Adventuras durante Vacciones

This past week was the first week of a two week vacation for the whole country. Since this is their winter, this is a mid-year break if you will. That means we get to do all kinds of things...its more of a vacation for us. On Monday to celebrate the fourth of July we went to Manuel Antonio beach on the Pacific coast. It was beautiful and just what we needed. In the patriotic spirit, we all ordered hamburgers for lunch. We even caught a glimpse of some fireworks over a touristy town on our drive home.

Sunshine!

Leigh Anne with Nadia and Jordan atop a rock

Fourth of July burgers!

On our way to the beach we tried to be as touristy as possible and stopped at a popular place to look at crocodiles. These were no joke. They were HUGE. 

Continuing to be as touristy as I could, I wore my new Pura Vida tank top to the restaurant after we left the beach. When Leigh Anne and I were in Heredia last weekend I could resist something that had "blonde haired blue eyed tourist" all over it...as if I needed any help. I think I succeeded. 

The emphasis is suppose to be on the sunset in the backdrop but I was in need of a new profile picture so I made the most of the opportunity. We stopped at a restaurant called El Avion on the way home named for the large fighter plane the restaurant is built around. As a small new NGO, ADE couldn't afford the whole meal so we stuck with coffee, batidos, and dessert. Keeping with the fourth, we ordered apple pie. We saw a sloth, moving nonetheless, and many toucans in addition to the gorgeous view over Manuel Antonio as the sunset changed colors from blue to orange to purple (progression of sunset shown below). 

Apple Pie

Celebratory

This island definitely makes the view

Got a picture with every stage of sunset. Poor Leigh Anne. 

Becoming beautiful

Over the restaurant

Roomies!

Beginning twilight

Turning all shades of purple

My three favorites

Group shot

It was a really great way to celebrate the fourth and a pre-birthday celebration. Loved every minute of the hot sticky car ride. Definitely worth it. 

Travel Writing

It rains a lot here. Every afternoon from about 1pm-5pm to be exact. Up here in the mountains the moist air from the Caribbean and the warm moist air from the Pacific stop right above us and pour out of the heavens everyday. While the lush biodiversity of a cloud rainforest could not be possible without these rains, it leaves me with lots of time on my hands in the late afternoon. I've decided to pick up some travel writing for small travel blogs...my favorite being the Lost Girls travel blog. Right now I am writing about my travels abroad starting at the age of 17 with my two very best friends. 

China

Colorado

Zambia

London

We've been all over together, and we're barely even 20. We have so many more adventures planned in our future and can't wait to share adventures again. We've been harassed and held at the airport in Beijing, been abandoned in a broken down bus in the middle of Zambia, and shared some amazing times with amazing people together. 

I'm also working on some Costa Rican things...obviously. So far we have been to three (free) swimming holes on the sides of the road.

 Near Volcan Arenal at the bottom of the La Fortunada waterfalls. Beautiful and awesome rope swing!

Hot Springs

Rio Celeste colored beautifully by volcanic minerals 

(also the place I got soaked)

 They are beautiful and part of the Costa Rica that I wanted to get to know. I've seen most of the famous volcanoes and been to both coasts, so there is a lot of information to write about. I'll post some of the articles here before they go off to the editors. If they don't make online, they'll be posted here for your reading enjoyment and I won't regret reflecting on those experiences at all.