Back to the Grind

All good things must come to an end, so they say... who are "they", anyway!!?? Well, the vacation is over, but it was a fantastic time and I look forward to going back someday! We met many great people and had so much fun... now it's time to head back to work and earn another 'playcheque', as I like to call it! At least we didn't have to return to nasty cold weather; it feels possibly like spring is in the air?? Cheers.

Welcome to the jungle...

Yesterday, we drove up to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, located fairly high on the volcano's south ridge, where we enjoyed an unbelievable view of Volcan Arenal... I watched in awe as it rumbled and belched out large rocks and smoke; I could have looked at it for hours! We hiked up to Cerro Chato, which is a crater lake surrounded by DENSE jungle, and we made it back down to the lodge just prior to a massive tropical rain storm. Then we went back to the spa, and both Todd and I spoiled ourselves with massages - Todd had a Swedish massage that worked out every last knot in his body, and I (being a bit of a massage fraidy-cat) had a reflexology massage. It was divine, to say the least! Today, we drove from La Fortuna, south through Quesada, down to Naranjo, across to Puntarenas, and north to Liberia. The narrow roads wound through the lush green countryside and were jammed with vehicles, so it was slow going, but it was fun to see some different areas. Costa Rica is sooooo beautiful!

Cheers.

Paradise lives in La Fortuna

Well kids, I think we found it... paradise... or, as the locals call it, Tabacon Hot Springs. Yesterday, we left Bahia Salinas after 10 fantastic days of great company and amazing kitesurfing. After a slight delay in Liberia (some weird Costa Rican bank machine gobbled up my debit card and we had to jump through several hoops to retrieve it), we drove the Arenal Route and ended up at Tabacon Hot Springs. The drive around Lago Arenal is spectacular; we stopped at a couple of kitesurfing/windsurfing locations to check out the scene, and we were lured by sign after sign after sign into "Cafe Macademia", which sells the most yummy coffee and fresh macademia nuts and overlooks the northwest end of the lake. Of course the most incredible sight of all is the view of Volcan Arenal... it is the epitome of volcanoes - perfectly conical and continuously spewing a bit of smoke and boulders. We decided to splurge a little and are spending two nights at the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort & Spa - google it if you get a chance, this place is like nothing we've ever stayed at before!!! The hot springs facility is unbelievable!!! Today, we hope to go hiking around the volcano observatory and check out some jungle life. Cheers!

Good times at Bahia Salinas

Aaaaaahhhh..... we've been here a WEEK already! How time flies, when you're having fun! I think we are finally getting used to the heat - daily highs of around +38C, and nightly lows of about +25C... I was a little concerned at first, when there was only a sheet on our bed and no blankets... but now I understand why!! Jackets are completely unnecessary here, I haven't even had to break out a long sleeved shirt (except to cover up from the baking sun). It is amazing! We've been kiting every day, all day, and finally I even got up and rode yesterday, in spite of the large waves and variable windspeeds. It is fairly remote, but it is a truly fantastic place. We see parrots flying around, mantas and other fish jumping out of the water, gekkos, toads, scorpions, and a plethora of other insects and small animals. Very cool! Plus the people are great - we have met several travellers from all over the world. Thursday we are going to go to Lake Arenal to see Volcan Arenal. Hopefully we'll be able to stay at the observatory right on the volcano, if there are any rooms available. Then the plan is to travel for a few days around that area and head back to Liberia late on Saturday, then fly out on Sunday. We are having a stellar vacation! Too bad we didn't have more time; this country is amazing and we are barely seeing a quarter of it. Oh well.... next time!!! Cheers!

Hola, chicas y chicos!!

We made it to paradise! Costa Rica is stellar; the people are super-friendly and the countryside is beautiful! Our villa is great, it's up on a hillside, overlooking the ocean... no air-conditioning of course, but there is an outside shower, and we even have our own little gekko! He's a bug catching machine if I've ever seen one! We got out into the surf on Tuesday - Todd had a bit of an epic, as the winds are mega-strong compared to anything he's flown in before... thought he lost his brand new board on it's maiden voyage!! Lucky for us, the surf is strong and we spotted the board near shore a few hours and a few trips up and down the beach later. Wednesday, the winds continued and we spent the day at Playa Copal with the whole kitesurfing group. I cooked myself slightly, so today I'm mostly staying out of the intense sun... The winds and waves are a bit intimidating for me, so I'm waiting for a less breezy day to make my water debut... Overall, the place is great! It is fairly remote however, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post. The trip into the nearest town is a dusty, kidney-jarring experience, and we have everything we need at the hostel. Hope all is well in the land of snow and cold weather!! Cheers.

Houston... we have NO problems whatsoever!!

Here we are, in Houston, en route to Liberia... and the weather is just getting nicer and nicer!! By this time tomorrow, we should be enjoying the warm Pacific Ocean in Bahia Salinas! The forecast is for +30C and wind, wind, wind... I can't wait to get to the beach!
Cheers

Spring Break...

Aaaahhhh, it's almost that time again... time to head to serious summer temperatures... time to kite in warm, blue waters instead of on icy, white snow...
We leave for Costa Rica on Monday, to enjoy two weeks of kitesurfing and sightseeing. We land in Liberia and will be spending time at Bahia Salinas as well as at Lake Arenal. I can hardly wait to see the Central American jungle and all the beautiful things that go with it!! I'll post pictures and information along the way. Cheers! and Hoppy Easter!!