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Day 1 Monday, February 16, 2004                                                       No Meals
Arrival in Costa Rica

     Upon arrival at San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport you will clear Customs and be met by an English-speaking guide and transferred to our hotel. The balance of the day is free time for relaxing at our beautiful hotel, located in the picturesque district of San Rafael de Escazu, just west of San José. Depending on your arrival time, join us in the evening at the hotel bar for an informal get-together. We recommend that travelers consider arriving a day or two early to acclimate and enjoy local sightseeing. Contact TravelQuest for details.
Overnight: Hotel San Gildar No meals

Day 2 Tue, February 17                                             Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
San José

      Join us this morning to meet fellow travelers and our Sky & Telescope tour leader at a welcome breakfast and orientation at the hotel. After checkout, we’ll board our motor coach and drive down Paseo Colón, through the heart of old San José, to the Plaza Cultural. Here we’ll see the 19th-century National Theater and visit the famous Gold Museum, where we’ll see a fine collection of ornamentals and icons made from this precious metal.
     Afterward, we’ll begin the 3-hour journey west to our private lodge, located on the Pacific coast in the province of Puntarenas, on the Gulf of Nicoya. All lodge rooms feature 2 twin beds, private bath, ceiling fans, and screened windows on three walls, enabling the cool evening breeze to keep us comfortable. Each front porch comes with a tempting hammock and overlooks a small bay to the south.
     The manicured lawn in front of all rooms is the perfect site for setting up telescopes and other equipment. Electrical outlets are located on each front porch. The open-air restaurant and lounge area, overlooking the hotel’s beautiful swimming pool and the ocean beyond, is the perfect meeting place throughout the day.
Overnight: Hacienda (4 nights)

Day 3-5  Wed thru Fri, February 18 - 20                         Breakfast / Dinner Daily
Optional Activities & Stargazing

     Over the next three days, relax at the lodge or enjoy optional activities, including horseback riding, naturalist-led bird-watching walks, and boat excursions from the lodge’s private pier to mangrove habitats and nearby Palo Verde National Park. Late each day, keep your eyes open for wild residents, such as howler monkeys, iguanas, and many species of birds.
     Each evening we will have dinner at 6:00 p.m., enjoy the sunset, and then prepare for a great night of stargazing and astrophotography. In February, the Sun goes down around 6:45 p.m., and twilight ends about an hour later.

Great Nights
of Stargazing!