Pura Vida

I haven't written in a few days and in the time that passed Adam and I flew and bussed many miles. I am now looking out over the Pacific Ocean while I type away. After flying through 5 Central American airports and running on just 3 hours of sleep, we made it to Costa Rica. We attempted to find some old friends, but there hostel was nowhere to be found so we just crashed in a little hotel in Alajuela. Monday was spent regrouping -- laundry, rest, and a trip to San Jose. I wan't impressed by San Jose but I did buy some much needed jeans. Now I won't embarrass Adam quite as badly with my sandals and shorts. Monday evening we succeeded at finding our friends' hostel because they heard us out on the street talking about how we couldn't find it anywhere! The sign was hidden behind some metal bars but the hostel was really nice and comfortable. We had a good dinner with Sarah & Phil and we began about 4 years of catching up that we will resume this weekend when we all go to Tortuguero.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we started the day very early with a cab ride to Volcan Paos. We heard the clouds descended early so we got up at 6:30am and the four of us piled into a cab and drove up a winding muddy road. We were all holding our breath as this non-4WD vehicle drove over mounds of mud that were apparently a result of a mudslide caused by the earthquake we experienced in Honduras. (I forgot to mention that Friday night my bed started to shake and I was feeling a little earthquake -- that is a life experience.) It was a lovely ride, mostly because I made sure to buy some dramamine first. We were nervous though because it was cloudy. We got to the national park and quickly hiked to the top of the volcano and we could see right into the crater. It was beautiful and unlike anything I have ever seen before. We then spent a while hiking and saw a gorgeous lake. We were very fortuanate because about 15 minutes after we got to the crater, the clouds descended and you couldn't see a thing. Phew!

We got back to Heredia and hopped on a bus to San Jose that got us to the city in the nick of time to catch a bus headed to Manuel Antonio on the central Pacific coast. We were a bit hesitant because this town is rumored to be very touristy - but we went for it anyway because we were craving rainforests, zip lines, and surfing. Plus my wonderful curly haired friend Erica is working here and I was eager to surprise her. After a sleepy and hot bus ride (Adam took some very compromising pictures of me sleeping sprawled over the seats with my purse as a pillow), we arrived in Quepos and I woke up and watched out the window as we past dozens of beachside hotels all facing a gorgeous sunset. It was my first time ever seeing the Pacific Ocean and I got a fantastic first impression.

The bus let us out in Manuel Antonio and we chatted with some Rasta guys a bit (don't worry -- we didn't make any drug deals) and then jumped in a cab en route for Arenas del Mar. This hotel is managed by Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, the same company I am interning with this summer. The hotel is beautiful and it was fun suprising Erica. I met the GM and he offered us a room for the night. We requested two beds and were given a beautiful suite with a jacuzzi on the balcony. We were so excited since we've been paying $4 - $12 a night for questionable accomodations. We had a relaxing evening that involved a really delicious dinner at the restaurant (I had some awesome tuna), hanging out in the jacuzzi with Erica, and an early night to sleep for me in a massive king bed complete with air conditioning and triple sheeting. Heaven!

This morning we had a great breakfast (lots of fruit, fresh squeezed juice, and breakfast burritos) and then chilled poolside for a bit. Erica just gave us a very comprehensive tour of the property and we are gathering our things before hitting the beach. Adam is planning to surf all day and I definitely see a long walk and some reading in my future. This trip has been fast paced so its great to have a day to just enjoy the surroundings.

Tomorrow we wake bright and early to go to the national park for some hiking in the jungle, then we are doing a canopy tour (ziplines through the rain forest) at 9:30am and then return to Manuel Antonio for an hour before jumping on the bus at 5pm that will get us back with Phil and Sarah by 10pm or so. If I am not too tired, I will post a couple pictures of our time in this beautiful town tomorrow night. Hasta luego!