One of the first things you learn when researching a trip to Costa Rica is the phrase, "Pura Vida"! While it's meaning translates to simple or pure life, the Ticos (locals) use the phrase for almost anything: hello, good-bye, have a nice day, so-long, take it easy, chill out, no problem, thanks, etc. I guess that was what we were seeking when my siblings and wives began dreaming of our next adventure together at the end of our trip to Lake Powell last fall. Costa Rica was decided upon and we set the dates for Saturday, February 23 - March 2, 2019. Unfortunately, responsibilities with young families kept Mark and Sarah, and Greg and Kristie from joining us. It's a good thing my family enjoys being together because we rented a 5-bedroom, 6-bath house on the west coast near Manuel Antonio, which would become our home for the week. Doug and Sandra; Jim and Shauna, Bob and I, David and Melita, and Kent and Linda packed up and prepared to enjoy the simple life.
We all arrived on Saturday at different times, which gave Dave and Melita (early arrival) an opportunity to deliver some treats to Hermana Camri at the LDS Mission home. By chance, Camri had been called to serve a two-year mission in Costa Rica just after we had planned this trip! And she was located in San Jose, not far from the airport. Bob and I arrived around noon and met the others at Chichi's restaurant while we waited for Kent and Linda to arrive. Unfortunately, their connecting flight had been cancelled and they had to scramble last minute to find another flight. Dave had rented a 15-passenger van for us to use for the week. It was a great deal at just $400 - that is until they added on the $500 insurance premium! We were glad to pay for it considering that the van was
brand new - never before used. Dave was a champion, hauling us around in that beast all week - although it came with lots of sweat and white-knuckled handling! After lunch we drove to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints San Juan Temple Site. It was closed for the day, but we were able to take a few photos from outside the gate.
There was a cute little fruit stand across the street from the temple where we stopped to pick up some fruit to enjoy for breakfast the next day. We sampled a few unique fruits and ended up purchasing some mangoes, papaya, and pineapple. Kent and Linda were still a few hours from arrival, so we decided to leave them on their own so that we could get to our destination before dark.
The drive took much longer than expected due to heavy tourist traffic, but we enjoyed surveying the landscape from our windows. The underbrush was much more dry than I had anticipated. The El Nino weather had made things especially hot and dry this season. We stopped for a break in Jaco where we watched the alligators in the river below the bridge. An enterprising local man was dangling meat from a rope to entice the alligators in for a show aimed at bringing in a few tourist colons. We counted at least 20 of those nightmarish creatures!
It was just after dark when we arrived in the small town of Quepos where we would stay for the week. Climbing the hills on narrow winding roads had us all a bit on edge. But when the GPS told us to turn down a steep ravine onto a tiny dirt road, we all experienced a bit of panic. Had we been foolish to rent such a big van? An SOS call was placed to our host, Itza, who came to assure us that we could make it to her home. Thankfully, Dave was able to maneuver the tight turns and we arrived safely - though not sure we would ever get out of there! Tired and hungry, we asked Itza to have some pizza delivered to the house along with a few groceries. We drew lots for the bedrooms and unpacked as we waited for Kent and Linda to arrive. Rightly so, Dave inherited the Master Bedroom, which the rest of us coveted. Bob and I ended up in the simplest room - luck of the draw! We were glad to have a Kent and Linda arrive in a small Sedan, which came in handy - although parking them both inside the property gate was a challenge. We were in for quite the adventure! Yipy!
The next day we were able to explore and get a better look at our "Enchanted House", as it was called. We were in a "mansion" located in the middle of the jungle in the humble neighborhood which had built up around Itza's home.
We shared our accommodations with all kinds of creatures including bugs, frogs, bats, macaws, monkeys and fireflies. Barking dogs and crowing roosters made sleep difficult at night, but we were glad to be together and really enjoyed the private backyard and pool.
From the balcony, we could enjoy the flowers and foliage and watch for wildlife. In the front yard, papaya and mangoes were growing.
So this is what "the pure life" looks like. Now let's get out and find out how it feels!
Pura Vita!
