Who DOES this?? Costa Rican Paradise Revisited

Certainly not a 42 year-old mother of two at mid-life, working full-time as the sole provider for her family, all the while keeping up with new-school-year preparations and extra-curricular activities. Wait, yes with all that, THIS vacation was just what the doctor ordered.

That smile is for reals...during a walk through a rain forest on my way to a natural waterfall.









Since my trip to Costa Rica two years ago, I remembered the lush green all-naturale views of the countryside and the dirty brown rivers with crocs lounging on the banks. The humid air with a seaside smell, the native Costa Ricans walking or riding bikes alongside the roads as our driver Juan Carlos hurled our van down the road without regard for the painted middle lines or speed limit signs. These things were the same, but no less thrilling to experience again.

                       Our home for the week. No, this isn't a postcard~ I walked out of the house to this!

I don't know if it was because I was with my Sinatra, or my bestest work-friends, or because it was a bit longer than last time, but this trip opened my eyes to so much more beauty and appreciation in Costa Rica. I breathed in the salty air more. I looked around and took mental snapshots, as well as literal snapshots, of every gorgeous scene.

 We weren't exactly laying around getting sand in our shorts however. Day one brought on a gondola ride up a severe mountain with nothing but deep forest greenery for miles...only to zipline down that same mountain on thousands of feet of wire, hanging over the waterfalls and streams and treetops.

Strapped in and ready....

                                                                        

Soar Woman!

Sore abs aside, we ended the day with a scrumptious meal of sesame tuna and fried plantains cooked by our chef Carlos, and a rousing game of Yahtzee with my housemates.  Yeah, throw in a few Coronas and Imperials, and a shot of Patron with my sweetie, and it was a damn good day.

Day two was an all-day nautical affair. A 2-hour boat ride on a yacht with a group to La Isla Tortuga. Yes, Turtle Island. Yes, we saw a few majestic sea turtles as well as a couple of whales peeking out along the ride. But that was just the ride out.

                                                                   Clearly I'm jazzed


We arrived at the small beach off the island and immediately were wisked off to an even smaller island to snorkel. Quite lovely, swimming with the fishies. Then back to the beach to eat lunch and relax.

                                                                      Fantasy island

I slept in a beach chair to the sound of the waves, I played in the surf with my friends' two 11 year olds, I lost my sunglasses in the surf (waht-wahhh), I spoke with colorful parrots and inhaled the boat captain's BBQ chicken, veggies and rice.  All things relaxing.  I watched the clouds roll in and worried a storm might catch us on the ride back, and then I kept my eyes closed to ward off the nausea as I dozed next to Sinatra on the bumpy boatride back.  I was grateful the pouring rain only let loose as we climbed into the van for our ride back to the house.

A shower and more relaxing later, we were made more yummy cooking, shrimp pasta, and Yahtzee into the evening. I think I went to bed early that night, since my sense of time was all vacation-y, so it didn't really matter.

Day three was a bit lazier, but began with a 2-hour ATV drive up in the mountains. I was given my own to drive and wasn't sure I knew what I was doing, but managed just fine. With the day before's rain, it was muddy but thankfully only puddles to ride through.

At the top of the mountain was a little cafe with a little lady cooking little empanadas that were the real deal. The tour guide suddenly started chopping some huge sugar cane sticks and had us work a grinder to make sugar cane juice. Random, but really cool.

Working it!

Do these greens exist in the crayola box?

                                          We made it back to the house with plenty of time to play on the beach out front...Sinatra and I boogieboarded, and got completely water-logged, but loved every minute of it.

We look so professional, no?

Day three's evening was something of a treat.  Our driver Juan Carlos invited us to Mass at his church, which was held on this Wednesday because it was Mother's Day in Costa Rica.  All of us sunburned Americans file into this open air Catholic church and were blessed to witness a Spanish Mass, with pure loud singers and even un perro (dog) walking through in front of the altar during.  The rain began to hit the metal roof which gave the air a cool wet feeling, and it was really something special.

This was taken after Mass, where I understood only 5% of what was being said

Then dinner at a local restaurant where I ate octopus and fried rice...the octopus was like really...octopus-y, but once I ignored the little tentacles on the meat, strangely, I liked it.

Day Four was really my favorite.  We had Juan Carlos drive us an hour and a half outside of town to a woman's untouched property.  It took so long because the road we rode on was brutal with rocks and pits and we had to go really slooooww.  We paid four colones a piece for her to allow us to hike through her property.  It was muddy, it was hot, there was heavy brush which I had no idea if little creatures would pop out of, and it was treacherous walking.  We slipped and slid and got muddy, would cross a creek and rinse off, then on to more mud and fun.  Juan Carlos knew the way and finally we arrived at the end.  A three-pool waterfall, "Tres Piscinas", completely hidden in the forest and naturally flowing huge gobs of water.  I was tentative at first.  Got in the first pool and braved it.

I'm not mad here, just am being pummeled

We saw some local boys up at the third tier crawling around and some of my friends started walking up the muddy hillside to go up there...Juan Carlos in his flip-flops took the easy route up the rocks.  I decided I could do that.  I'd rock-climbed before, you know, at the ballpark or amusement park.  This was just the same except it was real rock, real water, and moss stuff everywhere.  I did it anyway.  Then Sinatra followed.  He ended up going to the next level where the boys were, climbing in his bare feet.  My treaded hiking shoes had an easier job on the slick rock but it was still a scary climb.  The local boys began to jump off the top pool into the second one.  Huh. That looks fun.  I was already up there.  Why not?

             Sinatra turned into George of the Jungle somehow....was it to keep up with me, Jane, here?

I was the first estupido American to jump.  The locals assured me, in Spanish so really who knows what they were saying, that I was fine if I just jumped out from the edge, to avoid rocks near the waterfall.  Sinatra followed. The two 11 year olds with us did as well.  My adrenaline was running high but I used it to climb down the slick rocks and wait for Sinatra, while he did another jump, just to tempt fate.  He met me on the rocks and we shared a precious moment.  High on adrenaline, we sat down and took in the whole scene over the roar of the falls, and have this fabulous picture now:

                                Now my wallpaper on my laptop because this pic is freakin' RAD

After a picnic lunch on the rocks (sitting on them, not drinking them) we hiked back to the van all smiles and happiness, singing George of the Jungle and Gun's and Roses' Welcome to the Jungle...really a great experience.

Sinatra and I came away from this trip with Costa Rica's slogan of "Pura Vida!", or pure living, as our new mantra.  Yes we have busy lives and kids needing things and work to do, but when it all becomes too much, we have to take a minute and remember nature's beauty, happy Costa Rican's simple lifestyles, and the sound and smell of the ocean.

                                                                    Pura Vida, ya'll

Freakin' Friday

The longest week of your life is the one right before a vacation. Today is the Friday before mine. I suffered through this week and its effin Friday already! I made it.







I will be flying to Costa Rica on Sunday and staying until NEXT Friday. That's a good vacation. I don't get to take off a solid week that often. Spring Break is usually a whole one off with the kids, but rarely do I do it any other time. And definitely not without the kids...but this one will be adult-time. In Costa Rica. Buenos Dias!!

                                     This will be my view for the next week....yeah, paradise.

My Sinatra and I will step off the plane into the 120% humidity and a margarita, and spend the week in Jaco. On the beach. In the jungle. Above the treetops. We are not picky. Whatever we are presented with, we will say "Gracias" and go with it.

Yes it is close to school starting. Yes we both have job-related obligations that will be on hold for the week. And yes, we both have kids who are not coming with us.

A friend offered his home to us, and we accepted. I did not think I should pass up an opportunity to frolic on this beach yet again, in this country which I fell in love with two years ago.

I would've loved to bring my children to see it, but the airfare alone would've killed me. We will save our big fun family trips for long weekends and Spring Break ski trips.

Now its Friday and I'm counting down the minutes until my vacation begins. I must put my work affairs in order, give the doggies extra guilt bones, and kiss my kiddos good-bye. Off to another adventure...

Hurry Up and Wait

Coming off a weekend camping trip with Sinatra and all our 5 kids, plus one for my Lil Lady to have a friend. We chose Waco, TX which is somewhat in between our two homes, although with Sinatra driving through Dallas traffic he's got the harder and longer leg of it. I am lucky to live on the north side of Austin so I'm heading out of town ahead of Friday afternoon traffic. The weekend started a bit crazy though, and I had some serious discussions with myself on the way to Waco.

I was off at 3pm on Friday so we could get loaded up and out of town no later than 5 to make the drive and be at the campground by 6 or 6:30pm. This gave us all time to set up the camper and get dinner going before dark. I had discussed this with Sinatra 2 weeks ago when we reserved the camp the last time we were in Waco. He even said he'd have to get on the road by no later than 3 to make it through Dallas traffic to meet me by 6. As per usual, I revisited this plan a few times within the past two weeks because I am a planner and have a need to talk out my plans. He's on the phone with me multiple times every day, so it is very probable he was the one I talked to about this plan.

His drive without traffic is close to 2 hrs, mine is only 1hr 15min, but with traffic and pulling the slow camper he's closer to 3 hrs so I told him to call me when he got into his drive so I could time it where we'd meet up at the same time. Got off at 3, went to get the girls from their friends' houses and got home about 4. I began packing up and telling the girls to get their things in the car and texted him what's up? He texted me "we just left", this was 4:15...ugh, running late but ok.

I'll get my stuff done and leave around 5:15. But at 4:45 he tells me they had to stop at Walmart for something to fix on the camper...I didn't know if that meant he was there or had already done that. So I asked. His reply was "on the road now" Mine: "Where?" His: "Lewisville." This is the next town just outside his burgh. Grrr...

So now its almost 5pm and he's just leaving to get into downtown Dallas traffic. Me no happy was putting it mildly. I know he wasn't all that jolly either, but I wasn't being sympathetic. Got the kids back in the house (they were waiting in the car) to cool our heels for another 45 minutes. I truly began to fume after I talked to him and he said he didn't realize I was off work early. What?? I'd only said it multiple times in talking about getting there and setting up camp. Was I talking to myself?

My bigger issue was he didn't listen to me, as in he's only half listening to me on the phone, often because they kids are in the room, he's on the computer or he's at work or driving around doing one of a million things he needs to get done. I didn't take it well to realize he clearly only half hears me when he's on the phone with me.

He's the busiest guy I know who has trouble getting anything done. Organizationally he can be a mess. Too many irons in the fire and only enough man-power to be able to half-do most of them.

I feel for him being single, because I am as well, but I manage with lists and calendars and a mind that handles multi-tasking well. He, notsomuch. I drove to Waco thinking how would I marry someone who will need corralling and nagging to get things done?? I did that already! A man won't change at this point in our lives. Warning, warning, danger, danger! Sirens going off, red flags flying, and I'm sending him to the penalty box.

So after an hour drive with me muttering to myself ("I ain't going to be the one who...I'll just have to do it all my own damnself..."), we got there after 7:30pm. The sweet campgrounds people said they weren't sure we were gonna show up (I bit my lip on that one), and I arrived first by about 10 minutes.

He backed the camper in and got out looking as harried and of course I melted, so we got everything set up in no time. We got the BBQ going and had hot dogs on the pdq. Not to kick a guy while he's down but dinner was thanks to me, since I'd bought the weinies and everything to go with them the day before. He came with very little in the way of groceries...another thing he didn't get to. Ummmm...I see a pattern here. Oh boy.

We barely got fed before the sun went down and then off he went to the store for more stuff for the next night. Really, the enormity of getting the camper ready and then getting his three in the car and through rush hour Dallas traffic should have knocked him out for the weekend.

He was pretty great by my side as we finagled 7 kids (yes, one more was added for the day) to a water park on Saturday. We cooled off in the wave pool (no alcohol, either! Waco is so Baptist-y) while the kids ran around the smallish park. We rode the rides with them too and we all had a great time.

That night back at the camp we were cooking out again. It's a challenge getting our kids to put DOWN the iPod/iPhones and look at the lake, or the birds, or the trees around us. I tried my best to get them out of the AC'd camper and walking around the campgrounds.

His burger meal was tons better-tasting than my dumb ole hot dogs, and he cooked them all over a hot pit in the 95+ degrees without complaint. Maybe I'm the one who needs a-changin'. Hmmmm....

I hope it was a few happy memories for the kids for a lifetime. It was for me, and hopefully for my Sinatra too.