Costa Rica

Our last big adventure of the summer was to Costa Rica. We got a great deal on flights and accommodations so decided to go for it. We were definitely in for a big surprise when we got there.
As soon we arrived it was raining. Every afternoon it seemed to rain for an hour or two. We went through customs easily and went to get our little rental car. We decided on a 4x4 Jimny since we didn't know what kind of terrain we would encounter during our week. When we got to the rental car it was VERY expensive. There were all these hidden fees, gas, insurance which ended up bein way out of our budget. We had to pay it since we needed the car and our hotel was 25 miles away. We were not off to a very good start.
It got much better when we arrived at our hotel. It was a great little studio with a kitchen and we could see the ocean. It was lovely.
We spent alot of time exploring the little villages and shops. Dean found a delicious mango juice and strawberry cereal. For me it was Tangerine soda and the fresh fruit. Groceries were still very expensive. More expensive than we pay here.
The best part of the trip was the day we spent doing an adventure tour. It was a combo package that included ziplining, horseback riding, whitewater tubing, and a spa. The ziplining was pretty cool. Not as good as when we were in Mexico but still fun. There were more climbing elements which were challenging and a little scary. The best part of the whole tour was the tubing. It was so fun. You sit in your own tube and go over these small rapids and even small waterfalls. If you aren't careful you will fall out or get stuck on the rocks. I got stuck once but was able to wiggle my way out. Dean ended up falling out when he went over a waterfall. Right before that we realized that the cap had come off our waterproof case so if any water got inside we would have some major problems. And what happened? Dean fell out and soaked the camera. Luckily, we had taken some pictures before that because after that point the camera was dead. It was really fun. After the tubing we got lunch and then went horseback riding. It was nothing like Camp Foster. You were supposed to stay in a line but everyone kept passing eachother and bumping other horses. It was awful. I was just waiting for an accident to happen. We rode to the waterfall about 15 ft high. The water was freezing but it was awesome to jump off. I was so scared but did it a few times. Dean of course was diving and acting dangerous. It was fun. Our tour was over after that. We had the option to go to the Hot Springs and Spa and it was fun. First you sit in the sauna, then you go to these mud pits and rub or brush mud all over your body. It seems like something you should do in private but it was open so everyone could see you rubbing mud all over your body. Slightly wierd. It really did exfoliate your skin. After you rinsed it off you went and sat in the hot springs. It was very relaxing. It was a great way to end a great day. Even though we broke the camera.
We spent another day exploring the beaches. Dean even tried surfing. The surf wasn't great the day but he did manage to get up a few times and get swallowed by a few waves. It was fun to watch.
We also went on a great river tour. We were hoping to see alot of monkeys, birds, and alligators. My phone could still take pictures so we were hoping that would capture our experience enough. We were lucky enough to get in a boat with a couple from Pennsylvania. They were nice enough to take some pictures for us and let us take them from their facebook. Right when we got to the boat we saw lots of howler monkeys hanging in the trees. We were so excited to see more monkeys up close. Once on the tour we spotted lots of birds and iguanas. Some of the iguanas were so large. We even fed them some banana peels which brought them out by the dozens. We were also fortunate enough to get the only guide that brought bananas. He took us to a spot where we could find lots of white face monkeys. As soon as we pulled up to the bank they started to emerge. As soon as we brought out the bananas about 15 monkeys came out of the trees. They jumped on the boat and then started climbing all around. I even had one sit on my lap. It was really cool. I never thought they would be climbing on us but they really loved those bananas. It was a really fun tour.
It seems like we didn't do a lot while we were there but we really did get some good sightseeing in and two really great excursions. I don't know if we would go back but it was a fun experience and a beautiful country.