Peru was fantastic. However, due to the State of Emergency in Lima, we decided to move on to our 10th country, Costa Rica. We were looking forward to relaxing in the sun.
For over two months, we had been on the move: biking/hiking through northern Vietnam, skiing in Japan, and hiking in Peru. We were tired. We decided on a spacious two-bedroom AirBnB by the beach. The pool was the size of five pools combined with a great lounge area. It was the perfect spot for us to unwind.
It was also nice to finally have some room to relax and have
a fully stocked kitchen. We had been eating out every meal for most of our trip.
The kids were getting decision fatigue when it came to ordering food. Sleeping
in and cooking breakfast instead of having to get dressed and find a restaurant
was a welcome change to our routine.
*****
Costa Rica is known for it’s thrilling outdoor adventures.
Our kids wanted to try out zip-lining. Our ziplining tour started in the late
morning and it was already steamy. There were ten ziplines in our package and the
kids were nervous and excited.
The side-by-side took us all the way to the top. As usual, I
was anxious. Parker and I have done a lot of wild things before we had kids. We’ve
both bungee jumped, and sky dived, which are two of the tamer situations we’ve
put ourselves in. But with kids, trying something new gets my stomach in a
knot. Will they remember not to place their hand in front of them on the line
so it doesn’t get smashed against the block at the end? Will they remember how
to break if needed? Will I remember?
Fortunately, Parker is always confidant and enthusiastic (at
least he hides any nervousness well). We were high up on the mountain, deep in
the jungle. It was hot but at least shady. We started off with a couple of slow
and short lines for practice. Then we escalated to faster and longer lines. On
the sixth line, the kids and Parker hung upside down. The next one was really long and super-fast.
We all remembered to keep our hands behind us.
It got extremely hot (mid-90s) and extremely humid very
quickly. Cruz got a little dizzy but pulled through. It was a great tour
through the jungle and we also got to see the ocean. After, we enjoyed a nice
lunch. It was a fun outing.
*****
Costa Rica is known for it’s surfing, so of course we checked
it out. The waves were beginner size but strong and consistent. We have been
slowly building our surfing skills and can easily pop up and ride the beginner to
medium waves. The rocks on the beach were not pleasant to land on but the waves were solid. On this trip, we have surfed in Portugal, the Philippines,
Vietnam, and now Costa Rica!
The rest of our time was spent doing absolutely nothing
other than eventually making it down to the pool by mid-afternoon and walking
the beach at sunset.
Although we enjoyed our time in Costa Rica, we did find it
overly touristy and extremely expensive. Everything was more than US prices, ($30 for a 10 inch pizza...no thanks!). Surprisingly, it was the most
expensive destination on our trip. Also, we had just been immersed in some of
the most culturally rich countries in the world and we found Costa Rica to be
somewhat lacking in that.
However, Costa Ricans (Ticos/Ticas) take their lifestyle of Pura Vida (Pure Life) very seriously. We can see the appeal for those looking for the simple and carefree life. That is certainly what we did during our time there, no schedule and no stress. Pura Vida!
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