Time Flies...

You know how there are just those people who are "automatic friends"?  Caro is one of those people in my life.
What is unique about our friendship is that it started through our jobs over Skype and email.  Day in and day out we were in contact - problem solving, figuring out itineraries, and discussing our fun weekends. We also bonded over our hopeless love of chocolate cake.
Another unique characteristic of this friendship - Caro lives in San Jose, Costa Rica and I am a Montanan.  We expected that our conversations would forever be typed. 
However, I am glad our expectations were wrong.  I was able to practice my SPOKEN Spanish with Caro this past October!  My husband and I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, and we spent our last evening with my "automatic friend".  We were hosted by Caro and her husband, Ale, in their San Jose home.  Their sweet three-week-old daughter, Sofi, also made some appearances throughout the evening.

Like I mentioned in another post, one of Jordan's dreams has been to SURF in COSTA RICA.  So, when we were planning this trip, one goal was to make this dream come true.  We were told that the Pacific side of the country is THE PLACE to surf.  Nicoya Peninsula, here we come!
From our resort in La Fortuna, we bid farewell to Arenal Volcano and started west.  
It was a beautiful tour through scenery of rolling hills, flowers, quaint towns, and bright green world contrasting with a bright blue sky.  It was a breath-taking drive!  It was also winding.  That might actually be an understatement.  Perhaps spiraling is a better term?  If driving in Costa Rica, be prepared for twisting roads, MANY one way bridges (which STILL baffle me!), and even MORE potholes than one way bridges!  But also prepare yourself for gorgeous vistas.
   

As a self-proclaimed "foodie", I thought I would designate a post as a culinary tour of our trip.  Jordan and I REALLY enjoyed the "comida tipica", or common dishes, in Costa Rica.  When one thinks of rice and beans it probably seems a bit lackluster.  However, when done WELL, they are delicious.  There is also much to be said for eating what the locals eat - it is a component that can truly submerse travelers into a culture.  You know what they say..."when in Rome, do as the Romans do".  In Costa Rica they say "buen provecho".
 

Adventurous spirits!
I already wrote about our Pacaure River rafting trip in another blog post.  However, it was so awesome, that I think it deserves to be mentioned again.  You should not go to Costa Rica without taking on the Pacuare...you will NOT regret your decision.  
But besides the rafting trip, Jordan and I participated in some other fantastic adventures!  On our second full day, we had a canopy tour planned with Pozo Azul.  This operator is so fantastic!  Our guides were extremely knowledgeable (we learned about every plant and animal we encountered), passionate about what they do, and super friendly.  Octavio and Ronaldo went out of their way to give us memorable experiences - like finding tarantulas, blue jean frogs, and the iconic red-eye frog for us to see up close!  We also learned about their backgrounds of coming to Costa Rica from Nicaragua and how fortunate they feel to have the opportunity to share with others how they believe Costa Rica is great.  It's amazing how you build relationships with people while soaring through the air from tree to tree.
The canopy tour consisted of nine ziplines high above the jungle floor.  It was fantastic - like flying!  The finale was a 900 meter zipline OVER the Sarapiqui River.  Thrilling!  
After we permanently landed on ground, we had a pleasant lunch at the restaurant on site.  Our meal of fried local tilapia, plantains, fresh mango juice, and coconut flan was enjoyed on a balcony overlooking the Sarapiqui and swarming with vibrant hummingbirds feeding on the flowers nearby.  It was awesome getting to watch them flitter around - fascinating creatures!  Not to mention GORGEOUS creatures.
 

Wake up call on the Pacuare!
After an initial night in San Jose, due to a late flight arrival, we started our journey with a bang!  We got up EARLY that first morning in Costa Rica to begin our rafting adventure on the Pacuare River.
The Pacuare is one of the top FIVE commercial rafting rivers in the world, so we felt really fortunate to get to experience it.  We rafted Class III & IV rapids...over 70 of them throughout the day!  It was simultaneously invigorating, FUN, thrilling, and frightening.  Despite occasional flashes of fear that overtook my mind, it was by far MY FAVORITE activity from our trip.
  After a day of adventure, we were taken to our first "home" of the trip...Selva Verde.  This ecolodge is located on a 500 acre reserve, so opportunities to observe wildlife and vegetation abound!  We sighted multiple toucans, a giant iguana, and "Jesus Christ" lizards known for being able to run across water.  Selva Verde has a suspension bridge over the Sarapiqui River that we swayed down and took in some neat views.  Our cabana overlooked the rushing river, and lush green was as far as the eye could see.  We were truly deep in the jungle.
The soft roar of the river and the thick canopy overhead gave me a sense of peace.  However, when the sun goes down and everything is PITCH BLACK...I mean, darker than any dark I have experienced...it gets a bit interesting.  All you hear are the sounds of the surrounding jungle, but you cannot SEE anything anymore.  Your headlamp provides enough light to follow the path and catch a glimpse of the lizard scurry across or see the gigantic spider hanging in its web above the walkway.  Similar to the Pacuare, extremely fascinating but a bit frightening at the same time.  If nothing else, I will be a stronger person after this trip...