Sunday, August 31, 2014

Costa Rica: Playa Ballena, Beach Camping

While we were in Costa Rica there was a holiday, the Annexation of Guanacaste, which meant we had one long weekend! We had a connection with a man who lived in the area from my Dad's business and he invited us to join his family and 10 other families to go camping on the beach! Literally on the beach. We didn't have to plan hardly anything, we didn't have to worry about transportation or planning activities, and we could spend time with his wonderful family, we were so up for that! So here are some pictures and descriptions of the activities you do while camping on the beach. 


Not pictured because the pictures didn't turn out: 

bbq with all sorts of meats and grilled tomatoes and corn (so yummy!) + wonderful company
x watching lightning storms at night on the beach, they light up the whole ocean so beautifully
x star gazing in the sand, goodness gracious that was beautiful!
x seeing whales & dolphins! They were too quick to photograph
x swimming in the middle of the clear, bright blue ocean...in our clothing. (story below)

Enjoy! XO


^ Welcome to Parque Nacional Marino Ballena 
Those marine currents are real and if you sit in the sand too long they will get sand into parts of your swimsuit you didn't know they could go. Like between the liner and fabric of your swimsuit giving you an extra pound of weight in your bottoms..awkward.. ^


^ Playa Ballena: Whale Beach it literally shaped like a whale's tale! & we stayed right on the side of it. During high tide the tail if covered, but during low tide people say it is like Moses because the water just parts around it. It is really neat! ^

^ Our tent ^
^ The view from our tent! I'm telling you we were steps away from the ocean, and this is low tide ^


^ Costa Rican version of a "snow-cone" including carmel, cream, and dehydrated milk ^




 ^ Day two we went whale watching...in that tiny little boat..!! ^

 ^ Island ^
^ My, I'm seasick, I hope I don't fall out of this boat, everyone is speaking Dutch & I can't even figure out Spanish, but I've always wanted to go whale watching face! ^

Quick story: When Maren & I went whale watching we were thinking it would probably be in a big boat. Like a really bit boat. So I didn't even think it'd be necessary to wear my swimsuit, & remember what I said about marine currents & sandy swimsuit bottoms? Yeah we had to cut little holes in our swimsuits to get all of the sand out, it was insane. So we both had soaking wet sandy bottoms and decided to just wear shorts (Maren was wearing full on clothing but I had my swimsuit top on). After a couple hours of whale watching and sight seeing the driver...sailor? asked us if we all wanted to get out and swim. The water was so clear and beautiful and the boat was so rocky (I was getting super nauseous) & so we jumped in the ocean still clothed and loved every second of it. Our clothes didn't dry for days but it was so worth it! You could see your feet below you because it was so clear. I'm sure the people from Costa Rica and the Netherlands were judging us Americans for swimming in our clothes, but hey we owned it!

^ Sunday ^

 ^ This little guy just let me get that close ^

 ^ Oh hey future roommates... quick shout-out! ;) ^


 ^ Watch for falling coconuts, I'm not even kidding ^
 ^ Carlos & His family ^



 ^ Campsite ^

 ^ we can pretend Maren's eyes are open :) ^




 ^ Pura Vida! ^
(but for the sake of Maren and myself I must disclose to you that nobody actually said that to us outside the tourist area or Arenal)


Saturday, August 30, 2014

Costa Rica: A Night In The Jungle


While in Costa Rica we had very limited time to sight see and visit the regular tourist locations. We only had 3 weekends and we had to plan everything and find our own transportation and way around the country. The first weekend we visited the LDS temple and the capitol, San Jose. The second weekend we decided to visit Arenal, a volcano area that brings people from all over the world. It was a lot of work to figure it all out and a few people warned us it might be dangerous traveling with just the two of us, but we didn't have another option and we really wanted to see a new place. So that Saturday morning we woke up early took a bus into Heredia (30 mins), took another bus into San Jose (about 30 minutes), took a taxi to the bus stop to Arenal, and took another bus to Arenal (4.5 hours), got there that evening, visited a number of shops, found our hotel, which was on the volcano in a little house, and went swimming. We also enjoyed at least 3 warm showers each because the shower at our host family's house was quite cold.

The next morning we went zip-lining. Maren and I decided this was a physical way to show how brave we had been the entire trip. It's difficult to explain, but day to day I felt so brave and yet I felt no one could see how brave we were. Not even us. But both of us not being too keen with heights agreed we wanted to do this zip-line and so we did! It was pouring rain, but they still let us go and told us it would just make the line much faster and harder to stop (!!!). I would highly recommend doing this to anyone visiting Arenal. It was beautiful, even in the rain, and it was so fun to fly over the volcano.



 
^ Our hotel room ^







^ We were so excited to stay on big beds in a big room ^ 



^ Fun fact, you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet in Costa Rica, & we were on this bus in the back for 4.5 hours while a boy our age talked to us loudly in English unintentionally announcing to everyone who we were and where we were going. He was quite the character. But now that I think about it most of the bus probably couldn't understand his English anyway so I guess it wasn't too big of a deal. ^




^ While receiving instruction, I guess I was looking a little bit bored. ^


^ Some guys we met from our hotel ^


 ^ I just realized this picture was actually from the Bus Ride to Arenal and not from Zip-lining, but hey look at that green! ^











^ Told you it was pouring rain, I'm talking the kind of rain we don't ever get in Utah! ^ 


 ^ This was the Tarzan Swing, I have a video, but I will upload it on the next post because I don't currently have it in my possession. I will say, it was epic. ^

So that's all for our Jungle Night Stay! 
Next up: a few nights sleeping on the beach.





   

Monday, August 18, 2014

Costa Rica: Oh The Things You Will Eat

Here are a bunch of pictures of the food we ate in Costa Rica! (Mostly thanks to Maren). While I did love a lot of it, Gallo Pinto (breakfast made of rice and beans with cilantro and seasonings), Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken), and Empanadas (breakfast made of handmade corn tortillas filled with bean paste and sometimes cheese), were my absolute favorite. The food was unlike anything I've ever tried before and it wasn't anything like what we consider Spanish food here in the U.S.. Rice and beans were used in every meal, but there are so many ways to eat those so I really did enjoy it! Although there were a couple things I did not like and will never eat again if I have any say in it, I have labeled these with their pictures. Enjoy!

^ Fanta & lemonade on our weekend excursion ^


^ This meal was by far the most disgusting. In fact, it is the only one Maren and I couldn't even finish. If anyone knows what it is actually called and what it is, I'd love to know because with our limited ability to communicate we could not figure it out. The orange apricot looking things were very stringy and tough and that white blob? That is mayo that you dip the mystery "fruit" in. Then on the side: a corn tortilla with a fried egg that includes some rice left out from the night before. Also...I can't stand eggs. ^




^ These fried plantains with cheese were very popular, but I don't think I'll miss them much. ^


^ Manzana De Agua, (Water Apple) from the fruit trees outside ^
^ Anuna, basically a fruit that tastes like cotton candy, so good! ^ 



^ Bean paste, arroz con pollo ^


^ Corn crackers Maren loved but I couldn't choke down.. ^
^Yuka I believe..?^


^ We got a little desperate for chocolate and this stuff was good :) ^



^ Mint that Maren may have swallowed..^


^ More fried eggs ^



^ those black things are giant beans! ^ 

^ Pico (no chips), fish, squash, and rice, yummy!^




^ Corn tortillas with mayo for breakfast ^
^ Soup ^                                         
^ Arroz con Pollo, I love this meal!! ^



^ Gallo Pinto, This stuff is GOOD. ^



^ A gluten free coffee cake type breakfast ^

^ These cheese quesadillas and empanadas were our favorite breakfasts!^ 
^ Some colorful potato salad-ish side along with ham, beans, and rice ^