The Best Things in Life are Free.

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This stunning waterfall was brought to you with no ‘PARK FEE’S’ and FREE!!

Monday, February 22nd:

It was our second day in Rincon de la Veija and the park was closed on Monday’s. Of course.  The only 2 National Parks we visit out of 27 in Costa Rica….. Manual Antonio and Veija–  & both closed on Mondays.  What are the chances?  What also leaves me to wonder what on earth do you think they’re doing in there on Mondays….. Giving the Monkey’s the day off?  Turning off the waterfalls to conserve water?  Spray painting the flowers?

Nevertheless, I remember spotting a sign for a trail to a waterfall the day prior when we pulled into the parking lot, which also happened to be the same day we paid $30 for that ‘refreshing 16km hike’ to the hot springs.  (To follow our fun-filled journey do see our previous blog.)

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Always follow your instincts!

I was intrigued, (or what Ray calls ‘Nosy‘- I prefer the latter) but I stored that trail image in the back of my mind and after a little digging with the hotel staff that morning it was it sounded like we wouldn’t be trail bandito’s after all and it was legitimately free to the public.  SCORE!  So off we went for another (hopefully SIGNIFICANTLY shorter) hike into Vieja (meaning old woman, which I felt like today) territory.  We packed plenty of rations….  & massive amounts of Augua (lesson learned from previous day when we found ourselves testing the riverbeds on the way out for just a trickle of fresh water to wet our pallets in desperation)…. and off we went expecting the best, and preparing the worst when it came to another hard day on our already weary legs.

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Such a balance show-off! ;)

It makes me snicker out LOUD just thinking about what happened next.  Especially after everything we went through the day prior to get to Hot Springs.  And don’t get me wrong,

the park was beautiful, the Hot Springs truly magnificent and so incredibly intimate the way we were able to experience a location.   ….But nothing compared to what we were just about to see.   Or perhaps we just weren’t anticipating the ease of it all.   That HAD to be it.  After a short 5 minute hike down a hill and a rope line you used to scramble (and me, gracefully

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We were IN the magazine!

stumble) across the a few rocks you came to a few steps up and then BHAM.  There it was….. everything that we had hoped to come to this park to see was right there before us.

***Insert HALLELUJAH choir music here***

We couldn’t believe our eyes.  And all it took was 12 minutes to arrive from that waterfall sign and we had before us what we had seen in that magazine picture just days before that grabbed us and urged us onto that journey to this place……….

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Our real-life picture.

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The magazine article that sparked our curiosity! (Picture top right)

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls!”  – why on earth not!?

WATERFALL VIDEO CLICK HERE!

 

 

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