Costa Rica Part 1

Last fall, Rachel called me and said Doug was planning his work days off for the coming year and wondered if we finally wanted to make our couples dream trip happen! Um, heck ya! So this trip was a whole year in the making! Actually, since we've been talking about it since dental school, it was 7 years in the making! I cannot tell you how much time and research Rachel I put into this trip. Hours upon hours of asking for recommendations, reading websites, travel blogs, hotel reviews, things to do, etc. etc. We painstakingly compared beaches and prices and flights and rental cars. The ONE thing we didn't research?? The weather. Doh! It was a few weeks before we were supposed to leave, that we noticed it was very rainy in Costa Rica. Hmmm. Turns out, October is right in the middle of the RAINY season for Costa Rica!! How did we not realize this?! Doug had suggested we do this trip in the middle of October to fit into his work schedule which was great for us! We just didn't consider while researching destinations, to check and see if it was a good time of year to be visiting that place. I blame my lack of travel experience. I guess I stupidly assumed that if it was a tropical paradise, it was going to be sunny and beautiful! We absolutely panicked. And poured even more time into seeing if we could change flights, cancel hotels or try to visit the north side of the country instead, which I guess typically isn't in the middle of rainy season. Finally, we just shrugged our shoulders and decided to stick with our original plans and hope for the best. Oh my goodness. If we had EVEN known how wonderful this trip was going to be, we wouldn't have wasted an ounce of energy worrying!! The fact that it was off season for tourists worked out in our favor! The hotels upgraded our rooms, we were nearly the only people on our excursions, and we had restaurants and beaches completely to ourselves! And even though it rained at least a little bit every day, we still had lots of sunshine and got to do everything we wanted. It actually seemed to be quite a blessing to visit during the rainy season! 

We flew to the Dallas airport in the evening and were going to sleep at the Shaws house for a few hours before getting up early to catch our flight. But when we landed it seemed pointless to have Rachel come pick us up at midnight, just to sleep for 4 hours then come back to the airport. So found a few benches to sleep on instead. We were exhausted but I still couldn't fall asleep! So I had the thought to put in my earbuds and listen to a conference talk. Bam. Fell right asleep. :) Since we were already at the airport, we figured we didn't need to wake up super early, but we were very wrong! We fell asleep with the airport empty and woke up to a packed house! We nearly missed our flight! We signed up for Clearview and that was the only way we were able to make it in time! Talk about stress!!

We had a layover in Florida, then it was on to Costa Rica!!!

We took a shuttle to the car rental place and there was an authentic restaurant in the same area where we got lunch. I wasn't expecting great food on this trip but boy was I wrong! I loved everything I ate. 

There was a sign in the parking lot that had us wondering if we had a future in moving here and making a living! ;)

From the airport, we had a three hour drive down to Quepos, on the southern border. We had rented a midsize car but it was tiny! Rach and I squeezed in the back and the guys were upfront. Travis ended up driving the entire week since we figured with him knowing Spanish, he could read the road signs best. He was a champ navigating the country and I was so grateful I didn't have to worry about that part! Rach and I gabbed in the back the entire time! It was perfect! It rained almost the whole drive and as we got into Quepos I was amazed at how windy and narrow the roads were. We were climbing uphill, then twisting downhill and winding in and out of buildings and jungle. I wondered if we'd ever get to the hotel! Well, we finally found it. Hotel Makanda. We had to pass through a gated entry and were escorted to the check- in lobby. It was pouring rain and dark, but that lobby wowed us! Let me be clear, the entire hotel WOWED us!! It outdid the nicest resorts in Scottsdale or Vegas. I've never stayed anywhere so fancy! Every detail was beautiful and artistic. Stone and wood throughout every feature. The employees spoke English, but it was so nice to have Travis just speak to them in Spanish. We were given yummy fruit cocktails and then taken by golf cart to our rooms, which were up on a hill. I worried the golf cart would slip down the steep incline. Then we had to walk up several flights of stairs. It was like staying in a tree house. A luxurious, 5 star tree house in the jungle.  

My jaw dropped when I saw our room. It was insane!! It was huge... like the size of a small house. With sky high ceilings and one wall was just glass, overlooking the jungle and ocean. I felt like a celebrity or royalty or both! The bathroom had a rock moat around it. The shower didn't have a drain, the water just fell in between the wood slats. We were the second people ever to stay here. It was just built. They didn't spare any expense. I marveled at how they built such an expensive and beautiful room in the middle of what seemed to be a poor, jungle town. How did they get all these materials through those one lane, twisty roads? I can't describe in words how star struck I was. I couldn't have dreamed up a more opulent, stunning room. And the feeling didn't wear off. I was just aghast at the beauty every second we were there. 

Look at that light fixture!! There was an enormous vase of lilies on the table whose fragrance filled the entire room! The rug seemed to be made of real leather and suede. The oversized furniture... the four poster bed... the mural on the wall... it was all amazing! Then, one wall was made of coconut shells in a pattern. It had to have used hundred of coconuts just for that one wall. You guys, I could never gush enough about this place! 

This was the view from our balcony! And when we opened the huge, glass doors, and stepped onto the balcony we saw monkeys everywhere, hopping from branch to branch! Pinch me!! What is this magical, tropical paradise?!! Oh, it's Costa Rica. And I was in love. 

We walked down to the hotel's restaurant by the pool and had dinner. It was fancy schmancy. I don't even remember what I ordered but it was one of the yummiest things I've ever had. You wouldn't think something plated so gorgeously would also taste amazing, but it did. 

Then we finished off the evening, soaking in the hot tub! 

I was in absolute, undeniable heaven.

Even the showers by the pool were made of real stones and done in pretty patterns.

The Shaws room looked like ours and was directly beneath us, but it had a leak so they offered them another room with it's own pool. They decided to keep their original room, but man. How cool is this?

The staircase up to our room.

We woke up to sunny skies!! Yay!!!

Breakfast by the water. Fresh squeezed, tropical juices and fresh fruit to start. Then they had super delicious egg benedicts, pancakes, and French toast. But everything had just a slightly different spin on it that made it extraordinary. 

How about that infinity pool?!

We decided to go canopy zip line tour on our first day. We've done this in Hawaii and other places, but this one took the cake. We boarded a shuttle van that drove us up into the rain forest for about 30 min. There was only one other couple in our group when they normally have groups of 20 during tourist season. So we felt like we had the place to ourselves! I don't remember all the specifications but we got to do about a dozen zip lines, a Tarzan rope and then rappel into a waterfall! We were soaring above jungle trees at crazy tall heights! I loved it! We all loved it! 

Back at the main hut, there was a little kitchen where a woman was busy making our lunch while we were gone. It was a really yummy type of rice, plantains, salad and homemade tortillas. Yum!

The sign by the restroom... Pura vida!

There was a sloth in a tree by the entrance to the hotel when we were being dropped off! Can you see it?!

The hotel owns a private beach that would be about a 15 min. walk from our rooms to the shore, but they just took us in a golf cart. The beach wasn't white sand, it was actually rather rocky, but it was so cool to have this whole section of the coast all to ourselves! The hotel has a little shed near the water where they keep lounge chairs and we ordered pina coladas to sip while we relaxed. 

Boys just can't sit still though, haha! Trav was immediately eyeing the coconuts and trying to skin and crack one open on the rocks. He was successful! And we each took a turn sipping the fresh coconut water!

Doug went to Samoa on his mission and wasted no time showing us his tree climbing skills!

The water was nice and we all went out into the ocean for a swim! Trav and I even decided to try swimming out to another cove a little distance away which was really fun! It was unreal to be swimming alone in the ocean, surrounded by cliffs and rain forest, out in nature, undisturbed and soaking in the beauty. Now for a story, I'd rather my kids didn't ever read, but I have to write it down here, because it's now very funny to me. I got a little free spirited on our way back and decided to go sans suit. We were far enough out that I knew we couldn't be seen by the Shaws. I was so happy! Floating, spinning, relishing in this unique situation of freeness! 

Until.

Wayyy up in the cliffs I noticed what looked like a man. I squinted. And metaphorically rubbed my eyes. Was it a man? I suddenly panicked! And shouted to Travis to look and see if I was seeing right. Yep. There was a man up there. Apparently, there was a small lookout area seemingly hidden in the cliffs. I shouted to Travis, asking if he thought the man could see us. Almost as if he heard me (did he?) the man lifted up his arm and generously waved at us. AHHHHHHH!!!! I had been floating on the water, but now I ducked under, making sure I was hidden. The nerve!! How dare he disrupt my moment! I kept glancing backward to see if he'd leave. I wanted my moment back. Well, he did finally leave! Hooray! 

Ohhhh, but then he was back. 

With a friend. 

Harumphf!! I struggled back into my suit. So much for that! I felt indignant! Violated! I was not in the business of offering shows. But he had gotten his. Lesson learned. The hills always have eyes. And the rustic Costa Rican coast was no different!

My beach read! It's not usual that I love a book and the movie!

How lucky were we?! 

We spotted another sloth by the beach! Why must they always be sleeping?!

We kept expecting rain to come and drive us away, but it never did! When it was finally getting dark and we were ready to head in for dinner, sprinkles came, but nothing bad. 

The view from our room as the sun is starting to set! Soooo gorgeous!

We asked at the hotel for some restaurant recommendations and they suggested El Lagarto. It was a short drive into town and it was PERFECT!! They are situated on a cliff, overlooking the water and have a wood burning oven they cook all their meat in. We all ordered steak or seafood and everyone was drooling over their plates. Absolutely divine! We ate until we were stuffed!

Even the details in the architecture of this restaurant were cool!

So I guess the wood would burn in the oven, then slide down to the grill, where they cooked the meat. 

 We weren't super sure if we should drink the water, so lots of Coke was had at meals.... or bottled water. By the end of the trip though.. we were drinking the water, haha!

 After dinner, we stopped at a local mart to buy water bottles and ice cream, then went back to the hotel hot tub to eat dessert. This day was a dream!!!