Costa Rica- Purda Vida!
This trip almost didn’t happen. As always, the world worked against us, forcing us to run down ridiculous paths to try and find the way there. From canceled flights to no one to watch our kids, I am truly so grateful we made it! We had decided one day, after asking (begging) 12 different people to stay with our kids, that we needed to say no to Costa Rica. I was at Book Club lamenting and sweet Tara Nelson offered! She said child care shouldn’t be the reason someone doesn’t take a vacation! And she did the most amazing job with our kids. I can’t thank her enough! Josi spent the night with them on Friday and Cami spent the night with them on Saturday- needless to say, they had a total blast with cousins! I arranged for rides to and from church and school so I was able to sit back and relax on this once in a lifetime adventure to Central America!
We left Friday afternoon and flew out of John Wayne. We parked there and check in was a breeze. We ate dinner at Ruby’s as the sunset and watched the planes take off and land. Only Orange County airport would have a baby grand piano free for playing. A brave man sat down and played the most beautiful music while we sat and ate. It was magical. We flew to Texas and spent the night at a hotel close to the airport during our layover.
The next morning, we flew into Liberia Costa Rica! The moment we got off the plane we were hit with the heat and humidity! Wow! We were picked up by our friendly driver who escorted us to the resort which was about an hour away. We took dirt roads through the jungle and at one point, we drove through a river bed which is only accessible during the dry season! It was wild!
We arrived a little early so our room wasn’t ready. We made our way down to the buffet and it was the best food we’d eaten In a long time! We ordered our first round of pina coladas and devoured the fried plantains. Yum. After checking into our room which was tucked snuggly into the jungle next to the ocean, we took a walk to explore the ground. Everything was so green and lush. You can hear all kinds of tropical birds and bugs. The pools are blue and warm and so is the ocean! Guanacaste is the name of the town and it means “shell” because the sand is made up of softly crushed shells. We met up with the first arrivals down at the beach and then made our way to dinner together. The rest of the group had flown to San Jose on a red eye the night before and were road tripping across the country, exploring on the way. They were so tired when they arrived and a nice hot meal really hit the spot. We had reservations for all 18 of us each night which was a really fun way to end each day.
The next morning we were all ready for some adventures! We grabbed a yummy breakfast at the buffet and then met at the Activity Center for a bike ride around the resort. After that, we were all pretty hot and sweaty so we hung out at the pool for hours. We got tons of drinks: Pina Coladas, Dirty Monkeys, Miami Vices, Strawberry Bananas Smoothies, and Mango Coladas. We played volleyball for hours and ate burgers and tacos poolside. The weather was perfect and it was a beautiful Sunday.
After getting cleaned up for dinner, Tanner and I had a little photo shoot on the beach before meeting everyone for our second group dinner. Each restaurant was so fancy and the food was pretty good! This selection of people is so choice. They are all smart, kind, generous, and thoughtful. We went to the bar where there was a DJ and had a little dance party while we watched the lunar eclipse! Jack was talking non stop about it before we left so I texted Tara and made sure she took the kids outside to see it. He was so stoked! Here we were, thousands of miles away from each other enjoying the same rare phenomenon. I love that boy! Before going back to our room, Tanner and I walked down to the beach and we could see 2 thunder storms off in the distance. The lightening display was insane. And guess what else? There was a red tide so we could see some bioluminescence in the waves as they crashed! Top it off with a lunar eclipse and it was a night not to be forgotten! I love light!
Monday morning came early as Tanner and I met up with Seth and Ryan to go scuba diving. I opted to ride on the boat and was a little disappointed when I couldn’t really get out and swim. I took too much seasickness medication along with my cold medication. (Did I mention I have a cough and I had a cough attack on the plane ride there? So scary and embarrassing!) Anyhoo, while the boys were diving, I laid out on the top deck of the boat and closed my eyes. I love being on the water. And I love being where Tanner is when he’s doing something he loves. They saw tons of manta rays, tuna, some eels, and a blow fish. The visibility wasn’t great, but they made the most of it. We chowed at the buffet as soon as we got back to the Westin. Food never tasted so good!
And for the first and hopefully not the last time, Tanner and I got massages on the beach! There are a bunch of girls set up under canopies who will give you a massage for $30 an hour. And it. Was. Worth. It! Wow! Our massages were amazing. There’s nothing like a really good massage outside with the warm breeze, listening to the sounds of the ocean as you relax. Everyone was down at the beach and while Tanner went to get cash from the ATM (which ended up being a huge hassle) Heather, Alise, Bryan, and Kyle all competed in a kayak race which was so fun to watch! We swam in the warm ocean before getting dolled up for another great dinner. We tried to sit by different people each night to mix up the conversation.
Tuesday morning, we were smart and orders room service for breakfast. Tanner got the American Continental breakfast AND the Costa Rican breakfast and both were super yummy. Everyone met in the lobby at 8am and we went on a catamaran excursion! The water was clearer and the boat ride was smooth. We were taken to a secluded spot where we snorkeled, kayaked, stand up paddle boarded, and swam for an hour. Tanner and I swam out to the tiny secret beach. The water was so warm and felt so good. They fed us a delicious lunch with “flamingos” to drink and we blasted party music and danced. Everyone had the best time.
Back at the resort, we all had to figure out covid tests which are required to get back into the US. We checked in for our flights and were a little bugged at how much precious time it ate up. To ease tension we went back to the beach for another massage! Ahhhhh, those massages were niiiiice. But at the end of the massage, the rain started to pour down! Lightening flashed and thunder clapped like nothing we’d ever heard before. We gathered next to the pool under the protection of the shade and tried to decide what to do next. In the spirit of adventure, we stuck to the plan of riding horses on the beach at sunset.
Best. Experience. Ever! My horse was hands down the best. I galloped! I raced my horse down the beach, kicked up sand and ocean, as the sunset in beautiful pinks and gold next to me, wind in my hair, and love in my heart! It was exhilarating and something I’ll never forget! And then guess what happened? On our way back, we rode the horses through fire flies! Did you know there are fire flies in Costa Rica? Well, there are! Nothing about that night wasn’t perfect. It fulfilled hopes and dreams I didn’t even know I had! Galloping on a horse on the beach in Costa Rica made me feel like I can do anything!
We were a little late to dinner and the ones who opted out of horseback riding (big mistake) were already eating when we got there. It was the dinner everyone had been waiting for, the one at the steak house and it was yummy! I was starving so it tasted extra good. And more fried plantains!
We are now on the plane ride home. We left this morning. But we were able to sleep in and eat a delicious breakfast at the buffet before we had to meet our driver. The fruit here is unreal. The pineapple is so sweet and juicy. And Tanner of course got one last Pina Colada. We said goodbye to the monkeys in the mango trees and all of the iguanas lumbering about. We said goodbye to the humidity and our favorite masseuse, Gabby. We said goodbye to the warm ocean and the tropical birds. And we are looking forward to the next adventure with the best North American crew ever! Pura Vida!
We left Friday afternoon and flew out of John Wayne. We parked there and check in was a breeze. We ate dinner at Ruby’s as the sunset and watched the planes take off and land. Only Orange County airport would have a baby grand piano free for playing. A brave man sat down and played the most beautiful music while we sat and ate. It was magical. We flew to Texas and spent the night at a hotel close to the airport during our layover.
The next morning, we flew into Liberia Costa Rica! The moment we got off the plane we were hit with the heat and humidity! Wow! We were picked up by our friendly driver who escorted us to the resort which was about an hour away. We took dirt roads through the jungle and at one point, we drove through a river bed which is only accessible during the dry season! It was wild!
We arrived a little early so our room wasn’t ready. We made our way down to the buffet and it was the best food we’d eaten In a long time! We ordered our first round of pina coladas and devoured the fried plantains. Yum. After checking into our room which was tucked snuggly into the jungle next to the ocean, we took a walk to explore the ground. Everything was so green and lush. You can hear all kinds of tropical birds and bugs. The pools are blue and warm and so is the ocean! Guanacaste is the name of the town and it means “shell” because the sand is made up of softly crushed shells. We met up with the first arrivals down at the beach and then made our way to dinner together. The rest of the group had flown to San Jose on a red eye the night before and were road tripping across the country, exploring on the way. They were so tired when they arrived and a nice hot meal really hit the spot. We had reservations for all 18 of us each night which was a really fun way to end each day.
The next morning we were all ready for some adventures! We grabbed a yummy breakfast at the buffet and then met at the Activity Center for a bike ride around the resort. After that, we were all pretty hot and sweaty so we hung out at the pool for hours. We got tons of drinks: Pina Coladas, Dirty Monkeys, Miami Vices, Strawberry Bananas Smoothies, and Mango Coladas. We played volleyball for hours and ate burgers and tacos poolside. The weather was perfect and it was a beautiful Sunday.
After getting cleaned up for dinner, Tanner and I had a little photo shoot on the beach before meeting everyone for our second group dinner. Each restaurant was so fancy and the food was pretty good! This selection of people is so choice. They are all smart, kind, generous, and thoughtful. We went to the bar where there was a DJ and had a little dance party while we watched the lunar eclipse! Jack was talking non stop about it before we left so I texted Tara and made sure she took the kids outside to see it. He was so stoked! Here we were, thousands of miles away from each other enjoying the same rare phenomenon. I love that boy! Before going back to our room, Tanner and I walked down to the beach and we could see 2 thunder storms off in the distance. The lightening display was insane. And guess what else? There was a red tide so we could see some bioluminescence in the waves as they crashed! Top it off with a lunar eclipse and it was a night not to be forgotten! I love light!
Monday morning came early as Tanner and I met up with Seth and Ryan to go scuba diving. I opted to ride on the boat and was a little disappointed when I couldn’t really get out and swim. I took too much seasickness medication along with my cold medication. (Did I mention I have a cough and I had a cough attack on the plane ride there? So scary and embarrassing!) Anyhoo, while the boys were diving, I laid out on the top deck of the boat and closed my eyes. I love being on the water. And I love being where Tanner is when he’s doing something he loves. They saw tons of manta rays, tuna, some eels, and a blow fish. The visibility wasn’t great, but they made the most of it. We chowed at the buffet as soon as we got back to the Westin. Food never tasted so good!
And for the first and hopefully not the last time, Tanner and I got massages on the beach! There are a bunch of girls set up under canopies who will give you a massage for $30 an hour. And it. Was. Worth. It! Wow! Our massages were amazing. There’s nothing like a really good massage outside with the warm breeze, listening to the sounds of the ocean as you relax. Everyone was down at the beach and while Tanner went to get cash from the ATM (which ended up being a huge hassle) Heather, Alise, Bryan, and Kyle all competed in a kayak race which was so fun to watch! We swam in the warm ocean before getting dolled up for another great dinner. We tried to sit by different people each night to mix up the conversation.
Tuesday morning, we were smart and orders room service for breakfast. Tanner got the American Continental breakfast AND the Costa Rican breakfast and both were super yummy. Everyone met in the lobby at 8am and we went on a catamaran excursion! The water was clearer and the boat ride was smooth. We were taken to a secluded spot where we snorkeled, kayaked, stand up paddle boarded, and swam for an hour. Tanner and I swam out to the tiny secret beach. The water was so warm and felt so good. They fed us a delicious lunch with “flamingos” to drink and we blasted party music and danced. Everyone had the best time.
Back at the resort, we all had to figure out covid tests which are required to get back into the US. We checked in for our flights and were a little bugged at how much precious time it ate up. To ease tension we went back to the beach for another massage! Ahhhhh, those massages were niiiiice. But at the end of the massage, the rain started to pour down! Lightening flashed and thunder clapped like nothing we’d ever heard before. We gathered next to the pool under the protection of the shade and tried to decide what to do next. In the spirit of adventure, we stuck to the plan of riding horses on the beach at sunset.
Best. Experience. Ever! My horse was hands down the best. I galloped! I raced my horse down the beach, kicked up sand and ocean, as the sunset in beautiful pinks and gold next to me, wind in my hair, and love in my heart! It was exhilarating and something I’ll never forget! And then guess what happened? On our way back, we rode the horses through fire flies! Did you know there are fire flies in Costa Rica? Well, there are! Nothing about that night wasn’t perfect. It fulfilled hopes and dreams I didn’t even know I had! Galloping on a horse on the beach in Costa Rica made me feel like I can do anything!
We were a little late to dinner and the ones who opted out of horseback riding (big mistake) were already eating when we got there. It was the dinner everyone had been waiting for, the one at the steak house and it was yummy! I was starving so it tasted extra good. And more fried plantains!
We are now on the plane ride home. We left this morning. But we were able to sleep in and eat a delicious breakfast at the buffet before we had to meet our driver. The fruit here is unreal. The pineapple is so sweet and juicy. And Tanner of course got one last Pina Colada. We said goodbye to the monkeys in the mango trees and all of the iguanas lumbering about. We said goodbye to the humidity and our favorite masseuse, Gabby. We said goodbye to the warm ocean and the tropical birds. And we are looking forward to the next adventure with the best North American crew ever! Pura Vida!
Comments