My son and daughter-in-law have been living in Alajuela, Costa Rica for just over three months. They are ready to try living in another town (since they are both now digital nomads) so we planned a couple of road trips to explore nearby smaller towns. The first trip two days ago was to Atenas, which they decided was not for them. Today, we planned to check out Grecia, with a stop for an easy hike at Los Chorros Waterfalls nearby.
Turns out, it was not quite so easy! The regular trail to the falls, formerly managed by the government, was closed due to damage and dangerous conditions. Instead, we took a trail that started by crossing a private pasture where several cows were grazing. As I walked past one of the cows, she came up behind me and head-butted my backside! Luckily, it was not a bull!
The trail went down and up and down again, winding around until it reached a small picnic area, a toilet and changing rooms, and a place to view the falls. Having rained a lot yesterday, the trail was muddy and slippery, filled with tangled roots and steps carved into the dirt.
Only about one kilometer down to the Catarata Zamora, it was one of the longest kilometers I have ever hiked, slipping and sliding while using the bamboo hiking pole provided by the kind owners of the trail. Once at the bottom, with my legs shaking and feeling lightheaded, I truly thought I was not going to be able to coax my 63 years young body back up to the top. I had visions of being stranded at the waterfall, unable to get back up the hill. But I did it, with much encouragement from my companions!
We had taken an Uber to the park from Alajuela, and then called for an Uber to pick us up, but apparently most drivers did not want to come up that way. We had at least five drivers cancel before we found Oscar, who drove us expertly through the hills to Grecia. He also recommended a wonderful restaurant for our lunch - Los Barilles.
Grecia is a lovely town, very picturesque and lively, but not as crowded or as big as Alajuela. The Parque Central and the cathedral are beautiful, and interestingly, the main cathedral, the Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, is made entirely from metal! The only metal church in Central America, it is a neo-Gothic building, built entirely of imported iron plates of Belgian steel. The separate plates have been riveted together and the whole building is painted red. Our trusty Uber driver, Oscar, told us that there is an urban legend that says the iron for the church was bound for Greece but they accidentally delivered it to Grecia. For more reliable information on the history of this unique church, visit https://qcostarica.com/iglesia-de-la-nuestra-senora-de-las-mercedes-grecia/
Although the day started on a bad note for me - I accidentally left my phone (and camera) back in my apartment - it turned out to be a fabulous adventure as we took the public bus ($1.45 fare) back down the mountain through hairpin turns into Alajuela.
What are some of your favorite hikes?
My daughter-in-law (Crystal Goldman-Babatunde) graciously allowed me to use her phone for taking photos, and she took some wonderful photos and video as well, included here. She gets guest photographer credit on this blog post! And my son (Adeola Babatunde) is our official terrific translator!
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