Arenal
The day after we arrived, we left for Arenal, Costa Rica's active volcano. After about a 3-hour drive, we stopped for lunch at a local place and I had my first Costa Rican food I had eaten in a long time. My meal included ceviche (YUM!) and a casado (a typical plate including fish, rice and beans, platanos maduros, and picadillo. My taste buds were in heaven (I think Costa Rican food must be my favorite). After lunch, we went to the place we were staying and checked in. We then proceeded to the hot springs for a four-hour period of relaxation and doing NOTHING. It was so nice to relax and not worry about housework, dinner, traffic, etc. The water was a little warm for Kristen, but she did put her little feet and legs in. That night, after a wonderful meal, we drove around the volcano to find a more ideal spot to watch the lava flow. Fortunately, Arenal put an a wonderful show for us, and, had we stayed out longer (Kristen was the limiting factor -- but she's worth it!), we would have not only witnessed the abundant lava flow, but we would have also been able to see the volcano release hot lava in a few small explosions into the air. Judith, Ale, and Liz saw these, but we were already in our cabin with the lights out when we heard the loud booms.
Manuel Antonio
As far as kid-friendly beaches go, Manuel Antonio is up there in my book. This is mostly because of the monkeys. Kristen loved watching them jumping off of our hotel roof onto the branches of the nearby trees and climbing around in them. During the right time of day, they were almost everywhere. We saw baby monkeys, no bigger than the palm of my hand, desperately clinging to their mommies' backs. Kristen, my mom, and my dad even witnessed a monkey nursing her baby.
Not that the beach was all about the monkeys. We also went out on the sand, where Kristen decided that the guys playing soccer were more interesting than the water and beach itself. We splashed in the waves a little, but most of K's time was spent playing on the sand. The shells, rocks, and hermit crabs provided more entertainment for her than the waves. Plus, I think she wanted to get as filthy as possible, a belief that was reinforced when I witnessed her literally rolling around in the sand. With all of the sand covering her, I wanted to get her washed off as much as possible before going into our room. I think she enjoyed the outdoor faucet provided by the hotel for its guests as much as anything else at the beach.
Of course, having grandma nearby, I had to take advantage of her babysitting offers to go boogie boarding. The hotel provided boogie boards for its guests to use for free on an hourly basis (if no one else wanted them, you could use them all day). Judith and I decided that there are two methods to boogie boarding. The hold and jump method, and the swimming method. We had fun with both. "Hold.... hold.... hold... JUMP!" could often be heard when we were out in the waves.Back in San Jose
As much as I enjoyed our trips, I was ready to get back to San Jose (especially because we ALL got sunburned at the beach). Rosti Pollo makes WONDERFUL Tres Leches (which I ate twice while there), and Kristen liked the freedom of wandering around my parents' condo. More than that, she enjoyed the abundance of tropical flowers, trees, and other plants that they have growing around their building. "What's that?" she kept asking.
Our brunch with Dick and Sheila was great. It didn't seem like it had been years since our last visit. It is hard to believe that almost 10 years have passed since youth group. They have truly been a blessing in my life. :) I hope I get to visit more friends next time I am in CR.
Homeward Bound
After a week of vacation, it was time to go back to reality. I was happy to be returning to my wonderful hubby, but sad to be leaving the country that is more a part of me than I realized. Hopefully, it won't be 4 long years before I can return again.
