Saturday and Sunday

Well, it's almost time to go home. We are leaving the hotel Monday at 11am local time, and will get into Boston around midnight, if all goes well. We are both really bummed that the week is over, it went by so quickly. I think we're both looking forward to getting back to a healthier lifestyle though... we have definitely indulged during our time here!



On Saturday we spent most of the day at the pool and on the beach. It was fun- very relaxing! There was also a carving class offered by the hotel, so we checked that out. It ended up being only the two of us with the instructor and the activities guys. The instructor was a cook in the hotel's restaurants, and his specialty was making garnishes for plates and food decorations for the restaurant/buffet areas. He showed us how to do all kinds of things- flowers out of radishes, butterflies out of carrots, carvings out of papayas. Check out the photos of his work, and Dan's attempt to copy it :)



Sunday we did more lounging on the beach and pool. We also did some jet-skiing! We inquired about snorkeling, but they recommended that we skip it, as the water was very choppy. I was a little freaked out jet-skiing in the choppy water! It gave us amazing views of the shorelines though. I wish I had been able to take pictures, but I didn't want to get my camera wet. Behind the beaches and hotels are incredible, lush mountains... it looks like something out of a movie.



All in all, it has been an amazing week. I highly recommend Costa Rica for a vacation. There is so much to do, and it is such a beautiful place. The people have been very friendly and welcoming as well.



Here are the photos:

Saturday: http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=16231227501999108/l=448411811/g=53808617/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Sunday: http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=660231227502136539/l=448411812/g=53808617/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Friday

On Friday we went for a rainforest hike with hanging bridges. We drove about 2 hours away to the rainforest surrounding Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes. Once again we started with a warm sunny day at Playa Conchal (where our hotel is), and by the time we arrived in the rainforest the skies were cloudy/rainy and it was very cool. I guess they don't call it the rainforest for nothing! We weren't able to get any good photos of the volcanoes.

The hike took about 2.5 hours, and went over 3 hanging bridges. The bridges were about 300 feet long and were 100-125 feet in the air. The bridges were very wobbly! It was very cool to see the trees from so high up though. It allowed for some great views of the tree tops, and the forest below.

Once again, our guide was very knowledgeable and told us all about the plants and animals of the rainforest. We ended the tour with a rice/beans/chicken plate back at the lodge before we headed back for Playa Conchal.

We are planning on spending our last 2 days in Costa Rica taking advantage of the resort and the water sports out on the beach. There are many activities here that we have yet to try!

Check out the photos:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=80221227359431290/l=448364582/g=53808617/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Thursday

Today was a great day!! We signed up for an ATV/Canopy Tour combo. We left at 10am, and took a 2 minute bus ride around the corner to an ATV rental. It was just me, Dan, and a guide. He led us on the ATV (all terrain vehicle) for about an hour. We started on paved roads, but quickly turned off onto dirt roads. There were very few cars, we maybe passed 5 the entire time we were on the ATVs. It was an amazing ride- through the rainforest on dirt roads. It was very hilly, which gave us some really cool views. Wow! We got going pretty fast at points. We got to the Canopy tour site, which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, covered in dirt. We got hooked up to the harnesses and did about 10 zip lines through the tops of the trees. It is a little scary! The platforms are way up there. The hardest part is the initial jump off the platform! It was really cool though. The guides were amazing, and took our camera and took photos and videos the whole time we were there. I didn't post them all! When we were back on solid ground, we hopped back on the ATVs to return to the bus. This time, our guide took us onto the beach. Incredible! It is a beautiful area, and apparently this is something you'd never be able to do in the US. Getting salt water near the ATV is also something you wouldn't want to do if it was your own machine.

We then made our way back to where the van was parked, and made the quick trip back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the day at the pool, and then went to a nice dinner.

We've been blown away thus far by the hospitality of the Costa Ricans (they call themselves "tico"). We were half expecting to get ripped off by some of the tours, but the guides have been incredible. They seem to go above and beyond to ensure that we have an enjoyable experience. It is very interesting to hear them talk about their culture and life. They have all been very knowledgeable and talkative.

Check out photos here:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=937201227237253970/l=448340120/g=53808617/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

On Friday we are doing a hanging bridges tour through the rainforest.

Monday through Wednesday

Getting to Costa Rica was surprisingly easy. The planes were on-time, and we had NO wait time at our layover in Atlanta. As expected, the Liberia airport was tiny- and open-air! It was a shack, with low fences but the front and back were open. There was one luggage carousel, and seemed as though only one plane was ever there at one time. We took a taxi to our hotel, about a 45 minute drive. Liberia itself is in the plains and is very flat, but soon we were climbing through some rolling hills.

We got checked in, and spent the afternoon relaxing and eating!

On Tuesday, we did a lot more relaxing. The hotel is all inclusive, and has a great buffet style restaurant for all meals. But, there are also 5 nice restaurants, 2 casual restaurants, a snack shack, and room service. So, lots of options for food! We checked out the beach, hung out by the pool, explored the hotel and shops, and even stopped by a party for honeymooners. The resort seems VERY empty, although the staff is not admitting it. We are both enjoying how quiet it is!!

On Wednesday, we did an ALL day tour. We left at 7:30 am and didn't get back until 10:30!! It was a trip to the Arenal Volcano and Coter Rain Forest. It was a lot of driving as this area is in Central Costa Rica, and unfortunately it was an overcast day so we didn't get great views of the Volcano. Anyway, we drove about 2 hours to Coter Lake area, where we parked at a lodge and did a hike around the rain forest. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pointed out all of the flowers, cool plants and trees, and any wildlife he could spot. After the hike we had a great lunch at the lodge, seemed like authentic cuisine to me, but the guide said it was not. The next stop was a hot spring about an hour away. We took about 2 hours to lounge around the many pools at this site. Finally, we had dinner at an amazing hotel restaurant that was all glass, with spectacular views of the volcano. Even with the cloud cover it was an incredible view... not to mention the food was amazing! After driving around the base of the volcano looking for a better shot, we finally drove back to the hotel. It was a long day, but it was a great deal. Everything cost only $100, we were shocked. It said lunch and dinner would be provided, but we expected boxed sandwiches or something. Not a gourmet meal at the base of a volcano!

I can't figure out a good way to organize all of the photos on this blog, so check out snapfish for some photos. There are captions to let you know what is what.

http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=170201227237287620/l=448340121/g=53808617/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB