I get to go paddle in Costa Rica!!

[kayakmamma]

Yay! Sorry--I was excited and wanted to tell everyone! Susan Blair and I get to go. Not until January, and I can hardly wait!

[okieboater]

Awesome place to paddle. Been maybe ten years since I was down there, things may have changed a bit.

Roads are pretty much wide open - not a place for Americans to be driving. In San Juan be extremely careful crossing streets. Cars and trucks have the right of way, not humans!

Out in the bush, be extremely alert where you step - next to automobiles snake bites (Fer de Lance if memory correct they go toward people not run away) were the most common killers when I was there. We were told never to go off the streams to relieve ourselves - stay on the sand or rocks where you can see. Never blindly grab bushes if you swim. Never go off the trail and stay close to the guides when walking pathways. If you camp on the Pacure, always have a good headlamp if you get away from the tent at night even in developed camps.

Bring back coffee beans. If you like coffee in the morning - CR is one of the top notch coffee places I have been.

Food is good, black beans and rice with every meal which is fine with me.

Tico's generally like Americans.

Some say the water systems are ok, I suggest bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth and avoid the ice. On one trip each morning, we picked up fresh baked bread for lunches - just awesome baked goods. Also fresh Guacamole for salads for lunch - you have some of the best tasting fruit you can find anywhere, just wash it off or peal the skin. come to think of it, USA produce is getting to the point where it is dangerous as well tho.

Some rivers polluted. others sparkling clean. Hopefully you can head up to the volcano area and stay a night at one of the hot spring hotels there. Don't remember the names but some of the most fancy and exotic places to stay ever for me.

I have been twice and enjoyed both trips a bunch.

Stayed in one nice hotel. Desk clerk bragged about USA style flush toilets which was true. Then I happened to check the back of the building and the toilets drained direct into a banana farm soil. I saw many other pipes dumping directly into local creeks. Bottom line take ear plugs and nose clips and wash down with soap and water after boating.

What outfit are you going with.

Like I said, awesome place to paddle and used to be cheap everything when you got there.

Pura Vita !!!

[SteveGabbard]

I'm jealous. What outfitter are you using?

Hope you have a great trip. Bring back lots of pictures and a good trip report.

[flow]

Ok we're all very jelous! What river? What's the itinerary? Fill us in!!!

[kayakmamma]

Please sign up and come with!!

Day 1-arrive in San Jose, then travel to outpost Turrialba.
Day 2-Paddle Upper Pejibaye, with creeky features and steeper rapids
Day 3-Paddle Sarapiqui River. It's supposed to be very beautiful.
Day 4-Paddle Sarapiqui again, San Miguel section.
Day 5-Paddle Upper Pacuare and Upper Upper Pacuare
Day 6-Paddle Lower Pacuare-a 17 mile run of amazing III/IV water!
Day 7-Paddle Lower Pacuare again. Return to Turrialba.
Day 8-Shopping, & travel home to Arlington, Texas

Our outfitter is "Costa Rica Rios". http://www.costaricarios.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
We will be staying in really beautiful-looking jungle lodging along the Pacuare, and also in Puerto Viejo and Turrialba.
Thanks for what you wrote OkieBoater--just reading it made me so excited. I love third world countries.
I'm especially excited to paddle the lower Pacuare, but need to build up more endurance, because doesn't 17 miles of whitewater in one shot sounds like a lot? Isn't combined Upper Ocoee/Middle about 11 miles or less? Anyways, can't wait!

[kayakmamma]

You have to reserve your boats, so I signed up to paddle a Liquid Logic Lil Joe, which I have never paddled before. My second and third choices were a Mamba and a Diesel. I've paddled a Mamba, and it was a little bit like driving a tank, but seemed do-able. I've never paddled a Diesel. Any comments? Hopefully the Lil Joe will be great. Thanks!

[MaxTexan]

I have paddled a LL Gus (Lil Joe's big bro), Diesel and Mamba; of the three I would rate them: Mamba, Diesel and GUS a distance third. THe LL boats require a bit more aggressive stance and paddling technique than I do.

My two cents.. sounds like a great trip.. someday !

[SteveGabbard]

My first boat was a diesal. They are very forgiving and have a planing hull with a little bit of edge for surfing. It would be a good choice.

[flow]

WOW! That sounds like a fantastic trip! I can see why you are excited about going! Anyone would be!

[Renee H]

Looks like the trip is about $1600 plus airfare? What dates are you going just in case I could swing it? How much is the airfare out of DFW? I will have to look at vacation days to see what I could swing. If I can come up with funds and time off, I would REALLY like to go!

[flow]

Me too! Me too! Me too!

[kayakmamma]

Renee, flights from DFW are $389 total, round trip.

[kayakmamma]

Thanks guys for the counsel on the boat choice-I think I'll switch mine around.

[Cowper]

I answered first over on the "gear" thread, but I'll copy it here so people don't have to skip around:

I consider this to be a philsophy and psychology question rather than a boating question, so feel free to take this with a giant grain of salt. :myday"

Probably the Mamba, maybe the RPM.

How do I get there?

The Little Joe did not last as a "popular" boat; some found it hard to roll, there may have been other complaints. Why really isn't important - it may be a great boat, but you've never paddled one, so it is too much to gamble on as your "first choice".

The Diesels have been more popular, but again, you don't have that first-hand experience - you might like it, you might not. The RPM - same thing. VERY popular boat, and a lot of fun, even somewhat similar to a boat you like. But still, for you, an unknown. And don't forget that when this boat came out, it was the "hot new rodeo boat" of its day. Is that what you want on unfamiliar water?

This trip is about the trip - not about experimenting with new boats. You are far from home on a multi-day trip; paddling "injury free" should become one of your most important considerations. You want to have some fun, but you don't need to be testing yourself to new limits on this trip, or have less fun because you are 3 days into the trip and getting into head games with yourself because you think you chose the wrong boat.

If you really love playing and surfing, are at the middle or lower weight range for an RPM, and occassionally paddle Class IV+ or higher, then I might switch my first choice to the RPM because your fun could be diminshed by a "too big" boat and reduced play on the Class III portions of your trip using a full-on creeker like the Mamba.

[MaxTexan]

I have a brand new 2011 Mamba sitting in front of me; got a great deal on it since the new version is about to come out. So I am bias in reccommending it.