Costa Rica!
Ok, before I tell you anything, I know what you are thinking....goodness do these people ever stay home?! Well, we normally don't take this many vacations in such a quick time frame. However, last year at TJ's benefit we were given a free trip from Channel Seed. At the time we didn't know when or where we would be going. We were eventually told the trip would be Feb. 1-7 in Costa Rica. I was slightly disappointed on the timing - you see Will's birthday is Feb. 3. I could hardly stand the thought of being gone on his special day. However, we got things all worked out and I do believe he probably celebrated more without us than he would have with us!! The boys stayed at my sisters during Will's birthday and I understand he got the royal treatment!! Thank you again De Jong family for making Will's day so extra special!
Now on to Costa Rica! I do have to admit the first day we arrived I wasn't quite sure about the place and actually wanted to go home. The winds were blowing similar to the winds we had here the other day/night. So whenever you were remotely close to the beach it felt as if you were being sand blasted. They were also experiencing their dry season - so it wasn't quite as tropical as I had envisioned. Which because it was their dry season - they were burning the dead stuff - similar to how we do it here in Iowa! There was fire all along the mountainside in the background and smoke like no other. HOWEVER, the next morning the wind and smoke were gone and it was gorgeous! The weather was perfect - probably around the 90s and sunny EVERY DAY!! It was great. We spent the first day around the resort - walking along the beach, sitting around the pool and even enjoying a game of water volleyball (at least the guys did - us girls cheered them on!) The next day we took a "taxi" to Coco Beach for some shopping and then spent the rest of the day hanging out at the resort.
Monday there was a small group of us that went zip lining and to the Blue River Experience! The zip lining was pretty cool. Jon and I had done this before when we went to the Dominican Republic - but this experience was different and very fun! We zip lined through the rain forest and over a waterfall - it was beautiful. Once we finished our zip lining we went on a little hike to see the waterfall up close. Then we hiked back down and drove back down for lunch. Afterwards we visited the botanical and butterfly gardens. Us girls decided to have a mud bath while the guys headed to the natural thermal mineral pools. Let me tell you this was quite the experience. We were to sit in this sauna (of 158 degrees) for about 15 minutes. Since none of us had a watch we just stayed in until we couldn't stand it any longer. Then we put this volcanic mud all over our bodies - and left it there until it was dry. After that we washed off in this little creek (there was a shower there, but for some reason it didn't work). They told us it would take 5 years off our life. One lady told me that now I look like a 12 year old! Awesome! After we got done we joined the guys in the "pool". It was more like a giant hot tub. The water comes from the volcano so it is really warm. Once we were done there we stopped to see the blue river and then it was back to the resort. It was about a two hour drive - an hour of it was on a gravel road - but it wasn't like a gravel road in Iowa - very rough and bumpy!!
Tuesday they had rented a Catamaran for our entire group (all 67 of us). This was probably one of my favorite days there. It was fun to be on a big boat with people we somewhat knew. Shortly after we boarded and headed off we came upon whales!! It was absolutely amazing - it seemed like we were chasing them for miles. There was at least one momma and a baby or two - but they were HUGE!! After riding for awhile we docked the boat along the shore and got out to go snorkeling. That was alot of fun. I have tried snorkeling on other trips, but had never really got the hang of it - I finally got it!!! We had a lot of fun looking at fish and finding sea shells to take home. We boarded again, headed down a little ways and stopped one more time. We got out and went into some "caves" - it was basically these cut outs in the rocks where the tide rolls in. We were told in the morning we wouldn't have been able to go in because it would have been filled with water. Then we climbed this "mountain" to see a gorgeous view on the other side. We then sailed on down until the sun began to set - it was so beautiful! We had a lot of fun.
Wednesday was our last full day there. Jon and I rented a paddle boat from the resort and took it out in the ocean. That was fun! Then we met up with everyone in the pool. A few of us decided to join in on the water aerobics - I enjoyed that too until the end when we had to give strangers a neck/back rub! The rest of the day we just hung by the pool. We really enjoyed our time away together and with good friends. It was hard to come back to cool temps. I was glad to soak up the sun and get a tan!! Here are a few pictures of our time spent in Costa Rica!
Now on to Costa Rica! I do have to admit the first day we arrived I wasn't quite sure about the place and actually wanted to go home. The winds were blowing similar to the winds we had here the other day/night. So whenever you were remotely close to the beach it felt as if you were being sand blasted. They were also experiencing their dry season - so it wasn't quite as tropical as I had envisioned. Which because it was their dry season - they were burning the dead stuff - similar to how we do it here in Iowa! There was fire all along the mountainside in the background and smoke like no other. HOWEVER, the next morning the wind and smoke were gone and it was gorgeous! The weather was perfect - probably around the 90s and sunny EVERY DAY!! It was great. We spent the first day around the resort - walking along the beach, sitting around the pool and even enjoying a game of water volleyball (at least the guys did - us girls cheered them on!) The next day we took a "taxi" to Coco Beach for some shopping and then spent the rest of the day hanging out at the resort.
Monday there was a small group of us that went zip lining and to the Blue River Experience! The zip lining was pretty cool. Jon and I had done this before when we went to the Dominican Republic - but this experience was different and very fun! We zip lined through the rain forest and over a waterfall - it was beautiful. Once we finished our zip lining we went on a little hike to see the waterfall up close. Then we hiked back down and drove back down for lunch. Afterwards we visited the botanical and butterfly gardens. Us girls decided to have a mud bath while the guys headed to the natural thermal mineral pools. Let me tell you this was quite the experience. We were to sit in this sauna (of 158 degrees) for about 15 minutes. Since none of us had a watch we just stayed in until we couldn't stand it any longer. Then we put this volcanic mud all over our bodies - and left it there until it was dry. After that we washed off in this little creek (there was a shower there, but for some reason it didn't work). They told us it would take 5 years off our life. One lady told me that now I look like a 12 year old! Awesome! After we got done we joined the guys in the "pool". It was more like a giant hot tub. The water comes from the volcano so it is really warm. Once we were done there we stopped to see the blue river and then it was back to the resort. It was about a two hour drive - an hour of it was on a gravel road - but it wasn't like a gravel road in Iowa - very rough and bumpy!!
Tuesday they had rented a Catamaran for our entire group (all 67 of us). This was probably one of my favorite days there. It was fun to be on a big boat with people we somewhat knew. Shortly after we boarded and headed off we came upon whales!! It was absolutely amazing - it seemed like we were chasing them for miles. There was at least one momma and a baby or two - but they were HUGE!! After riding for awhile we docked the boat along the shore and got out to go snorkeling. That was alot of fun. I have tried snorkeling on other trips, but had never really got the hang of it - I finally got it!!! We had a lot of fun looking at fish and finding sea shells to take home. We boarded again, headed down a little ways and stopped one more time. We got out and went into some "caves" - it was basically these cut outs in the rocks where the tide rolls in. We were told in the morning we wouldn't have been able to go in because it would have been filled with water. Then we climbed this "mountain" to see a gorgeous view on the other side. We then sailed on down until the sun began to set - it was so beautiful! We had a lot of fun.
Wednesday was our last full day there. Jon and I rented a paddle boat from the resort and took it out in the ocean. That was fun! Then we met up with everyone in the pool. A few of us decided to join in on the water aerobics - I enjoyed that too until the end when we had to give strangers a neck/back rub! The rest of the day we just hung by the pool. We really enjoyed our time away together and with good friends. It was hard to come back to cool temps. I was glad to soak up the sun and get a tan!! Here are a few pictures of our time spent in Costa Rica!
On the beach at our resort. It wasn't the pretty white sand - it was black volcanic sand!
Getting ready for zip lining!
The waterfall!
On the Catamaran at sunset!
Ready for supper!
So where did you guys stay? We were in Costa Rica at the very same time. We saw the wildfires on the ridge too. I love it there since it is so hot. We did not leave our resort except to shop at Coco Beach. We are pretty laid back. too chicken to zip line. Happy to hear you had a good time. take care. Think about you often.
ReplyDeleteJoyce Daly(RN)
Joyce, we stayed at the RIU in Guanacaste. That would have been pretty neat if we would have ran into each other. I miss seeing you! Hope all is well with you.
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