Aside from the Costa Rican driving experience, I did not find it at all difficult to unwind in the jungle paradise. We spent the first two days of our trip in Arenal, just a hop, skip, and a pot-holed road away from an active volcano. Active, but apparently shy. It hid behind a thick mist for our entire visit. Tabacon Hot Springs, the resort our travel guy booked for us, was much fancier than we’d anticipated. The room wasn’t anything too spectacular (beyond boasting a bathroom bigger than my entire apartment), but the food and the service was nothing short of the royal treatment. Just try pouring your own coffee there. They won’t be havin’ any of that!
On Wednesday, after our adventure above the canopy, we spent the day hopping between natural hot springs, the swim up bar, and the Grand Spa. I fell asleep during both of my treatments and I’m pretty sure I didn’t fully gain consciousness until the next day.
Thursday, we headed for to the Central Pacific Coast. The drive was lessâ€_ adventurous than the trek up to the mountains (when I got out of the car in Arenal, my arms were aching from manipulating four hours of intense serpentine curves), but when we arrived at Punta Leona, we met with our first disappointment. The “bungalowâ€ù was more like a motel room on a slab of concrete, and though it was promised to be “steps from the beach,â€ù it was actually more like a fifteen minute drive. The place was deserted. So we climbed right back in the car, determined to make lemonade, and headed back down the road to Steve n Lisa’s – a restaurant we found in the guidebook. It only took a few lobsters (and a piña colada) to adjust our bad attitudes.
Then there were the Canadians we picked up at reception the next morning. But, I’ll have to dedicate a whole entry to them as they were a huge part of turning the experience around and making it nothing short of delightful.
Downshifting to a few days of beach time actually took some effort. I’m not kidding. I felt a little anxious about not having to be somewhere, doing something. But after a few hours at Playa Blanca, I re-learned how to just do nothing. My favorite nothings being bobbing in the ocean, drawing sand crocodiles, and exploring early morning tide pools with Jen. Rough life, isn’t it? And yet, somehow, by 9:30 every night, we were out cold from a day of hard beachin’.
(First three photos by Jen. More to come.)
As I sit far from the 20th floor windows on this dreary sunless day in new york, this post came across my reader and I am jealous. Make that a capital J Jealous.
I’m not sure which is affecting my reaction more. The food and drink are certainly a start. The photos.. are so vivid I’d think they were photoshopped if I didn’t know better.
Alas, I think it’s the “nothing” bit I most desire to add to my day. This holiday season seems to be the most hectic one yet, and though I’d rather be doing all these activities, I’m looking forward to the nothing that I’ve promised myself for early next year.
So keep up the sand play.. maybe draw a turtle to mix it up. have some crab with your lobster. and take more pictures.
Ooh, don’t worry, we’ll send a special super nice taxi driver to the airport so you’ll know what you missed while you were away.
glad to have you back…the pictures are nice…thanks for sharing…can’t wait to hear more about your trip…
Yup, random Canadians taking you under wing and ensuring fun and frivolity is a common occurance. Or at least, Hubby and I adopt a few friends on each of our vacations!
Viva les Canadiens!
OM (Shivering in Alberta this particularly cool morning!)
Oh, the amount of money I’d pay to just do nothing and be out cold by 21:30 every night… So far it’s wishful thinking. One day… Maybe one day…
The Canadian bit better be juicy. =)
Peter, I didn’t photoshop mine (don’t have it) but I did lighten them a bit and adjust the tones a couple of notches. The camera settings make them look gray, and it was definitely not gray, except in the mist.
Wow, those photos are nice. What camera do you and Jen use?
(From This Fish: I use a Pentax. And that’s all I know about it! I’ll look at the model when I get home)
Those pics are amazing! I’m glad you had a good time.
Is that animal Costa Rica’s answer to the Woodchuck? Beautiful pics. Is that the waterfall from Cocktail?
Great pics and very much looking forward to more stories. Heather in a bikini. Meow!
Rowr! Looks like I have new desktop wallpaper.
At least until you & I go back there for our honeymoon.
Friends of mine went to Costa Rica for their honeymoon. In the Playa Beige-a picture, are those homes or hotels on the hill? They stayed in a hotel that would have been in roughly that location with an endless pool that looked out over the ocean. The pictures made it look pretty incredible.
Jeezuz, you look skinnnnny in that bikini! I think I can see your breast bone and ribs. Lookin hot, nonetheless.
Ahhhh Costa Rica. I really hope you enjoyed your time in the hot springs at Arenal. So refreshing…and revitalizing. Your pictures make me miss Costa Rica a lot. The vividness of the colors in your pictures is great. It’s so amazing that that’s how it all really looks!
Jen, I had a similar problem in cancun. Found out the hard way that high humidity = murky looking photos. hundreds of them.
Your touch ups are well done.. tasty even.
Wow – that sounds fabulous! I’m dreaming of vacations for next year…Italy, the California coast, Barbados…now there’s one more contender on my list.
Those pictures are gorgeous. They make me wish I could crawl inside them and hide from my everyday activities. I’m so glad you had a good time!
I stayed at Tabacon on my honeymoon! My wedding ring still has huge nicks in it from the volcanic rocks on Arenal.
Hooray for the swim-up bar! And the accupressure massages. Mmmmm.
Ow, your bikini pic makes my pants tight.
That sounds like a fun trip!And love those pics… beautiful!
Yup, jealous is a good word.
Did you know that us Canadians are given a delightfulness test in our infancy? Those who fail are set adrift on an ice flow.
Unfortunatly, global warming has so reduced the ice pack that this practice is becoming rare. Soon our population is going to soar and all of those extra people will be jerks. Seems strange that Dan Quayle never mentions this….
Looks fantastic!
I’d be interested to know what camera you have, as well. I have a Kodak I used to think was okay but now have realized that $100 more could have been a good decision!
Decadent, glamorous pictures and a promise of juicy Canadian stories? It’s good to have you back.
I must say… we Canadians do rock!
There is a part of us (which part, I can’t disclose, because then I’d have to kill you… with Canadian kindness) which honestly enjoys reaching out to other people especially on vacation! That’s when those other people are at their most vulnerable and we can take advantage of them, and through this advantage taking we will one day rule the WORLD *mmmwwwhahahahaah*… but I digress…
Back to we CANADIANS do rock…
Just kidding about the rule the world thing… we all know that the meerkat’s have that sewn up!
Your trip sounds fantastic and your pictures are breathtaking. I am beyond jealous.
What kind of cat is that?
Seriously, it’s a cute little critter and I’m curious. Looking at your pix made me feel like I had been on vacation. Totally jealous!
Oh. MY GOD. What pictures! *Clearly* for the free publicity, Tabacon Hot Springs should let you offer a contest including a free stay. And, you know, can I win the contest?
Another story: My sister went to Costa Rica in college and she was showing me pictures and said “And that’s Manuel Antonio” and I said “Where?” There was no one in the picture. “No,” she said, “that’s the name of the beach.” Meanwhile, she kept talking about Manual Antonio the whole time while flipping through the pictures, so you can imagine I was interested to see just who this guy was.
Heather the pictures are AMAZING! Sounds like good times.
omg you look great!
Great pictures, I am in a difficult situation. I have to choose aplace for the end of MArch. My two buddies want a place where there is a great nightlife to fulfill their testosterone needs…meanwhile, I would like to lean towards the beauty of the place. Do you recmommend Punta Leona? Or any other place?