Costa Rica

Our trip is ending.  So many thoughts and emotions that each of us is feeling as our return nears.  We have a couple of more days here and I’ll have a very detailed and hopefully enjoyable summary post that I am focusing on, but first a few short words about Costa Rica.  We spent the final two weeks of our trip in this beautiful country.  After 6 weeks of nearly non-stop action in Australia, Peru and Ecuador, we scheduled very little for our final two weeks, wanting to be on a beach where the kids could catch up on their studies, with the option of an occasional adventure.  We rented a small place near the beach at a small village in the southwest part called Manuel Antonio.  The better part of each day was spent studying (and teaching), but the study breaks were awesome!  The beach here is stunning, about 1 mile long and beautiful sand.  Nearby the kids enjoyed surfing lessons for an hour or so each day, followed by an hour or so of body boarding.  These two activities left them pummeled and exhausted.  Traci took me running almost every day (she didn’t miss one…I missed a few) which left me similarly pummeled and exhausted.  Also, there are no photographs but there are witnesses and both Traci and I can officially say we surfed.  I have nothing except apologies for those unfortunate bystanders who were caught between me and the beach.  Very fun.  The kids insisted that we join them, and surfing is now officially checked on my bucket list.  However brief, but my surfing career is officially over. 

There were a few other adventures (white water rafting, visiting the namesake Manuel Antonio national park) but for the most part we enjoyed a relatively empty schedule.  Hayden celebrated his 11^th birthday this past week, and he and I went “inshore” fishing for half a day, followed by surfing lessons, his parasailing with Halle, body boarding, Traci’s famous beef enchiladas, gooey M&M cookies with vanilla ice-cream and his favorite movie “Grown Ups.”  Good parenting until the last part.  A very good day for all! 

Costa Rica is a very beautiful country.  Friendly people and easy to get around but surprisingly expensive as most basics are imported.  Probably not too different price wise from a beach destination in the U.S., but there is enough lushness and exoticness to make it interesting. Yet another place where I’d like to spend more time further exploring.  Below are a few pictures.  3 a.m. shuttle on July 31^st and we should be back in Seattle in time for dinner.  Will post my final (I think) thoughts next week!

Think this looks like a disinterested or dysfunctional family that has already learned the basics of rafting?  Holy smokes!  I didn't take these pictures and pictures never lie so I'm going to share a few...and this guide and the river were awesome so no excuses.  No one was posing, and what in the heck am I thinking and doing?  Yikes!

That's more like it.  We're back.  We know there is a picture being taken and we are one SERIOUSLY happy family!

OK so I think that in this and all of the following rafting pictures that the photographer just so happened to catch me at my worst moments.  I mean we're not scared of a few small waves in a lukewarm river!

That's more like it.  I have a huge smile in this picture, the epitome of bravery!

For some reason the photographer captured another picture of what appears to be fear but what is really family emergency training.  Fear not, close your eyes and open your mouths and inhale strongly.  Our kids are so well-trained and listen so well.

Seriously!  Every picture this guy took made me look like the world's lamest, grumpiest, most scared man. 

A lot of olympic caliber athletes assume this gorilla-like facial expression during their moments of greatest duress.

Assessing, evaluating and showing not a hint of fear.  One of my favorite pics of Halle.  In most photos she's been out of view behind me, mostly because I panicked and buried her without choice.  Sydney is smiling as the rest of us panic.

I assume my athletic mouth position and do all the work while the rest relax.  I think that I'm a lot like Michael Jordan here.  He often stuck his tongue out when under pressure, and he often had to carry his team. Apparently no one else heard the guide yell "Paddle Paddle Paddle! or more likely I didn't hear him yell "Stop Paddling!"  Note the ferns in our helmets as we attempt to go camo.  Halle is in that special place known as 'Halle's world"

"Umm.. Dad could I sit up front now because every time there is a little ripple in the river you purse your mouth and puff your cheeks and lean back and squish me into the floorboards?"

A little respite from the river at a nearby waterfall.  Hayden is still camoflaged.

After having Halle and Sydney switch places, and after a little waterfall break, I really settled down and relaxed and enjoyed things.

Hayden turns 11.  He and Halle enjoy their first lift off Parasailing

Adios Amigos.  300' up up and away!

So excited it was so awesome!

This guy used to be a beach "snow cone man."  Now after 17 consecutive days of our family's business he has retired.

Body boarding

Halle was the champion body boarder, being able to ride the smallest waves way up on shore

Sydney not only gets a surf lesson but gets a little royal treatment from her instructor

The elusive and endangered squirrel monkey.  These are about 1 foot tall and incredibly agile.  Troops of them came by our house every other day or so.

Marlin and Nemo you can sleep soundly now, Coral has been avenged!

Why other fish aren't crazy about barracudas

Hayden foul hooking a trevally.  He can fish so well that even if the fish aren't biting, he will still manage to catch them.

Lots of colorful critters like this

The curiously named green iguana

A male howler monkey.  Guess how you can tell it's a male?  Walk with pride laddie!  

Three-toed sloth.  Super cool, elusive animal

The cheeky "white faced monkey."  You can just look at this guy and know he is a malicious, onery punk.

The "Jesus Christ" lizard, so named as they can walk (or rather run) on water.  Incredibly prehistoric.

A fine example of a black iguana.  This feller was about 3' long.

Sydney ripping it up

Halle in focus....she's goofy footed.  Must have gotten that from one of her grandparents.

Hayden gets it done!