at 5:30am.

In San Gerardo de Rivas, there are several hostels, and many offer parking if you are planning to take your car. The average price per night is 10,000 colones. Before climbing Chirripó you MUST go to the MINAE office in San Gerardo in order to get the permit (which you should have reserved before). What if I don't have any reservations? The park leaves 10 open spaces each day, which you can get if you arrive early in the morning. You can take an open space for the same day or the following day only. If you plan to do this, get there as early as possible.

The Hike: You can start at any time, however most people start from 4am-5:30am. If you want to start much earlier, then take a good flashlight with you. If you start later, then take a good hat, you will need it! --- The hike starts at "El termometro Trail" and is marked by a "0 km" sign. Warning: Many people see the Termometro sign, but keep walking in the main trail until they find out several hours after that they took the wrong way. When you see the sign, make a right. This usually happens because it is still too dark to see that there is another trail...

If you see the office to your left it means that you went the wrong way and entered the cloudbridge trail. Go Back!

-------
Starting at Termometro Trail (0 km) the hike will take 14.5km to Base Crestones (at an altitude of 3400m, the place where you will sleep). When you get to 4km, you will see the official park entrance - just an old gate. At 7.2km you will see Refugio Llano Bonito, which is just a place to drink fresh water and eat whatever you brought with you, there is no park ranger there nor is it a place to sleep.

- Base Crestones - 14.5km. Services: Free Internet from 2pm-7pm // Telephone (National calls only): 50 colones/min house phones and 100 colones/min cell phones. In the past they sold/rented gas cylinders, shirts, sleeping bags, etc. Now they do not, they only let you use their dishware, but you must bring your own stove, gas, food, sleeping bags,etc

The Other Attractions: Chirripó used to be covered with glaciers, so most of the rock formations were shaped by the ice thousands of years ago. The main (or at least famous) rock formation is the Crestones ( right pic), which can be seen from Base Crestones. At sunset, they will sometimes turn orange or redish. You can also climb there, and it usually takes 2 hours.

To the right is a picture of Sabana de los Leones (Lions). It was named after the Jaguars that often go there. There are other nice places to visit such as Valle de los Conejos, Cerro Ventisqueros (3812m) , Lake Ditkevi, Valle de las Morrenas, etc. Talk to the ranger for time estimates and recommendations.

The Main Attraction: The summit (Chirripó Grande) - At 3820m, Chirripó is the highest peak in Costa Rica. - I reccomend to start the 5.1km hike at 3-3:30am, so that you can get there by 5:30 and see the sunrise (and have higer chances of a clear sky). In a clear morning, you will be able to see The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Volcan Irazu, Cerro de la Muerte, Volcan Barú in Panamá, etc. WARNING: Temperatures below freezing and strong winds - take with you good winter clothing.

On your way down: You will probably see lots of ice/snow, which is rare in Costa Rica. If you are lucky, you might even get a frozen lake!

Additional Info:

1- You can stay 1 or 2 nights, not more.
2- You can pay a porter to get your stuff up the mountain, it usually costs around 17000 for a 15kg backpack. (each way)
3- To make a reservation call: 2771 5116 or 2771 3155
4- For more information check this blog http://ixus-chirripo.blogspot.com/ (spanish) - Note that it is outdated - for example it still mentions that they rent stuff up there, which is no longer true.

Landmarks #1 - San José, Costa Rica

2009-02-11T22:08:00.005-06:00

Teatro Nacional / National Theater
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (National Theater of Costa Rica) is located in the central section of San José. Construction began on the theatre in 1891, and it opened to the public on October 21, 1897 with a performance of Faust.
The Teatro Nacional is the maximum representation of economical stability of the nation, in a period of time when coffee exports were a round success. The use of this theatre is limited to high quality performances, undergoing a very selective process prior to admission for performing.

Entrance fees -> Costa Ricans: Free / International Visitors $7
***Not to view a play, just to go visit the interior (but it is worth it!)

Casco Viejo + Panama Viejo --- Panama City

2009-02-05T18:59:00.022-06:00

This post has pictures of Casco Viejo and Panama Viejo, both in Panama City. The first picture is a view of Panama City, the next 2 are from Panama Viejo. The rest are of the Casco Viejo (UNESCO World Heritage Site). There are many tours around that you can take, including walking tours. If you take a taxi to any place in Panama City, remember to negotiate the fare!

Rancho Redondo - Costa Rica

2009-02-02T14:27:00.009-06:00

This is just a small town close to San José (20-30min car ride). I however recommend going there because you can quickly escape the city and breath some cool clean air! Besides, the views are astonishing! When you get almost there from San José, at the right you will see "el mirador" - an scenic viewpoint. A little bit further you will have the one-road town of Rancho Redondo. If you keep driving (4x4 vehicle recommended), you will eventually get to "El llano" another small town... and even further away to Cartago city. Note: go early, after 4 or 5pm it can get pretty cloudy and foggy.

1- View of San José from the viewpoint. 2- After you pass the viewpoint. That cross can be seen from far away and is considered a local landmark. 3-Church of Rancho Redondo 4-Rancho Redondo town.

Irazú Volcano National Park - Costa Rica

2009-02-01T23:25:00.013-06:00

This is one of my favourite places in Costa Rica. I have been there many times and always want to come back. The Irazú is an active Volcano, 1.5-2hrs away from San José by car (you will pass the city of Cartago on your way). You can drive almost to the crater itself...and enyoy the "lunar" surface.t The craters are just a 5 minute walk away from the parking lot. The summit is at 3432 meters above sea level, and on some occasions you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (however such a day is extremely rare). Please note that even though this is an active volcano, you won't see any lava like in Arenal Volcano , however this doesn't mean that you are danger-free. There could be an eruption, so go with caution, which translates to: DO NOT CROSS THE SECURITY FENCES. Entrance fee is just like any other National Park - Costa Ricans : 1000 colones adults / 300 children. Anyone else: $10 adult / $1 kids. Kids are 12 or under. Get a jacket - it is usually cold up there. There is a small souvenir shop where they also sell coffee, dougnuts, and some other snacks.
First picture: Diego de la Haya crater (inactive). Second picture: Main crater (active).

>Update: Pictures from my latest visit in mid-february (note how the color of the chemicals in the crater changed):

Costa Rica - Arenal Volcano Trip

2009-01-26T23:44:00.043-06:00

WARNING: ZONE OF HIGH VOLCANIC RISK

that said...let us begin.

The Arenal Volcano is a 1657-meter high very active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica (10.5N, 84.7W), around 90 km north-west of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. It is the most active volcano in Costa Rica, and ranks in the top 10 of the world.

The tour starts in San José, where you have to take a $6 bus straight to La Fortuna that leaves at around 6:15am from down town San Jose (San Carlos Bus Terminal). The trip takes around 5 hours. There are other buses at later hours to San Carlos, where you will then have to take another one to La Fortuna (left picture). In La Fortuna there is nothing much to do. There is a Mega Super where you can get almost anything, a Burger King, and many other small shops. Around the Park there are many tourist offices. In case you want to go to mass on a Sunday, times are 9am or 7pm (no 11am mass). From here you can go to any of the many hotels, however the side of the volcano seen from La Fortuna is the "green side", in other words, no lava. In the other side (or close to) are some other hotels but are very expensive. (the cheap ones can cost $40 a night, while the expensive ones $200). La Fortuna is about 20km from the Volcano, but there is another town in the side where you have a better sight, called El Castillo, around 9km from the Vocano. In that town there is also a Snake Zoo, with many varieties of snakes, butterflies, spiders,etc.
Note: just in front of the entrance to the National Park is a place where you can pay a small fee to put your tent, sleeping bag or whatever, and by doing so you will save lots of money, and be really close to the Volcano...
Anyways... once you get to the Arenal Volcano National Park (yeah, the Volcano is there...) you will have to pay: Costa Ricans - 1000 colones adults and 300 children. Anyone else: $10 adult / $1 kids. Kids are 12 or under.

Ask for a map (if they don't give it to you). They are available in several languages - English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French and German. If you want your passport stamped with a nice seal from this park (every national park has its own seal) you have to ask the guy in the counter.

Once inside, there are 3 places to visit. The first one is Heliconias Trail, which takes around 30minutes to finish. You dont have to take this trail, but if you want to see birds and other animals I recommend it. Please remember to enter the park at 8am when it opens, since there will be no tourists and your chances to see animals are higher. Park closes at 4pm but no one enters after 3pm. If you will do this trail, leave your car in the first parking lot (and also the safest since it is just behind the entrance office). If you just want to do the second trail - Coladas Trail - there is a second parking lot further ahead. Coladas trail is aprox. 2km, and takes around 45 minutes each way (you have to come back thru the same trail). PLEASE DO NOT BE STUPID, DO NOT GO PASS THE WARNING SIGNS - YOU CAN DIE. BESIDES, YOU CAN GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE PARK RANGERS. At the end of Coladas Trail (next picture), you will be able to walk over dry lava from one of the last mayor eruptions. You can also watch (if it is not cloudy) the lava rocks falling from the top. You can also hear them as they are rolling down - and of course listen to the noises from the volcano (which can also be heard from several kilometers away). There is also an excellent sight of the Arenal Lake from here. The third place to visit is "the mirador", you can drive there. It is special for sightseeing.
At night , with a clear sky you can see the lava rocks rolling down. It is a MUST SEE. The best place is "the bridge", which is right in front of the side of the volcano where lava comes down. Any local can point you out to that place. The guys in the National Park can be very helpful with any directions.

Arenal Volcano as seen at night from "The Bridge".

The next thing to do (a must) is to visit the Tabacón Hotsprings. You have 2 choices, paying $65 to the Tabacón Hotel, or just cross the road from that hotel and entering "Tabaconcito", which used to belong to Tabacón but is now FREE. It is free because the government kicked them away, since rivers are just like beaches "non private and national patrimony". There is an entrance gate which is closed, so just go around it. Inside you will see the old facilities, such as some ranches, a restroom, and several benches. Please note that since no one is giving maintenance to this place any more, the restrooms are no longer usable, and there is no electricity. There is also no security provided - you go at your own. However, locals say that it is very safe, even at night. If you plan on staying after sunset, bring a good flash light. There will be other places offering hot springs, but most are just pools with no running water... and the cheapest places charge you at least $30. Tabaconcito is the most natural thing you can get, the real river, with very warm and nice water.

There are several waterfalls!

Another interesting place to visit is the Arenal Dam.
When they built this, the Arenal Lake was formed, flooding several villages. When I went there in early january 2009, a 1hr boat trip had a cost of around $30 for the 6 of us, so each of us only had to pay $5. However, the first price they gave us "considering you are students, costa ricans... " was $60. Only 3 of us where costa ricans, so if you go there, try going with a costa rican who can do the talk and negotiate, and you might get a 50% discount like we did.

The trip is pretty nice, they will give you the history of the region, and take you to see birds and other animals, like iguanas. You can also get a very good sight of the Volcano from the lake. (see picture below) (the 2 pictures to the left were taken from the dam)

The Arenal Dam Itself

If you have never visited a dam before, this is a good start. Comming from La Fortuna, to the left side Arenal Lake, to the right side, the dyke. You can walk freely across the road that goes over the dam, and is an excellent place to take pictures. To visit the other side of the dam, and get to see the tunnel, you will need permission since it is a restricted area. There is an office where you can ask the police officer to let you in. In my case, I am civil engineering student, so I told him to please let me in since looking at the structure from that side interested me a lot and that I was not going to stay a lot down there... he was very kind and allowed me to go down to the tunnel. (Note: I was not asked for a student or any other ID card...)

If you are lucky enough there might be students from some university on a field trip and the gate to the 200m tunnel be open...if not, then you can still walk inside until you reach the gate. Remember to look up - the bats!

There are many other nice things to do, such as canopy, walking in many other trails, etc. There is also a boat you can take to Monteverde - another popular tourist destination.

Europe for Costa Ricans (Visa Stuff)

2008-08-31T22:32:00.018-06:00

AS OF 9-01-2008
Being a Costa Rican, I made some research on the current visa policies of European Countries regarding Costa Rica. Green nations are visa-free, while red countries require a visa. Yellow countries ask for a visa, but you can get it at the airport and/or land border (Check before). Orange (Moldova) asks for a visa that has to be gotten before getting there, but if you enter the ''rebel'' area (Republic of Transnitria) you won't need any visa, and once inside you can go into the rest of the country without any visas (illegaly...), just make sure you exit thru Transnitria ... Pink is Iraq, just don't go there....
Source: http://projectvisa.com/ + consulate/embassy websites of different countries.

La Paz, Bolivia

2008-08-21T23:52:00.005-06:00

La Paz is Bolivia's administrative capital (the other capital being Sucre) and one of the most populated cities. When I visited it I really loved it. It is generally safe (at least if you keep yourself in the populated and central areas). I am providing this map in order for you to check out several nice places in the downtown area. Note that the bus terminal is in the top left corner. Just walk south towards the Parque Isabela la Catolica, and you will pass many interesting and nice places. I recommend visiting the Museo de Etnografia (the Central Bank's Museum), its free and it is open Monday thru Saturday 9am-12:30pm and then from 3pm-7pm. Sundays from 9-12:30. Also make sure you visit the church of San Francisco and the Cathedral... Sleeptime? well, there are several hotels and hostels around the city, but there are some nice and inexpensive hostels north of the bus terminal (if you arrive late to La Paz make sure you go to one of those since walking late at night might not be wise...)

Why is this blog's picture important?

2008-08-19T16:54:00.006-06:00

When I was backpacking in La Paz, Bolivia I walked across this ''military zone''. There were no warning signs indicating that pictures were not allowed, but unlike other countries, taking pictures of military buildings is prohibited. When I saw this building (left pic), I knew I had to take a picture of it. Why? as you may know, Bolivia is a landlocked country, but they still have a navy ! I couldn't understand why such a poor country like this would want to waste money in things like this, but then I did, and it has a name: Lake Titicaca... Anyways, when I was about to take a second picture a soldier approached me and told me that if I did so, my camera would be taken away... what they didn't know is that I had already taken one! After this, I went to downtown La Paz, and saw some guys coming out of a prisoners' bus and going into a prison, I took a picture (right pic), and when I was about to take a second one... an undercover cop came and stopped me... there is no freedom of the press in this country... take that into account if you ever visit it.

Detroit's People Mover (Metro)

2008-07-23T22:35:00.006-06:00

The people mover is a nice elevated train that goes around Detroit's downtown area. At just $0.50 per ride, it is an excellent and cheap way to get around downtown. You can even see some landmarks and some scenic views (at one point it borders the Detroit river, and you can see Canada at your right)... The complete ride takes about 15 minutes (20 or so at rush hour). By the way, make sure you check out the modern art at the stations, its quite interesting.

Chicago's CTA

2008-07-22T22:51:00.007-06:00

I went to Chicago this summer, and they are offering a card called the Fun pass or Visitor's pass that basicaly lets you ride around Chicago (metro or buses) for almost nothing. The 1 day unlimited rides card costs $5 (just one per person), it gets activated the fist time you use it (not when you buy it). Cards for more than one day are also available. The card can be bought at O'Hare Intl Airport as well as some other places. Check the CTA's website for more info.

Get a map

2008-07-22T09:51:00.003-06:00

As soon as you get there, go to some public tourist information center or any big public transportation station (bus, metro, etc). They usually have them for free...or at an affordable price. And believe me when I say this: traveling around in a big city without a map is far from clever. You can get to many more places with less money and spending less time too if you just use a map...

A traveler's tip

2008-07-21T21:22:00.006-06:00

Carrying a laptop (the smaller the better) or a PDA (which offers limited functions compared to a laptop) with wi-fi capabilities is a good idea. This is not only to check your email and telling your family or friends about your travels. It can help you book a flight, a train, etc. Just consider if this is an option for you. Don't forget: internet cafes can be expensive in big cities, or non existent in small towns...but a free wi-fi spot is also hard to find sometimes (but not impossible).

Extra tip: consider installing Linux on your laptop, it works better than windows...and it is free.

Do some research

2008-07-21T20:53:00.006-06:00

Researching your destination (s) is one of the most important and wise things to do. You will really appreciate it once you get there, 'cause you won't waste time doing what you have already done back at your home. You will know where to go and how to get there, and why that place is important (by the way, googling history is many times better than listening to stories that have to be appealing to regular tourists).

The following are some websites that can help you:

http://www.google.com (lol!)

http://en.wikipedia.org (who doesn't know this?)

http://wikitravel.org (an A+ travel guide, full of tips)

http://www.visahq.com/ (see if you can get there! this is an excellent tool to check if you need a passport, visa, etc)

http://www.weather.com (knowing the weather is a must)

I must emphasize the importance of wikipedia and wikitravel, they are excellent and credible sources and you just can't overlook them.

Warning: Not for people seeking to waste money or just to claim they were in some place!

2008-07-21T20:10:00.006-06:00

This website is for all of us who love traveling, and traveling only...and true traveling doesn't involve spending your whole day at a 5-star hotel for a low price of just $150 a night (if not more). My idea of traveling is to first do some research, then putting that into practice... it is about spending my whole day going around wherever it is that I am, visiting the popular nice places as well as the hidden and fascinating places that people don't usually know about, it is about walking and using the public transportation system, it is about eating local food (not stuff I can get in my hometown), it is about learning how people live there... and when night comes...sleeping at a cheap but nice place (hostels?). By now you probably know what I am taking about: backpacking.

I hope that by reading what I post here you will get a sense of how to backpack, and that you can put that into practice wherever you go, 'cause backpacking (the basic rules...) is the same all around the world... it is all about having fun, while learning lots of things at the same time (you probably learn more doing this than listening to boring school lectures, seriously). It is basically about being intelligent and knowing how to spend your hard-earned greenbacks.

Good Luck!