Costa Rica Travel News – The start of my Central America adventure has begun. Gina de la Rosa is taking care of my car and she is driving me to the Sacramento International Airport. I am taking the red-eye to Houston, then from Houston headed for San Jose, Costa Rica.
When I arrive in Houston, I meet Selma Zollman of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, she left Brazil and is now heading back to her home in San Francisco. Selma has the greenest eyes I have ever seen. The song ´Green Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf´started playing in my head when I was talking with her. To occupy my time, I told her my paranormal war stories.
When Selma caught her stand by flight, I next met Monica Jones. Monica is on her way to Costa Rica, she will be visiting Montezuma, her goal is to become an English teacher. I admire the women because they are not afraid to travel alone. I don´t know how many times you hear about American women who are scared to travel internationally by themselves. Nothing stops these ladies from traveling all over the world. Monica has been to South Africa. What Monica loved about South Africa is going into the bush, the historical aspect of South Africa, volunteering to help the orphans and how beautiful South Africa is. Monica tells me that she has also visited Israel & Jamaica. I admire the independence of these women. These are truly brave, adventurous women, I applaud them.
I finally arrive to the hotel, it is definitely a high 5 star. I order dinner: chicken breast wrapped with bacon & mushroom, sauce, mashed potatoes & vegetables. Absolutely delicious! This hotel is so big, it´s one big maze, you can get lost easily.
One of the things I enjoy about international traveling is all of the cool people you run into. I love hearing the life stories of these travelers. Another great thing about Costa Rica is that the local people are soooo friendly! In Costa Rica it is customary for a stranger to use the cell phone of any Costa Rican citizen. Costa Ricans are here to assist any stranger in their country. Costa Ricans are a loving people and always have a smile and a greeting for all people.
Before I came here, I heard stories on how dangerous Costa Rica is. Hmph! What danger, the streets are completely safe. Costa Rica has a super police force and there are hardly any serious crimes here. It is more dangerous to be on the streets of America, than here in Costa Rica. If I ever retire, this is the place I would love to retire at. The only thing, I need to get used to is the humidity.
The Sanatorio Carlos Duran – The Mindless Derelict Ghost
In all of my travels, I have never been to such a small country that has so much supernatural happenings that surround it’s exotic landscape. The Sanatorio Carlos Duran was built in 1915. This hospital accommodated tuberculosis and leprosy victims. The hospital later became an insane asylum. There were many people that were tortured at this institution. Talking with a local tourist, they make claim that this prison harbors a ghost known as The Mindless Derelict Ghost. This ghost has a shaggy brown trench coat on, his face is full of raggedy hair. The ghost has been seen holding a liquor bottle and seemingly walking into the wall. The ghost will then step back and look at the wall, as if he had accidentally bumped into the wall. Then this odd ghost will dissipate and completely vanish. MY INVESTIGATION: While at this location, I got an EVP of a woman saying in Spanish two times: “Keep off the grass, keep off the grass!” This is another place, in which I felt depressed. I felt like my energy was completely drained from my body. As I was walking through this building, I felt light headed and at one point of time I thought I was going to faint. This is definitely not a happy place.
San Lucas Island – San Lucas Dark Fey
Ghost Hunters International visited this infamous and highly notorious prison. The worse prison in all of Central and South America, harboring the worst offenders. There were murders, tortures and rapes. A former nurse that worked there was gang raped by the prisoners and later slaughtered. She haunts a cell that has a drawing made in her own blood, so legend has it. Also, talking with one of the locales, they claim that a dark fey hangs out at this prison. The entity seen is completely black with a long cloak and hoodie. The entity has golden flaming eyes. If the entity stares at you, it can shoot out a golden flame from its eyes, causing temporary paralysis to the victim. MY INVESTIGATION: I took the ferry over to San Lucas Island and as soon as I walked into the prison, I felt the sadness, the depression and the gloom. I felt an extreme feeling of dread. I asked some of the people that were with me, if they felt the depression and many of them said ‘yes’. I attempted to get some EVPS, but with all of the pounding rain and everyone talking, I was unsuccessful. I strayed away from the group and to my surprise, I felt something hit me in my right temple! After the hit, I felt a ringing in my ears. What the? It felt like a solid punch. I am surprised I did not get TKO’d. This is the first time, I ever got hit by a ghost.
Giant Stone Balls
There are dozens of these stone balls. Some are the size of tennis balls, some are 8 feet in diameter. Some of these stones weigh up to 16 tons. They have exceptional spherical precision. Who made them and for what reason? I believe that these balls have a connection to ancient aliens of our past. MY INVESTIGATION: I didn’t have far to go to find these giant stone balls. Before the stone balls were declared a historical site, many of the balls were taken to other locations, like museums and even used as decorations at hotels. Well, 6 of those balls are right here at my hotel. There is definitely spherical perfection to these balls. One local tells me that he has one of these balls at his home and it’s the size of a marble. He tells me that strange UFOs have been seen near and around the precise circled balls.
The Seven Ahorcados in San Jose
Also translated as the 7 Hanging Victims. 7 family members are murdered and hung by their necks in a private home. The 7 Hanging Victims ghosts haunt the area of the murders. MY INVESTIGATION: I interviewed Sandro Fernandez of Gray Line Tours and he tells me that he has heard of the story of the Seven Ahorcados. Local legend has it that when anyone actually sees The Seven Ahorcados, they become cursed and possibly they could die for witnessing the Seven Ahorcados or a family member will get deathly ill or they could die. Sandro also tells me about the Guayabo de Turrialba. When adventuring out through the jungles and mountains of Costa Rica and encountering monkeys, frogs and sloths in the jungle brush and trees, you might encounter this historical archaeological site in Turrialba, Costa Rica. This site covers roughly 540 acres and is located in the forested region of the Turrialba Volcano. This site was occupied from 1000 BC to 1400 AD. The Spanish Conquistadors do not explain why this site was all of a sudden abandoned. It was a site of a great civilization that had aqueducts, stone paved streets, ponds, etc. Why would about 10,000 people leave this site? Sandro tells me that when you visit this area, you can hear the sounds of whispering, the sounds of crying and at times you will feel like you are being touched. From what Sandro says, this is a place with some strong residual activity. A must-see place for ghost hunters!
The El Cadejos Black Dog
A young boy is cursed by his father. The father was a powerful dark magician. The young boy is cursed because he drank and partied too much. The young boy transforms into a large black dog that wanders the streets forever. MY INVESTIGATION: I talked with Monica Bolonos and Yoliana Chavarria Soto and they give me a tip that sends me another direction from a local that talked to me about The El Cadejos Black Dog. Sure Monica and Yoliana have heard about the Black Dog, but feel it is necessary for me to investigate La Monastero Restaurant and Cave, where the ambiance is as great as my hotel. Okay…Monica and Yoliana, what is going on at the La Monastero Restaurant? Ahhh..they tell me that it was once a real monastery and it has now been converted into a restaurant and from the cave at this restaurant a popular ghost comes out to play. This ghost 
has a name, his name is Claudio. Claudio is playful and mischievous at times, but it appears that the people that frequent this restaurant are quite used to him as he may tug on your sleeve, or slightly brush the hair of a beautiful woman using his ghostly hands. One woman makes claim that Claudio grabbed her waist gently, almost as if he was trying to dance with her.
Another person I interviewed was Karoll Alpizar. During my interview with Karoll, there was extreme torrential rain. When there is thunder and lightning in Costa Rica, it is severe, it sounds like a shotgun blast next to your ear. During this thunderstorm, Karoll tells me that there is a story about a woman in a gray robe that many people see and she haunts a local hospital. Karoll is familiar with the El Cadejos Black Dog, she has heard many locals talking about this creature and saying that they have seen this menacing black dog. Karoll had her own paranormal experience, she encountered a demonic succubus called a ‘spiritucle Betzabe’ (Spelling may not be correct). This entity tried to possess Karoll. When this entity possesses a woman, it will go out to seek men to be intimate with. Karoll consulted her pastor to get rid of the entity and the pastor told her she must be cautious and not be open to this entity.
The La Segua Siren
A woman that has her heart broken by a Spanish officer, becomes an ghostly siren that makes men gravitate towards her and when she looks upon their faces, they turn into hideous beasts, some of the town folk say that they actually turn into werewolves. MY INVESTIGATION: As I interviewed various locals, some who do not want their name published say that the men actually turn into dogs, not werewolves. One local says that he knew of a man that encountered the La Segua Siren and he turned into a dog with flaming red eyes and to this day roams the mountainside.
La Llorona
OMG! This legend is in every Latin based country. The woman who takes her two children into the waters and drowns her children and herself. When people swim in these waters, they are grabbed by the La Llorona ghost woman, who tries to bring the victim under the water to drown them. The Hotel Ramada shuttle driver that drove me from the airport to the hotel went on-and-on with this legend. I told him that legend is in every Latin country. He laughed. MY INVESTIGATION: ZERO, NONE, NADA, NOTHING. This legend is everywhere and I feel it would be a waste of my time to see if this legend also happened here in Costa Rica.
La Machaca Bug
This deadly bug will bite a woman and the woman victim must have sex with any man she can find within 24 hours or she will die. MY INVESTIGATION: Unfortunately I have not encountered any lovely Costa Rican women that have been bitten by this pesky insect.
The Ghostly Ox Cart
This ghostly ox cart is seen on deserted roads, it has a connection with the cholera epidemic outbreak that killed many Costa Rican soldiers. One Costa Rican claims that if you see the Ghostly Ox Cart, you will be cursed and die or a family member close to you will die unexpectantly. MY INVESTIGATION: No one seems to know about this legend. Hmmmm?
Pictures:
http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/PaulDaleRoberts55/CostaRica/
By Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager/International Adventurer
www.hpiparanormal.net
