Welcome to the Jungle

If you like adventure, solitude, and lush palm trees lined up and down a deserted endless beach, then Costa Rica might be for you. I seriously thought Tattoo and Mr. Roarke would be standing at the end of the dirt/grass landing strip, frothy cocktails in hand, to greet our Cessna when it laded in tiny Tambor, Costa Rica, the gateway to the Nicoya Peninsula. Our trip deep into the jungle of this spectacular country showed us more than we imagined- warm waters that rolled out the most fantastic waves each day (complete with large sea turtle swimming next to us), the resort's resident iguana peeking in on us each morning, an exhilarating tree top canopy tour where we zip lined from platform to platform while viewing the most breathtaking views out across the Pacific Ocean. We explored miles of sandy beaches on ATV's while discovering secret coves, one discretely protecting Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady's vacation hideaway. We ate fresh fish every day and the staff at our tiny resort, Pranamar Villas, pampered us with exotic drinks and special dishes all week. A truly amazing experience that was most certainly the trip of a lifetime.

Santa Teresa Beach

We spent long, lazy days walking up and down the beach, never seeing another soul. We lounged on our veranda, books and drinks in hand reading and relaxing, hearing nothing but the sound of the waves and the call of the birds.

our iguana neighbor

The wildlife was incredible. Luckily it was the dry season, so to our surprise (and delight) there were absolutely no bugs, flying or crawling. But the iguanas were plentiful and kept the kids busy for hours- watching, stalking, and luckily never successfully capturing any. We witnessed a gorgeous species of crab announce the beginning of the rainy season by making their way down the mountain to the beach; getting lost and detoured by our open air bathroom, swimming pool, veranda, and the restaurant. They are a beautiful blueish orange and when they finally arrive at their beach destination they bury themselves so deep in the sand that an enormous pile has accumulated above them. Up and down the beach for twenty four hours we witnessed these amazing creatures secure their place in the Eco-chain by making mountain after mountain of sand, disappearing to God knows where. The next day it was as if the Earth swallowed them up and delivered them to safety...wherever that may be. Not a crab to be seen.

yes, that is my child heading out across the jungle canopy on a steel cable, ala Go, Diego, Go!

I must admit that when it comes to vacation I am perfectly content lounging for a week straight, drink in hand, enjoying the occasional swim in the pool or romp in the waves. Costa Rica, in spite of the intense heat and humidity, begs you to explore, hike, surf, snorkel, and zip line. But whether you are the lounging or active type, Costa Rica will still reveal it's treasures to you. While out exploring we saw sea turtles floating in the waves, gorgeous views over the canopy of trees while zip lining, a strange variation of squirrel searching for nuts on the side of the road, or those crazy crabs again literally covering the dirt road at night in search of the beach. Unfortunately, some of them never quite made it as they became victim to ATV wheels and SUV tires.

fresh fish and sushi every night

I knew Costa Rica had monkeys. Three species to be exact, but the Nicoya Peninsula is home to the elusive Howler Monkey, perhaps the coolest primate of all. As I said in earlier posts, there were no clocks at the resort and we were never quite sure what time of day it actually was. We figured out daytime needs by when we felt the urge to eat, drink, or nap, and we marked the end of the day by the call of the Howler Monkey. Next to the Blue Whale, these buggers are the loudest creatures on Planet Earth. No joke. And when you get a pack of them jumping through the branches of the resort, it is quite a spectacular show. We actually only SAW them once, but HEARD them every day at sunrise and sunset. It took a few days to figure out exactly what the eerie, guttural, primal hum was that literally vibrated through the trees with the intensity of a freight train. One morning with the sun barely peeking through, I thought the yogi's were finishing up a rather spirited class with a powerful, collective "OMMMMM". Nope. Just the monkeys saying good morning. Another day just after the sunset was swallowed up by the Pacific I headed to my open air shower to cool off. The four walls started to almost sing with the deepest octave my human ears have ever heard. Were the people in the house next to the resort turning up the bass on the stereo to start a little sunset soiree? I had not a clue, but yes, you guessed it. The monkeys. Watch the video and if you can ignore the unsteady hand and occasional commentary of the nine year old videographer, you will no doubt be mesmorized by the magical Howler Monkey.

Entranced, enchanted, thoroughly captivated. We will be back. We are in love with Costa Rica and completely embrace it's Pura Vida.