Friday, I got back from a trip to Costa Rica with the Vemich-Strong immediate family - our first exclusive family vacation in oh, probably 13 years or so. It had its ups and downs, but I'm proud to say that we all tolerated each other's crazies better than I anticipated.
Day 1 (Friday, March 9): I arrive in San Jose from Louisville, expecting my family to be waiting outside the airport with open arms (they were supposed to land 2 hours before me, get the rental car, etc etc). I walk outside the airport, scanning the crowd and find a lot of Ticos, many asking me if I want a taxi and NO FAMILY. I don't panic. They're probably driving around somewhere. An hour later I start to get a bit antsy, especially when people start asking me if I want to use their cell phone and I realize we have NO alternative plan other than "meet at the airport." Forget that none of our cells work, none of us speak Spanish fluently and my heart rate starts to pick up a bit... Luckily just then my father walks out looking around. Reunited, it takes us another 2.5 hours to get the car and get to our hotel for the first night. We're staying at a hotel in Alajuela - a suburb of San Jose. Dinner is obviously first on the list since they haven't eaten all day! Below is a photo of the grounds of our hotel. Pool off to the right, our little house off to the left, fresh breakfast straight ahead!
Day 2 (Saturday, March 10): Up early, go for a walk, eat breakfast, lounge by the pool a bit and back on the road for our 4 hour drive out to Samara - on the Pacific coast. When we finally arrive, we are informed that there has been a mix-up with the condo we (my parents) rented and while we have it reserved, the people currently IN the condo believe they have it for another night. After soaking in the view from below (off what is to be "our" balcony), we go off to find a hotel and explore the town a bit.
Day 3 (Sunday, March 11): No one slept well last night because the hotel we stayed at last minute was a little sketch. We did get a wonderful breakfast included though - delicious Costa Rican coffee and gallo pinto. Gallo pinto is the traditional breakfast of black beans, rice, and eggs, but the spices vary depending on the region. We head to the beach while the condo is cleaned and then we can move in! Today is spent unpacking, buying groceries, relaxing by the pool/on the beach. Really feels like we're on vacation now!
Day 4 (Monday, March 12): Another day spent relaxing. Waking up early, hearing the howler monkeys was exciting! We make appointments for surf lessons and rent some snorkeling gear to go look at the reef. We saw some awesome bright blue and yellow fish and Mom and I saw these weird white fish with black in the middle. 2 hours later and starving, we eat lunch at an amazing vegetarian restaurant, the owner, Sabine is very personable and brings out hot peppers fresh from her garden to talk to us about her recipes. She also employs an ex-pat, a young man who moved to Costa Rica over a year ago from Connecticut and has no plans to return to the U.S. I could relate :) We went down to the beach for the sunset and to drink pina coladas. Yup, vacation!
Day 5 (Tuesday, March 13): Did some yoga in the morning (we're talking 6:30am). The sunrise is so early (before 6am) so it is mid-morning bright by 7:30 or 8am. We had lunch at Lo Que Hay - known for their tacos! the vegetarian ones weren't anything to scream about but the salsa was pretty good and they did have the Taco Tuesday special that Matt and Dad both got - a chorizo taco and a beer for 3$. Highlight of the trip for myself was the surf lesson in the afternoon. Matt, Dad and myself all took part, and Mom attempted to document our lessons on my camera. She got some good shots, and was even narrating videos but alas! wasn't working the camera correctly.... haha. Had to relax by the pool after that exhausting lesson!
Day 7 (Thursday, March 15): It really is the Ides of March as we had our "kayak trip from hell" today! We head down to the beach early and have a cup of coffee, meet some friendly dogs, and a German! Then over to where we rent ocean kayaks to kayak out to the island. It is supposed to be a "3 hour tour" to an "uncharted desert island" (if a song didn't just start playing in your head, I don't know what to tell you). In any case, our guide doesn't speak much English and so was not speaking much at all (in English OR Spanish, which we could have worked with!) Getting to the island is rough because the waves are coming from both directions. Matt loses his sunglasses :( and Mom and Dad almost flipped their kayak, but it turns out ok. We explore the island a bit, Matt's mood returns to normal, we watch an iguana eat some melon, watch all the little crabs scuttling all over the beach. Some of us try to go snorkeling, but again, the guide is not so great in giving directions in any language so Dad ends up being the only one out there. The waves are a bit intense so I don't even try. After some swimming and eating fresh fruit (delicious pineapple!) we decide to head back to mainland. Guide pushes us into the water and we paddle back... when getting to the beach he tells us that when waves come, put our paddles up in the air over our heads and lean back. Mom and Dad tip their kayak over, Mom goes under the kayak, hits her head and loses her sunglasses. We hightail it out of there.
We eat lunch at the vegetarian restaurant again with Sabine and then Mom, Matt and I run to Playa Carrillo with Dad following us in the car. Carrillo is the beach that is about 4km down the road. It is almost completely deserted when we get there and wonderful.
Day 8 (Friday March 16): We have to leave early to catch my flight out of San Jose to Louisville at 2:30pm so we get up at the usual 5:30 or 6am, pack up and head out! Drive back is pretty relaxing, though we are all sunburnt (Matt and Dad the worst). I am dropped off at the airport and the other three head off for a day in San Jose. I still haven't heard how this was, but I'm sure it was more fun than the kayak trip.
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