adventures: costa rica, part 2

Even though the weather was hot and humid, that didn't stop us from getting out and exploring Playa Santa Teresa and the surrounding towns and beaches.

I had to rent a surfboard from the popular Denga Surf Shop. There are a handful of surf shops around, but this guy is the only shaper in the area. I traded in my 9' longboard at home for a 6'10" to try out on the faster waves in Playa Hermosa.

Because of the beach break, the waves were a lot faster and heavier than I'm used to in Southern California, but I loved being out in the wonderfully warm water for hours. Even the cows enjoy the beach!

Dinner would not be complete without a sunset, so what better place to enjoy it than at the popular Brisas del Mar overlooking the whole town and ocean. 

Next stop: Montezuma. This touristy little town was very beautiful and quaint, but I'm glad we didn't stay there because it didn't really feel like you were in Costa Rica. What are paved roads doing in town? 

From Montezuma, we wound along the coast on more dirt roads until we got to Cabo Blanco, the country's first nature reserve at the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Finally...monkeys (among other creatures)! We did the shorter hike through the reserve, which took about 1 hour. This is not the zoo--you enter into these animal's habitat, which is actually a little bit scary when you don't know exactly what all the noises you hear belong to!

hard to tell, but there is a huge spider in that right hole that i almost stepped on.
i can't imagine what spider season is like if this was the dry season!   

don't feed the monkeys 

some sort of badger--there was a herd of them traveling along the dried up river 

And of course, the day would not be complete without a sunset

pura vida!

getting there: costa rica, part 1

We were due for a vacation, so headed off to Costa Rica for eight days. Little did we know what to expect, and how long it would take us to get to paradise in the picture below. It was worth it.

The flight was easy--five hours from Los Angeles to San Jose. Getting out of San Jose alone took a good 30 minutes of zig zagging around to find "the" highway. Once we were on the highway, I thought, "No big deal--we'll just take this the whole way to the ferry, then get back on it when we get off the ferry, and take it all the way to the hotel." Not so much. The highway ended, and we found ourselves driving through lots of little towns. The main road to get to the ferry wasn't exactly the main roads we're used to. This main road barely had room for two cars to pass, all while trying to dodge dogs, children, bikes, and motorcycles. After a few wrong turns, we made it to the ferry. The crossing took about one hour. Once we got off the ferry, it seemed fairly straightforward--stay on this road all the way to Santa Teresa. Wrong again. "This road" ended up being a dirt road that wound along the coast for what seemed like five hours, but was probably two or three hours. The only paved sections were the parts of the road that were extremely steep. And the bridges were narrower than the roads, and barely fit one car. 

After passing many fields, forests, bungalows, Coca-Cola shacks, and cows, we started seeing signs for our hotel, Nautilus Boutique Hotel. 

After a few more dirt roads, we arrived in Playa Santa Teresa. The main road going through town was only a couple of miles long, lined with restaurants, small hotels, and large pieces of land--some with mansions on them, and others with shacks. The street was crowded with people, dogs, and motorcycles. 

Santa Teresa early in the morning

Our hotel was a beautiful oasis, with each guest having their own bungalow and patio surrounded with dense foliage. The owners were so welcoming, and everyone there so kind and helpful. 

Upon arrival, I immediately jumped into the refreshing pool

Olam, the vegetarian restaurant and favorite juice stop at Nautilus

Nap time

Enjoyed our patio every evening with a glass of wine

Every night, the whole town headed to the beach to enjoy the sunset. On our first night, we walked down the beach to a restaurant called Habanero to watch the sunset while drinking a margarita and eating the fresh catch of the day. I think I ate the fresh catch of the day and/or ceviche every day, if not most meals.

 

pura vida!

follow me on...

live simply.

There is not much more to say, except that I am trying to do this...

Yes trying to surf more (a must), but also re-teaching myself how to live more simply and enjoy life and what (and who) I've been blessed with. 

Life is more fun with a surfboard under your feet, and friends to share the ocean with! 

Original art by BXC Design

maui day 6: revisited

So sad to see the end of this trip in sight. I was hoping we would both magically get jobs here, and Emma (our little wiener doggy) could be flown over to be the island mascot and bask in the sun she loves so much. But alas, we head home tomorrow (although I feel at home here too). Our last day was filled with A LOT of water and sun.

We headed south again, past Lahaina, to mile marker 14 (Olowalu) along the highway. It was extremely windy and rained on and off (I was not so happy about getting in the water), but we were told it was an amazing spot to snorkel.

olowalu

At first it was intimidating because it was so shallow and the reef came up so high. After zig zagging our way through the maze of coral in the shallow water, we found some open areas of beautiful and incredible underwater gardens. I've never seen anything like it. The fish were so colorful, and the coral so intricate and delicate looking ("looking" being the key word as I have a nicely scraped arm from one attacking me).

Because I'm a baby and hate anything resembling "cold" while I'm at the beach, we headed back up north to Ka'anapali to get some sun and swimming in. The water was so clear and refreshing. There was a nice cove at the end of the beach by Black Rock where we did some more snorkeling--not as jaw dropping, but still pretty and lots of fish to enjoy. Drew stayed out longer than me and managed to hang out with a couple of honu (sea turtles).

Taking a break from the sun, we enjoyed a farewell mai tai at the tiki bar--then headed back to the beach for a final swim.

the clear water in ka'anapali

I didn't think the clouds across the way covering the island of Molokai would break in time for the sunset, but they did and it was a beautiful one at that. The perfect end to a fun day and final night in Maui!

journal entry, day 6

Kaanapali on Dwellable

maui day 3: revisited

I love the simplicity here--no pomp, no circumstance, no malls (well not like LA anyway), and a lot of times no rhyme or reason (but it works!).

We started our morning off with an early check-in at Trilogy in Ka'anapali for a catamaran and snorkeling tour. What an amazing day! The Trilogy crew handed out breakfast on the way to Honolua Bay, and barbecued lunch right on the boat for everyone.  They are one of the only snorkeling tours that sails the whole way back. It takes a bit longer, but there's definitely no need to rush.

honolua bay

some kids chilling on the trampoline while sailing 

view from the water

we drove back to honolua bay the next morning before anyone was in the water

I am now obsessed with sea turtles after coming face to face with one while snorkeling. He was magnificent! The sea sirens must have sent him, knowing I was nearby ;)

honu

We made an early night of it, and went to happy hour at Kimo's on the water in Lahaina--enjoyed the catch of the day and a mai tai (or two). Down the street we met Mani, who carved us a tiki guy with a turtle on his head in honor of seeing our first Honu today. I see many more sea carvings from Mani decorating our house each year.

mani working on our carving

must end with a gorgeous maui sunset

Random sound of the day: Rooster crowing on the beach while we were snorkeling 

journal entry, day 3

Kapalua on Dwellable