Lymow One (Robotic Mower)

Today, we received a big box weighing in at almost 80 pounds. The box was very sturdy and it felt like Christmas in July, correction, September. We were so excited to unpack it.

It all began on July 5 when I found the Lymow One robotic mower through an ad. The reviews were all very convincing and within 10 minutes I received the order confirmation. As a bonus, the price was reduced by quite a bit. What impressed me most are the tracks instead of the wheels that other robots have.

The setup was relatively easy and everything went smooth. The hardware is impressive as the body is solid aluminum and no light weight. Using the phone as a remote control, only the perimeter needs to be set and the rest is all calculated by the robot. The software is updated all the time and adds new functionality such as history reports and more accuracy etc.

It's very quiet as you can find out from below video. 

Also, the "lines" are perfectly straight and our lawn looks like a major league baseball field. There is nothing better than having a beer or wine on the patio and watch the guy do all the work.

Eventually, the question arouse: is it a new toy or a new family member. Because it's so helpful, we decided to name the new family member "Le Mow" to be pronounced with a charming French accent. 

Costa Rica (El Remanso)

It seems like we just were in Costa Rica not too long ago. Oh yeah, right, that was in January. During that trip we spend time at the Arenal volcano area and the Guanacaste coast. This time we wanted to check out the rainforest on the Osa Peninsula with all that wildlife, especially the scarlet macaws.

We found a perfect location call El Remanso Rainforest Lodge. Not just was it embedded in the heart of Osa Peninsula, but the owners also respect the environment, so it is absolutely eco-friendly. That means electricity is solar generated and therefore hairdryers are not allowed, which is ok because you don't need them. It's a casual atmosphere and each villa is located on each side of the ridge to maximize privacy.

The flight to Houston took a little longer because we were rerouted to go around Houston to evade a thunderstorm. This delay caused us to only have 15 minutes to the closing of the gate for the flight to San José. For those who are familiar with the Houston airport know that it's big, like almost anything else in Texas. We ran to the gate and arrived seconds before closing time, totally out of breath. When we settled into our seats we were glad that we made it. Eventually, we started realizing that yes, we made it, but what about our luggage? Finally, looking out the window, we see our luggage on the conveyor belt making its way on board as well. It turned out that this plane had some mechanical issue and that's why it's departure was delayed. Other people came on board after us and they were very happy.

Anyway, the rest of the flight was very nice and relaxing, preparing us for the adventure to come.

The next day we took a bus to the domestic terminal and checked in with SANSA for a flight to Puerto Jiménez. First we went over mountains then followed the coast line until we landed on a very short landing strip on the edge of town.

Driver Darian from the lodge was waiting and greeted us with a big smile. Welcome to Osa Peninsula!

After an hour's drive in a nice Land Cruiser, we arrived at the reception area of the lodge.

While sipping on a wonderful juice, we listened to all the amenities the lodge provided, from daily tours to night hikes and dinner etc. The only excursion we planned ahead of time was the trip to Corcovado National Park on Tuesday. They gave us a nice overview online so that we were not overwhelmed with all this information. After that we walked down by the restaurant to our villa called La Guinda.

The modern architecture blended in perfectly and was nicely hidden from the main path.

The villa was outstanding and the only thing separating us from nature was a screen. There is obviously no air conditioning, but no worries, with the fan it was no problem at all.

We could hear the waves crashing on the beach way below us. The plunge pool was a very nice way  to cool down after coming back from the beach, which was a 25 minute hike up the stairs. The spacing was a little odd (about 1 and 1/2 steps apart) and we both come up with a pattern to switch to the other leg once in a while, without tiring out one side. It was good exercise and it helped us to fight the high calorie intake, even though the food was very light, but they had a dessert that was to die for.

Dinner in the open restaurant was perfect and the staff so nice and friendly. There was no rush and the atmosphere was so relaxing. The menu was comprised of locally grown fresh food.

Their motto: If an ingredient is not available locally and/or sustainably sourced, it's not on our menu.

On our first night we were lucky enough to attend a night hike through the property. If you had thought that was boring, you couldn't have been more wrong. Seeing one of these green tree frogs was a nice surprise. To us, it felt like night diving because your senses are focused on the light and you never know what to expect.

Red-eyed tree Frog

Another surprise was a snake called Fer-de-Lance, which is considered one of the most dangerous snakes, responsible for more human deaths in the Central and South America than any other reptile. This member of the pit viper family was located right next to a pond of water. And it was not alone. There was a second one right next it it. And, believe it or not, on the pool deck right next to the restaurant, there was a young one. That must be the main reason why the pool was "closed" at night.

Fer-de-Lance

A big scorpion was trying to hide from our flash lights, but it was not fast enough. It was about 4 inches long.

Now, I understand why it it not recommended to wear flip-flops to go back to the villa after dinner.

After a good night sleep and a wonderful breakfast, we are scheduled to go on the lowland bird watching tour with Edgar, a wonderful and very knowledgeable guide. He drove us back towards Puerto Jiménez and pointed out wildlife on the way to the lodges main gate. He was able to spot wild life immediately, even while driving. And it took us 5 minutes to find it and then recognize that yes, indeed it is a bird or a lizard etc. In our defense, he had a powerful scope where as we "just' had an 28-400mm zoom lens.

Anole Lizard

Two Crested Owls

Turkey Vulture

White-faced Capuchin

Mealy Amazon

Cross-banded tree Frog

Pale-billed Woodpecker

Black-throated Trogon

Suicide Tree

Howler Monkey

Spider Monkey

Three-toed Sloth

Crested Caracara

We went to the beach every day, at least once. The top part was very well maintained, almost luxurious. The stairs are built on top of a ridge and it went downhill on both sides, sometimes very steep.

Stairs to the Beach

Da Beach

The surf wasn't that strong, but swimming is not on the menu due to strong rip currents. At low tide, the rewards are tide pools to the left, and a lagoon to the right. Also, there was a big waterfall, which was hidden, but very accessible when following the creek.

Tide Pool

Big Waterfall

Back to the Beach

Hermit Crab

On Tuesday, we got up early, drove to Puerto Jiménez, jumped on a boat that drove us along the coast up north-west to Sirena ranger Station. We did see some whales on the way there. The check-in was somewhat chaotic, when we got there and almost abandoned when we left.

Check-in Station

We did see one, so far elusive animal, a tapir. Growing up, I was always intrigued by the strangeness of this animal. It was doing what apparently it likes doing best. relaxing in the mud. Even thought, the grounds of the lodge would provide more variety of birds and and more tranquility, this was one of the highlights of this trip.

Tapir

Tiger Heron

Collared Ant Eater

Crested Guan

Blue-diamonded Motmot

Every day we went wild life watching with Edgar or one of the other knowledgeable guides working at the lodge.

Stick Bird - Potoo

Scarlet Macaws

Silk Orb Weaver

Ringed Kingfisher

Walking Palm Tree

Pair of Cross-banded Tree Frogs

Fiery-billed Toucan

White-nosed Coati

One afternoon we were invited to the kitchen to make shrimp Ceviche with the chef and it was great watching him and explain how to do it like his grandma would. The secret ingredient is using a little of sparkling ginger ale. We enjoyed the appetizer while taking in the beautiful view from the restaurant.

We enjoyed every minute of this fabulous trip and many thanks to the staff of the El Remanso Rainforest Lodge. Without them we would not be here. This was also their last week when they hosted guests. The following week, they start upgrading the kitchen and I can't wait until we are back.

Tamarind Cocktail

Costa Rica

This is our second trip to Costa Rica, as we have been here on an adventure in 2001, when we drove up and down the country from city to Arenal Volcano down to the Osa Peninsula.

This time we flew in to Liberia on a direct flight from the US. up until now, Liberia was country and not a city. Anyhow, after an easy 5 hour flight we landed in Liberia where the temperature was just so comfortable. A very good choice in January.

After picking up a 4-wheel SUV we started heading towards Lake Arenal. Once we left highway 1 onto highway 142 to drive on the northern shore of Lake Arenal it became clear that it would take a little longer to drive to our destination in the dark. It was left and right and up and down, all at the same time.

After a long day, we arrived at Nayara Springs at night and we didn't see anything but dark yet. We needed to spend our first night to see what our surrounding looked like. And yet, it didn't keep us from starting to unwind right away, though. The resort is built on the steep slope of a hill in the middle of a lush rain forest, as we found out the next morning. The paths are very well maintained.

Our villa, like all the others, had a private plunge pool and unlike other plunge pools we've had in the past. this one was heated to 100° F (38° C) courtesy of the volcano. It was simply wonderful. I could have spent the rest of my life here in the water. 

Because it is Costa Rica, we were able to enjoy the freshest tropical fruit you can imagine, melon, passion fruit, mango and pineapple. What else does one need to feel more integrated in the rain forest. Breakfast at Mis Amores was fantastic and staff was extremely nice. They even served "Bircher Müesli" with finely chopped micro cubes of apples, which I've never had like that before. It was simply made with love and absolutely in the top two of all time. 

Also, we never used the spacious and luxurious indoor shower and even thought it was raining, the outdoor shower was way more inviting.

While walking through the large property a staff member pointed out one of their living residents, Tony, up in the canopy.

Those sloths are not easy to spot and even when you do the light conditions are less than ideal. Tropical plans obviously grow naturally.

As the name Nayara Springs suggests they are located with naturally fed springs which they make accessible with numerous pools that are beautifully placed in the rain forest.

While we were here, we could always find an empty pool just for ourselves and it was wonderful. 

For one of the nights, we booked a 7-course dinner at Amor Loco. The atmosphere was as great as the food which was carefully prepared and absolutely delicious. An entertainer added to this great experience with the songs that were just at the right sound level.

We are travelling by car and even though we only drove here to the resort, I noticed that the steering was sluggish and weird, indicating that the tire pressure was low. The front desk was kind enough to have their maintenance crew to check the tire pressure and add some air. Thank you so much. When we left the resort, the driving was back to normal. 

This trip to the rain forest is a clear reminder why it is called a rain forest. Our umbrellas, that were provided to by the resort and available everywhere, were rubber coated and we still got wet underneath. That's how strong the rain was at times and I loved every minute of it.

Now it's time for a change in scenery. Out next stop is the Guanacaste coast just south of Tamarindo, where it is not unusual to see crocs on the beach.

Even though the rain somewhat stopped, the situation was not back to normal yet. On the way back along Lake Arenal, we passed many smaller landslides going over the road to limit the windy road to one lane. After driving for over an hour we arrived in Nuevo Arenal where the traffic was redirected up the hill, only to be told that 4-wheel vehicles can continue. Even though our rental had 4-wheel drive, we didn't have the ground clearance. So, like everyone else, except some dirt bikers, we turned around on the gravel road to go back down to town. By this time, there was a cop explaining that the road towards West was closed due to landslides. He told us to get gas and eat something and go all the way back where we came from and then continue to La Fortuna, then highway 4 to Samen to Bijagua de Upala to Limonal then using 18 and 21 to 160, heading towards the coast to JW Marriott. Exhausted we arrived many hours late, but we made it. Apparently, a detour here in Costa Rica is not measured in minutes.

What a dramatic change, the sun, the beach and the waves. It's another type of paradise.

One day we went on a river searching for wild life, like crocodiles, some of which were over 10 feet long. They perfectly blended in with the rocks or mud.

No signs are needed when one pays attention. We wisely stayed in the boat, but I'm wondering what would happen if it capsized.

Our captain would find and point out interesting sights and our guide would tell us everything he knew about that particular animal, such as these bats that "sway" in a wave formation when they detect danger. Scientists believe they imitate a snake, which deters predators away.

Costa Rica is know for its bird population. This one is a Tiger Heron.

Since the climate is perfect for growing sugar cane, it is not a surprise that they produce rum. We visited a distillery El Vieto. We came home with a personalized bottle of rum.

We also visited the Hacienda El Viejo where we had lunch, which was surprisingly delicious.

One of the bests parts of being at the Guanacaste side of Costa Riva is that it is perfect for enjoying the sun setting.