EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the uncut version of the story. A condensed version of this story can be found in the March 18 print issue of the Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Linda Johansen was no sooner home from one of her trips to far-off lands than she was off again to Costa Rica with another intrepid group of adventurers from the Santa Ynez Valley. Their journey was replete with a jungle hike, an encounter with an iguana, monkeys, and alligators, whitewater rafting, traversing suspended bridges, zip lining through the jungle, torrential rain, and a soggy nature cruise … a journey not for the faint of heart. 

Johansen will combine her commission from the Costa Rica trip with the March Mediterranean trip to give largerdonations to the Santa Ynez Aquatics organization as well as the Olive Crest Hope Refuge, which aids in the recovery of young sex-trafficked victims from Santa Barbara County. 

“There is a saying, that ‘nature feeds the soul’ and that is so true of Costa Rica. Our adventurous trip started from the earliest bus charter ever, at 2 a.m. the morning of Jan. 17, which happened to be the day after my 76th birthday, which seems almost impossible to believe,” said Johansen. “We attacked and conquered Costa Rica from Jan. 17 to Jan. 29 with one exhilarating adventure after another. The local saying ‘Pura Vida,’ which translates into ‘the simple life,’ is far from the truth as there is nothing simple about some of these amazing adventures and challenges we all faced and conquered with joy, laughter, and so much love as we cheered each other on.”

Johansen’s clients ranged in age from the 40s to over 80, and she said they all embraced each adventure with new-found confidence and exuberance, giving her heart attack symptoms daily. 

“What a wild ride of adventure we all had from torrential rains in the cloud and rain forests, to hiking in the jungles near Arenal and the volcanos and crossing eight suspended bridges in the tree canopy gasping in wonder at all of the beautiful flora, fauna, and animals we saw,” she said. “It was breathtaking, and a very steep hike up the mountainside to get there, but it was well worth the effort!” 

“Costa Rica is the birthplace of zip lining, and boy did we zip through the tree canopies and jungle at break-neck speed,” Johansen continued. “There were eight challenging zip stations that had long and fast runs through tunnels in the jungle foliage. We all experienced ‘coming in hot’ meaning way too fast, but you could barely get the words or scream out before the run concluded! It was incredible that the oldest people on the trip did all of these adventurous activities and had such fun. When I grow up I want to be just like them — but then again, I think I am already right there with them. 

“My point here is that age is irrelevant if your mind and body will cooperate. Some might say we are crazy or experiencing a bit of dementia, but I say, ‘Well done people and thank you for sharing these wonderful adventures with me. I think you are all awesome.’”

The group stayed three nights in Tortuguero National Park which took them almost two hours to reach by boat through the jungle waterways. 

“The Evergreen Lodge was an incredible experience in the jungle and nature,” Johansen said. “We saw amazing wildlife, with slow-moving sloths, abundant in the trees, green and scarlet macaw, vibrant and beautiful species of so many birds including the Toucan distinguished by their long colorful beak.”

Johansen said that her group never saw any jaguars, but through conservation efforts, they have brought them back in great numbers, which was wonderful to hear. However, they did see huge crocodiles floating near the river banks, as well as caiman belonging to a subfamily of reptiles that are related to alligators. There were manatees in the rivers, but we never were able to see one, which is probably a good thing, since swimming with the manatee is still on her bucket list.

“We did visit the Sea Turtle Research Station and learned about the endangered green sea turtle and that they are working tirelessly to increase their numbers by identifying the nesting sites and monitoring and guarding them during hatching,” Johansen said. “Green sea turtles can lay 80-200 eggs at a time and few make it to maturity, but in the wild, they can live up to 90 years which is incredible. Costa Rica is very environmentally engaged, guarding all of their natural resources, which is remarkable for their country and for all of us who want to visit.”

Johansen explained that Costa Rica is a small country with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean side. While the country is compact, it takes several hours to drive between the two coasts. The Pacific side is known for its stunning white-sand beaches, vibrant surf towns, and diverse ecosystems. The Caribbean coast offers a different vibe with lush clouds and rainforests, vibrant culture, and unique wildlife. The Caribbean coast gets a lot more rain as well. Fortunately, Costa Rica is leading the way in many environmental areas, so these beautiful natural areas should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.  

“We visited a cacao plantation in the Tirimbina Rainforest and learned all about the cacao bean and chocolate, ‘the food of the gods’ as legend has it,” Johansen continued. “We floated down the Penas Blancas River on a river safari and had lunch with a local generational family. We heard about their life, customs, and shared stories. The food was grown on their property and lovingly prepared, just for us, by two sisters who had never married and were very old. They greeted us with toothless smiles, but warm hugs. I loved them and we took our picture all together.

“They are happy with relatively nothing, dirt floors, spotless and hard-packed from constant sweeping, so even though the floors are dirt, you never see any loose dirt. They did have a wood-burning stove and they slept in hammocks, not beds, and still had out all of their holiday decorations including the Christmas tree at the top of the wooden stairs in the designated sleeping area. We learned that the custom is to not take down all of the holiday decorations until they have one last family gathering when they all agree, the decorations can come down.  It was almost a month after Christmas when we were there and they said they had no date for a family gathering yet. They live a very simple happy life, livingoff their land along a beautiful river, very lush green and tropical.”

After all of the activities of the week, many of the travelers had spa treatments to work out their kinks while at the Hotel Lomas del Volcan.

“What an exquisite room for massages, a patio-like setting in the jungle, open to the elements, with soft raindrops lulling you to sleep. What a great way to start winding down our trip with only two nights left on the Pacific Coast at the Los Suenos Marriott located on the beach with a marina and golf course,” Johansen added. 

“The hotel was beautiful with a massive pool with a lazy river flowing through the pool area.  It was an amazing resort, but it was a lot more humid and very hot compared to the Caribbean coast. We all enjoyed playing LRC there at $3 per game as well as a new card game called Golf and Five Crowns.”

Their last night was once again spent in San Jose, which is the largest city and the capital of Costa Rica.

“We stayed the first night of our arrival and the last night of the trip at the wonderful Double Tree Cariari Hotel,” Johansen said. “It is a very nice hotel with a beautiful large bar area for games and drinks. Our last dinner celebration together is always spent thanking our guide in our ‘Danish’ custom and fashion with heartfelt words of praise and thanks, and singing our Danish Skal song to them. Our guide Marta loved our Skal song, all the words and card of thanks and the envelope filled with tips from the group.”

Before the excursion ended, the group had an encounter that proved the adage “it’s a small world.”

“As we were all finishing our farewell dinner and program I heard a familiar voice yelling out to me and some of my other guests,” Johansen said. “Lo and behold, heading directly to our table were good friends Mark and Robyn Massie, who lived in the Valley many years before moving out of state within the last two years. They actually knew five people at the table extremely well.  What a wonderful ending to an amazing and adventurous trip to Costa Rica. Seeing our friends from Solvang gave us the urge to get back home to our way of life in Solvang, our family, and our friends. There truly is no place like home!”

Future trips available are to South America in September of 2025, and Thailand and Siem Reap Cambodia in February of 2026.  For more information, email Johansen at lindyjo2003@yahoo.com.

The post Linda Johansen shares wild adventures in Costa Rica appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Valley denizen Linda Johansen recently returned from one of her many travel adventures with a group of Valley residents exploring the flavors of Portugal and Spain on a tour with Collette, a family-owned travel company that offers worldwide adventures and programs. 

Collette offers small exploration tours with a maximum of 24 passengers, which is a more intimate way to travel with your friends and neighbors and offers unique opportunities and adventures on every trip, “making memories that will last a lifetime.” Johansen donates her commission from these travel adventures to various local and non-local nonprofits.

“Our journey was from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14 and was filled with breathtaking UNESCO sites, delicious food and wines, amazing local culture, and lots of fun and adventure traveling through Northern Portugal first and then ending up in Northern Spain in the Basque region,” said Johansen.

“We flew into Lisbon, or Lisboa as the locals refer to it, which is the capital of Portugal, and the next morning set out on a walking and tasting tour of many of the historic neighborhoods and the Praca do Comercio, which is a harbor-facing plaza and one of the biggest squares in all of Europe,” she explained. “We saw the Tower of Belem, which is a UNESCO site and a fortress remaining along the Tagus River, which is also home to the world’s leading pancreatic cancer research institute and hospital. There was lots of activity along the Tagus riverfront and trams or funiculars to get you up the steep hills for more adventures with fabulous cafes and restaurants along the winding hillside.

“We visited Ericeira, a little seaside town and Portuguese fishing village not far from Lisbon that was charming. It is a surfing Mecca and has lovely sandy beaches and is known for its fresh seafood. The weather wasn’t cooperating the day we were there with fog and a very mild misty rain, but it was charming and a place I would be sure to incorporate in my travel plans.”

And there was one more Lisbon-area location that warranted a visit.

“We had additional time to explore the fairy tale and historic village of Sintra and the magical Monserrate Palace and Gardens,” Johansen said. “The gardens were gorgeous as well but a bit challenging to navigate the steep paths, walkways, and bridges in your attempt to finally reach the Palace. What an extraordinary place of beauty in the most serene setting with lush, tropical gardens. It was truly breathtaking.”

The group left Lisbon and headed to Tomar, which is the home of Portugal’s historical jewels, the Templar Castle, and Convent of Christ — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

“We explored the octagonal Templar’s Rotunda and were left to imagine the day-to-day life of a warrior monk,” said Johansen. “Our next stop was Porto, which was a 2½-hour drive through the wild pine tree forests.”

Johansen explained that Porto is the second-largest city In Portugal, but rich in culture and UNESCO sites such as the Sao Bento Railway Station, which opened in 1916, and the Bolsa Palace, known as the Stock Exchange Palace, which is a 19th-century Neoclassical masterpiece. 

“We also enjoyed a Port wine tasting at the Burmester Cellar, and many of us had the most delicious Portuguese Farm to Table dinner experience that evening in Mindelo, hosted and prepared by a local family. This was truly one of the highlights of the trip,” said Johansen. “Such a delicious home-cooked meal lovingly prepared and served by a lawyer husband, his beautiful and brilliant daughter, and the mother-in-law. We had an incredible evening with great hosts, delicious food and wine, such merriment, and stories, ending with a nightcap, our Danish Skal song to thank them, and lots of sincere hugs goodbye.” 

The following day was dedicated to the Minho region, which is the region of green wines and beautiful sites.

“We started our day at the Born Jesus do Monte Sanctuary where we enjoyed lunch overlooking Braga and many of thereligious UNESCO sites,” Johansen continued. “Braga has one of the highest concentrations of churches in Portugal.

“We next set out for the Douro Wine Region for some amazing wine tastings and beautiful scenery as we enjoyed a cruise down the Douro River on the traditional wooden Rabelo boat. We stayed at the Wine House Hotel, some of us in actual large wine vat barrels, which were unique but very challenging to navigate with the space and all our luggage. It was a fun experience, and I’m glad several of us did that, but we don’t need to do that again,” she said emphatically.“We all laughed about the lack of space and climbing over each other as well as our luggage. We had fun there and enjoyed some nightly games of Left Right and Center, gambling for $1 bills. It is a staple on the trips and really fun! We also enjoyed a great cooking class that culminated in a delicious lunch for all of us with traditional Portuguese cuisine. I saw some real potential in our group for ‘cookers!’ We made petiscos, or Portuguese tapas.”

The travelers then left Portugal and headed towards Spain and the famous Rioja Wine Region, tasting wines at the beautiful San Fermin Winery nestled in the center of the Basque country.

“We stayed in the ancient city of Salamanca, which is over 2,000 years old, rich in history and its sandstone architecture. We also toured Pamplona, the capital of the Navarre province and home to the Running of the Bulls,” Johansen said. “It was fascinating, and we were privileged to visit a bullfighter’s private home museum for an incredible tour and talk about bullfighting traditions and controversies, followed by wine tasting and tapas.”

From there it was to the last leg of the trip.

“We finished our tour with three nights in the beautiful San Sebastian, a coastal city that runs along the Bay of Biscay,” said Johansen. “It was stunning, filled with beautiful sites and beachside activities, shopping, and cultural artifacts. This glimmering Spanish coastline is where you can partake in the historical religious pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago, which is over 500 miles long across France from St. Jean de Port to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 

“A dozen of us walked over 8 kilometers along part of the pilgrimage trail called the ‘Camino of Saint James.’ We were told it was a flat walk with breathtaking views. The views were indeed exquisite, but the trail was far from flat. It was steep hills with slippery crushed shell to walk on, but we all survived, ending up in the quaint little villages of Zumaia and Getaria for lunch, beer, and ‘Green’ wine!  It was an amazing adventure. Two of my clients stayed and hiked for another eight days along the trail, finishing, and getting a beautiful signed map certificate. It was quite an accomplishment because they hiked almost 25 miles every day! Congratulations to Carla and Jim Colton, our travel‘Super Heroes.’

“Our last adventure was to visit the Basque town of Bilbao and the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum. It is an amazing museum of contemporary design, and the old town of Bilbao is full of historic old churches, festive markets, and large Spanish squares with lots of activity. It was a very fitting end to our incredible journey titled ‘Flavors of Portugal and Spain.’”

The group returned home with the memories of a wonderful trip.

“We arrived home safely and happy to be home in one of the most incredible places to live. As much as we all travel, we are always so happy to come home to this fabulous Valley we all love,” said Johansen.

Johansen stated that her commission from this trip was gifted to the Solvang Lutheran Church, Solvang Senior Center, and Jubilee House in Nicaragua for 120 “at-risk youth” to have computer and life-skill lessons to give them a hand up out of the poverty in which they live.

Future trips available are September 2025 to South America, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay for the day, and ending at Iguassu Falls, listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for three nights. There is also a February 2026 trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Space is still available.

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