Good bye Costa Rica

I will spare you the sob story and just say leaving Costa Rica was difficult.  However, I had an amazing time and can't wait to return again next year!  330 days to go!

The night before I left I spent with a great group of friends!

Baldi Hot Springs and Lake Arenal

The day before leaving Costa Rica Gemma, Apryl and I rented a car and drove north on Route 1 to Canas, and then through the towns of Tilaran and Nuevo Arenal to go to Fortuna to visit the Baldi Hot Springs and see the Arenal Volcano. 

The views were stunning, especially the view from the NW side of Lake Arenal.  The road around the lake was in service even though there had been a couple of landslides due to rain.  It is a windy road with corkscrew turns and ups and downs.  Unfortunately for me I hadn't given Apryl any motion sickness pills thinking that being in a car would be easier on her.  I was wrong.  When we got to Fortuna (nearly 3 hours travel time) we stopped for some snacks to take into the Hot Springs and Apryl got sick in the parking lot of the grocery store.  Poor thing.  She definitely has a motion sickness problem when it comes to hilly windy roads!

Our day in the hot springs was amazing and very relaxing!  Just what the doctor ordered. 

Manuel Antonio

Our trip to Manuel Antonio was great!  This national park is south of Puntarenas and while there, Apryl learned to surf, we saw a fast moving sloth and had a laugh watching bad little monkeys!  This is my favorite place in Costa Rica, although it is truly a tourist site now.  I prefer off the tourist pathway, but wont give up loving this beach and park!

 Nothing more refreshing than fresh coconut water right out of the coconut!  And then the treat is to eat the fresh coconut meat!  Yummy!

 This is a Costa Rican specialty - the Granizado Cart!  This is shaved ice with powdered milk, sweet condensed milk and flavored syrup.  It is sickenly sweet, but so yummy for a treat especially on a hot day at the beach!

 We got serenaded to, and then Apryl began blowing her little whistle (souvenir) with the guy! 

 Best drink!  Ice cold beer served 'Michelada style' - salt on rim of cup, with 2 fingers deep of lemon, and beer over ice!  Oh how I love my Imperial Michelada style!

 This monkey was a naughty little monkey. He and his crew stole a banana out of a mans hand as he was getting ready to eat it!  The monkey flew through the air and grabbed the banana right out of the mans hand! 

 Miguel was her surf instructor and he was great!