Usually, my posts are all about my adventures while traveling. But, shortly after returning from my last trip, I had a long list of things happening at home, including 3 days of being sick, attending a funeral for a close family member, taking my adult daughter in for a tonsillectomy, followed by over a week of caring for her during her recovery.
Just because I can't take off on another adventure, doesn't mean I can't report about one. So, I'm using this post to tell about my favorite destination this year, Costa Rica.
I was able to get away for 5 days with my boyfriend on his company business trip. Our plan was to lay by the pool or on the beach, relax and recharge. Upon our arrival, we realized that was not going to happen. Instead, we had a busy, fun-filled, action-packed adventure full of friends, food, fishing, and fun.
Arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica is an adventure all by itself. The airport is very small and crowded. Upon picking up our luggage and going through customs for another stamp in my almost full, almost expired passport, we headed outside to meet our group and driver. Wow! What an experience. If you can imagine: You walk through the exit doors, down an outdoor hallway where people watch you through a plexiglass window, and then you attempt to find a needle in a haystack holding a sign with your group name on it. What a relief when you do find him!
Our drive to the resort was long and windy, due to the main road being closed for construction, so we took the "scenic route". It was a beautiful drive and the driver did share some history and pointed out some of the places of interest along the way, but we were really happy when we arrived at our home for the next few days.
OUR RESORT: LOS SUENOS MARRIOTT OCEAN & GOLF RESORT
We were greeted at the entrance by bellman who quickly took our luggage, tagged it for delivery to our room and pointed us towards the check in desk. The desk agent happily found our reservation, gave us the keys to our room, and we were off to start our vacation. We wandered around the resort to get our bearings and organize our plan of attack (so much for R&R).
Our first night was our company Super Bowl Party, complete with big screen TVs, huge buffet and open bar. We enjoyed nachos, quesadillas, wings, and more while watching the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers play our favorite game - football. Even though it wasn't our team, we still got into the game, cheering for the underdog on this outdoor balcony overlooking the pool and the ocean.
After a great nights sleep in amazingly comfortable bedrooms, we woke up to the realization that today was going to be another wonderful adventure we had been looking forward to - fishing. We joined two other friends and headed to the beach, where our chartered boat would be picking us up. We spent the next 8 hours trolling for sailfish. We hooked 17 sailfish that day, but landed 14 on the boat for catch and release. What an amazing experience fighting to bring them in, holding them and touching them before letting them go back into the ocean. We also brought in a small tuna, which the crew made into a ceviche, which we enjoyed with chips. The crew also made us a great lunch, and the cooler was always stocked. Upon our return to the resort, we hung out in the pool for the rest of the night until dinner.
Our next day in Costa Rica started out early. We met the group in the lobby and headed to the marina for a fun day on the sea aboard a luxury catamaran. We spent time floating in the ocean, snorkeling, sliding down the waterslide, hot tub (no one was in there - too hot), jumping off the top deck, and lying on the deck sunbathing. The crew served us lunch and drinks and took great care of us. We were given a view of Manuel Antonio National Park and the coastal area.
After returning from the catamaran trip, we headed for the adjoining golf resort, where he played 9 holes (I drove the cart), surrounded by beautiful gardens, monkeys, birds and even horses talking to us. We finished off the day with more pool time, a great dinner at the marina, and a late night hanging out with friends. Bedtime was well deserved and we were ready for it!
Our last full day in Costa Rica should have been one to just relax, but we were in full adventure mode by this time. So, after sleeping in a bit, we headed back to the golf course for another 9 holes, lunch, and then met the rest of the group for an ATV tour. We rode through the jungles, past local neighborhoods, through rivers, up and down hills, and visited a waterfall (which we jumped into fully clothed to cool off), and then back to the resort for some more pool time.
After cleaning up, we all headed to downtown Jaco, to a local restaurant with an all you can eat and drink menu. El Hicaco, right on the beach, served rock lobster, shrimp, steak, chicken, sushi, salads, and desserts. We ate and drank until there was no more room and then headed back to the resort.
After another well-deserved and fabulous nights sleep and a delicious breakfast, we headed back to the airport for our trip home. If you are looking for a great destination, with many activities available or just to lay by the pool, this is the place. It's beautiful, comfortable, relaxing and luxurious. I look forward to another visit one day soon.
Here are a few more pictures of this beautiful resort:
When you are ready to go explore this part of the world, give me a call (210-858-6399) or send me an email at michelle@traveladventuresbymichelle.com. I'm here to help plan your next adventure!
