adventures in costa rica: part 3

Making new friends

We rented an ATV for the day, and drove miles of beach and trails to get to this beautiful cove. 

This is the view from one of the zip line platforms

Halfway through zip lining, we took a break to jump off the rocks!

This is the boat that took us to Tortuga Island for a day of snorkeling

A trip to Costa Rica would not be complete without a little treehouse yoga on a full moon night with howler monkeys going crazy in the surrounding trees! 

pura vida!

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!

mermaid soiree

I just got back from Cabo, where two of my great girlfriends and I enjoyed our first annual Mermaid Soiree (surf trip). What a fun trip! It was so nice to get away from everything for a few days to hang out with some friends I've known for years and spend time relaxing, eating, drinking, talking, sunning, and surfing together.

We stayed at the gorgeous Cabo Surf Hotel, with an infiniti pool and hot tub facing the surf break. We basically never left the water--running from the pool to grab our surfboards and jump in the ocean, then back to the pool again. We made a lot of fun friends in the pool while watching the waves come in!

The service at Cabo Surf Hotel was amazing, and everyone there from the staff to the visitors were so friendly. It is a very convenient little resort, which has basically everything that you need right there so you don't have to rent a car if you don't want to. The food and drinks at the restaurant were delicious. There is even a surf shop below the hotel on the beach where you can rent your boards, making it very convenient (since taking longboards on a plane is not only a hassle, but very expensive).

The surf ranged from 2 ft to 12 ft while we were there. Mornings tended to be a little more mellow and clean, and the currents seemed to pick up a bit more in the afternoons and evenings. The break was very challenging for us, and pushed us out of our comfort zone which was a fun change. The water was incredibly warm (yes, 80 degrees warm), which was such a nice break from our freezing California water. Everyone out in the water was so nice and encouraging--I felt like an amazing surfer, while I'm sure I looked far from that riding some of these big waves. 

There isn't a bad view from any of the rooms

On the last day, a storm came through so we couldn't surf. Instead, the hot tub on the balcony got filled up and pina coladas were ordered!

Besides my sunburned lips, and getting stung by a bunch of jellyfish while paddling in from an evening session, the trip was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a more fun spot for our first soiree!

maui day 7: revisited

It feels like we just arrived, and already have to leave. The island bid us farewell with big waves, rain, and too much wind. We had a final splurge of the diet for breakfast at Sea House Restaurant in Napili on the bay. The view and gardens were amazing, making it harder to leave.

It was a short trip for this mermaid, but one that will be revisited often--in memory as well as many more trips. Mahalo!

maui day 5: revisited

We ventured out early and headed south, then along the north shore to find some waterfalls. We hiked to the "Twin Falls" and then to one above those. It was a truly tropical experience when it suddenly started to pour--warm water and then the sun would burst out and illuminate the forest.

getting a coconut at the end of our hike

The foliage on the north part of the island was very lush, and flowers and plants so vivid. Forests of bamboo lined Hana Highway. Although we didn't make it all the way to Hana, we did experience some of the beauty along the road--as well as the famous hair pin turns and one way roads.

Oh, and I almost forgot--Drew and I both jumped from above one of the falls!

Once again, we made it back in time to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sunset from the lanai.

"For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hands are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land." -Ps 95:3-5

journal entry, day 5