Costa Rica | Part 4

July 13 was our 4th day in Costa Rica. We traveled to Monteverde which was my favorite part of Costa Rica. I'm not really sure why it was my favorite because there was nothing in particular amazing about it. I think the area we stay reminded me of a Russia village, so I was just attached to it that way. Our hotel was run by a family, and it was so cute. We spent the day at a local farm. If I remember correctly, this was one of the add-on excursions like the chocolate factory. We learned about local produce and they made us some food and coffee. I was also attacked by red ants because I wasn't paying attention to where my foot was. It hurt!

At night we participated in a night walk in a local jungle. This was probably the coolest but scariest parts of the trip. We got broken up into smaller groups and our guides showed us animals that come out at night. One of the first wildlife species we saw was one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. It was just chilling on a branch, and you can easily run into one if you don't pay attention. I was terrified I'd run into one. Our guide also had a special light which allowed us to see scorpions on the ground. That was also terrifying. During our walk it was raining, so we had to be very careful not to trip or slip down the mountain. All the guides had walkie talkies so if they saw something worth seeing they would alert the other groups. We got alerted about a sloth climbing down a tree. Sloths really only move about once a week, so it's not very common to see. We ran through the jungle, and this was the first time I realized that I could run, and since that trip I have ran almost 300 miles. It doesn't seem like a lot, but, for someone who would avoid running at all costs, it's quite an accomplishment. We made it in time to see the sloth, and it was just so cool to see. It was much closer than the first sloth we saw. I didn't have my camera with me on this excursion, though, because it was dark and wet, and I knew none of my photos would come out if I even attempted it.

Would you participate in a night walk?

Costa Rica | Part 3

On our 3rd day in Costa Rica, we started the day off by kayaking on Lake Arenal. I didn't get any photos with my camera because I was afraid of it getting damaged by the water. I was able to get some photos with my phone. After kayaking, we went to La Fortuna Waterfall. We had to walk down so many stairs to get there. My calves were shaking by the time I got to the bottom. I was by myself for this part of the trip, so I took photos and just enjoyed the scenery. I didn't go swimming, but I did put my feet into the water. I even managed to get someone to take a photo on my phone of me in front of the waterfall. Eventually I had to make my way back up, and it was a rough go trying to climb back up all those stairs. I had been working out for almost a year at that point but it showed me just how out of shape I still was. 

After the waterfall the kids participated in a local exchange with a girls' soccer team. Some kids played soccer and others ran the track. We could see the volcano from the field, but, by the time I walked over to take a photo, it had been obscured by clouds. I don't think I mentioned before, but there were two other school groups along with ours. A chaperone for one of the groups was so annoying. She was Latina, and so condescending when she talked about how she was the only who who could truly speak Spanish. For context, in Costa Rica you'll see "Pura Vida" everywhere. It's just something the say. When I was walking behind her a short distance, and she said "Pura Vida" to a local and then turned to her friend and said "I'm the only one who can say it." I had the biggest eye roll. She wasn't even Costa Rican. 

After the local exchange, we split up. If you had paid to go on a chocolate tour you went with one group. The rest of us stayed with our guide and walked around downtown Fortuna. We stopped and got ice cream. After their chocolate tour, we finished the night at the Arenal hot springs. The place was huge and not at all what I imagined. It was so nice to lounge in the water. The higher up you went the warmer the water. It was just so relaxing, and I can't wait to go to El Salvador with J, so he can take me to the hot springs there!

Are you convinced yet to visit Costa Rica?

Costa Rica | Part 2

On July 11 we left to Arenal. This was our longest travel day of the entire trip. On the way we stopped at Doka Coffee Plantation to learn about coffee and see how it was made. We even passed the Starbucks plantation. Since I was working there at the time, it was cool to see. The grounds of the plantation were beautiful, but I couldn't imagine making that my job and having to work in the heat. After the tour they allowed us to sample some concoction of sweet coffee and we were given time to look through the gift shop. I bought several bags of coffee to bring home.

After the tour, we all got back on the bus to continue on to our destination. We crept through the mountains in a huge bus, and at times I was terrified we were going to roll over the edge. The bus driver was amazing getting us through the winding mountain roads without any issues. We made one stop at a waterfall and were given time to take photos and purchase a coconut drink. J hated that I took a photo of who he now refers to as "coconut boy." I was fascinated with how well he chopped the coconuts though! At the stop we also got to see a white-nosed quatymundy. It's part of the raccoon family and so adorable. He walked very slowly which made it easy to take photos. 

Our third stop, when we arrived in Arenal, was for lunch. I loved the old signs near the restaurant and being able to see the mountains in the distance. We all had lunch and then walked across the street because there was a sloth in the tree. We had our first sloth sighting of the trip! I did snap a photo of it (a few photos down), but it's very hard to see.

Finally, we made it to Arenal Volcano National Park. WOW is all I can say. We were able to see and get photos of the volcano before it was covered by clouds. It was my first time ever seeing a volcano in person and all I could think was how it didn't seem real. I also wondered what it would be like to live there and not thinking twice about a volcano in your back yard.

We finally made it to our hotel. Some of us went out to get things like water and snacks. I took photos while we were out because one of my favorite things to photograph are homes and every day life in a new place. Our hotel had a pool and when we returned a lot of the kids went swimming. It was such a beautiful area.

 

Like I said, we jammed a lot of stuff into one trip, but the experiences were definitely worth it!