We're back to the real world after our lovely vacation! It was a very beautiful, serene, rejuvenating trip with lots to explore and experience. It took a little while for me to get over the expectations that were unfairly set by my visits to Hawaii. The country of Costa Rica is much more rugged and raw; and the area we visited is the "dry" area of the country, so it was not as lush as you would think. Once we got to the beach, it was just gorgeous!! We stayed at Playa Samara, which was touristy in spots, but much more low-key and easy-going than a few other beach areas we visited. The restaurants were awesome and the view was always a treat. Our favorite spots were on the beach with the tables in the sand. People/horse/dog/hermit crab/surfer-watching was always a fun passtime anywhere we went. (There were horses roaming around the grounds of the resort where we stayed. It was always so beautiful! And the cause for that song "Wild Horses" to be stuck in my head the whole trip!)
As you would expect, the weather was beautiful every single day... if hot and humid. We were able to retreat to our villa and had the AC cranked for a break from the heat outside when it got to be too much. (A dip in the ocean or pool was always a lovely option, too.)
We each got a touch of a headcold while we were there. (Actually, I sill don't know if what I had was a mild headcold, or severe allergies.) During the worst of my allergycold, we took a road trip to Mt. Arenal volcano (by way of a trip around Lake Arenal). It was a very long drive and we were a little overly-optimistic about the estimates of time. Jerry did his ziplining adventure at the trip's destination, and it was probably the best place for that, so I'm glad we made the trip... But boy we were ready to be back to our place at the end of that long day!!
A few days after that trip, we dared to take another little drive to a place called El Viejo Wetlands. It was a much shorter trip and much more fruitful in terms of the wildlife we were able to see. Part of the visit was a boat tour, so we saw crocodiles, monkeys, all kinds of birds and lizards... and I'll mention iguanas separately because they were so abundant!!
We enjoyed the food anywhere we tried it. The fruit was delicious, and the produce I bought at the market was amazing. I supposed it's growing season year-round there, so the fruit is always fresh!
I was very grateful during the whole trip that I haven't been sick with the pregnancy. I told Jerry that if I had been, the trip would probably be remembered quite differently! I'm glad we were able to enjoy the trip without that concern - and it seems like the baby enjoyed the trip as well!
So, we're back safe and sound. Everything is good! We send our love!
