Costa Rica Part II

On Wednesday we had planned a four wheel trip with Vista Los Suenos Adventure Group.  We were very excited about the trip but then learned that we would not be going into any water (like last year) that had been so fun for us.  We ended up driving on the highway down to Jaco (about four miles) and then Eastward up the mountain on the back road toward Bijagual.  It was just a dirt road that we rode up and was super disappointing for Rick and me.  The kids didn't know any different but when we got to the top Rick let our guide (Christopher) know that we were expecting something different from just riding on a road.  We rode down into the jungle on some private property and hiked down to a place called Jaco Falls.  A couple of us (Rick, Brach and myself) enjoyed getting in the water and cooling off.  The falls were strong which made the current very strong but it was fun to get in.

After the falls, we hiked back up. Rick and Kendra and I were bringing up the rear when we saw Skylar running back down the trail to us yelling, "Christopher fell!"  We all took off to get to the top of the hike and saw that one of the 4 wheelers had fallen into a ravine.  It belonged to our second guide who had been driving in the rear.  He had forgotten to put the parking brake on, and when Christopher went to turn them all around, the one without the brake on slid down into the ravine.  When Skylar had come up to the top of the hike he couldn't see Christopher and then saw the downed 4 wheeler, he assumed that Christoper had crashed.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case.  He had taken his 4 wheeler to the top of the hill so he could get reception on his phone to call for help to get that downed 4 wheeler out.

After we left the area, Christopher wanted to make our trip better and told us he was going to take us through a river.  He got down to the Jaco River and we got to go through a lot of water!  It was the best part of our adventure for the day.  After that he took us back to the highway and up into the mountains on the west side of the highway.  We got up high and took a picture at a beautiful vista of the ocean.  We drove through some farms and may or may not have gotten cow poop on us. 😆 It was very muddy and wet from the rains.  At one point as we were heading back we were missing Rick.  He was in the back of the group so we stopped and waited for him.... but he didn't come.  Christopher went back looking for him, and I was worried that he might have crashed somewhere but before long they came roaring up.  Rick's machine had just completely died, and he couldn't get it started back up.  Christopher got it started and they switched ATV's and away we went. 

Here are a few pictures from our ride.

After our ride we went to a little cafe that Skylar had found called El Barco Del Sabor in Playa Herradura for a light snack.  The food was really good!  The owner had a funny looking dog that had his bottom teeth sticking out of his mouth.

That night we had scheduled a personal chef to come to our house and make us dinner.  While Carlos and his girlfriend, Pamela, prepared dinner,  Rick got in the pool to relax while the rest of us read our books in the living room.  There were some great smells coming from the kitchen!

Dinner was served at 6:00.  They had prepared, chicken, pork, and beef tacos, guacamole, pico, and beans.  The best thing on the menu in my opinion was the fresh shrimp ceviche that he made.  The food was not hot when we sat down to eat, so that was a little disappointing, as well as the fact that we did not have any rice with our meal.  Everyone loved the Tres Leches cake that was served afterwards!

After Carlos and Pamela cleaned up and left we played a couple more rounds of Code Names.  It was a nice relaxing night at the house.

Thursday was our last full day on the coast

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After breakfast we drove to Manuel Antonio and went through the park with our rented guide.  We saw sloths, 2 chameleons, capuchin monkeys, Howler monkeys, 2 For de Lance snakes, and more stuff.  After our tour through the park, we decided to have another beach day at Manuel Antonio beaches.  It was another great day!  These are the only pictures of the beach day that I got.  Skylar and Kendra are so cute!!

Fun in the ocean.

That night Skylar and Sarah and Rick and I stopped in Quepos at a restaurant to grab some casado.  I hadn't had any and wanted to get some before the trip ended.  Our meals were very inexpensive and we enjoyed them very much.  Brach and Kendra went off on their own that night and had a great dinner, too.
 

On Friday morning Carlos the Chef came back to the house and made up a nice breakfast for us.  He provided eggs, tortillas, rice and beans, fresh fruit, bacon, and juice.  We ate on the back patio next to the pool and really enjoyed ourselves.  Brach was not feeling well so he stayed in bed and got some leftovers later.  

We enjoyed spending some time in the pool for a couple of hours.  We all got a little sunburned, but it was so fun being in the pool for all of that time just talking and enjoying the water.  I didn't want to get out but I could feel myself getting burned so I got out to get ready and pack up to go.  Rick stayed in longer and got pretty red.  He was uncomfortable for a few days because of it.

We left the house by 2:00 because we were trying to get back to San Jose for a Sealing appointment at the San Jose Temple.  We got checked back in to the Fairfield Inn and saw that we had just a short time to get dinner.  We went to an Argentine Restaurant across from the hotel which caused us to be late.  We ate as fast as we could and luckily the temple workers waited for us.  We had brought family names, and the spirit was beautiful during the session.  Our Sealer did not speak any English but he put the words of the sealing on the altar so the girls could read it as he spoke.  It was really a nice session.  

After the session we headed back to the hotel and then the guys returned the cars.  We then hopped into bed for a short night's rest.  We had to be at the airport by 4:00 to be ready for our 6 AM flight.  The flights were uneventful and we arrived home by 1 PM.  Unfortunately our bags got left behind in Dallas....again.  That was ok.  We were glad to be back in Utah and knew that we had plenty of clothes at our homes.  Our bags actually were delivered to our home by 8 PM so it turned out ok after all.  

It was a great trip, and Rick and I loved being with our married kids enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Costa Rica.  

PURA VIDA, BABY!

Costa Rica 2022 Part I

Saturday morning after having a great breakfast at the Fairfield Inn, Rick and I took a walk around the little neighborhood close to the hotel.  It felt good being in a new country, and we loved the humidity in the air.  After the guys got the cars and had a failed attempt at retrieving our luggage (the plane was delayed) we decided to get some lunch across the street from the hotel at a taco joint.  Skylar got his first V Margarita of the trip and loved that the glass was covered in sea salt!  We all enjoyed our Mexican meals and laughed and had a good time.

                     Yes, we are all wearing yesterday's clothes, except lucky Kendra:)

After a couple of hours (it took mostly the whole day) we were able to get our bags and get ready to leave the hotel.  I am thankful that we all got a late checkout at 4:00 because that is exactly the time we left the hotel.

The drive to the coast was really nice!  We crossed large bridges that towered over large canyons of jungle.  Costa Rica was just ending their rainy season and everything was beautiful and green!

When we got to the Tarcoles River we had to stop and check out the crocodiles just under the bridge.  I think there was only one on the west side and three on the east side.

 

As we continued toward Playa Hermosa we caught a beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

After a bit of driving around and getting through the guard gate we found our rental home at 16 Opera Salvaje.  The front courtyard was really nice and I really loved the setup of the home.  It was fashioned in the Spanish style with large exposed beams and brick archways as well as large windows that let in a lot of light.  It had two big front doors that opened into the living area with two more big glass doors on the opposite side of the room leading out to the pool area.  When entering the front doors there was a nice big kitchen and dining table down a couple of stairs to the right.  On the left was a nice big living area with a huge comfortable couch and some chairs.  As you exit out the back doors there was the beautiful huge pool as the focal point.  Our ensuite rooms were to the left of the pool so each of us had a walkout room to the pool.  We each had nice rooms and enjoyed the beautiful view of the pool and yard that had many flowering trees and palms.  

Morning comes early in Costa Rica with sunrise being around 5AM.  That means that the bird chirping gets started quite early.  That tended to be a problem for Sarah as they woke her up quite early every day.  Overall, we all loved the home and were very comfortable there.  

After getting settled we drove back towards Playa Herradura to the Auto Mercado grocery store to get the groceries for the week.  We spent $330 dollars, and Sarah thought we would NEVER eat that much stuff but with breakfast every day, a couple of lunches and one major dinner for all six of us, we pretty much got rid of everything we bought.  We ended up ordering pizza from Pizza Pata in Playa Hermosa that night, because it was getting late, and it was really good pizza.  Even though the day started out not so great with lost luggage and all, it ended on a good note and we were excited to be there!

The next morning we got up early because church was an hour away in Quepos, and it started at NINE!  We found the chapel without any issue and were able to enjoy a cute primary program.  Rick translated for me which really helped!  After Sacrament Meeting we tried to get on Zoom to see the Boman kids' Primary Program which was being held the same day at home.  We missed Brady's part completely but were able to hear Scout's part.  Unfortunately we heard about two words from Rafe and then the Zoom went off:(  That was a bummer but our hearts were consoled by the tres leches cake that was brought out by the primary presidency who was having a party for the primary kids after their program.

I didn't think to get a picture of us by the church so we don't have record of that but we drove back to the house and had a nice sandwich lunch.  Then we all opted for naps:)  After Rick and I woke up we took a drive up the canyon, just past Tarcoles, to Bijagual.  It is such a beautiful drive!  We stopped on the way up because we heard some screeching parrots and wanted to see them.  Lo and behold as we were searching we found the parrots but also found us a TOUCAN!  Our first one of the trip:)  Bijagual is a cute town at the top of the mountain.  It was a nice drive.  We caught the sunset again as we made our way back to Playa Hermosa.

After returning from our drive we got started on dinner.  We had shish kabobs with veggies and chicken.  Rick also grilled up some sausages.  We had salad and some tres leches for dessert.  It was all really delicious!

That night we sat around and talked a bit and then pulled out the games.  We played Think n Sync, Catch Phrase and then Code Names.  We played a couple of rounds of that and then called it a night.

  Monday morning we got up early again to catch the 10:00 boat ride on the Tarcoles River to find us some Crocs and birds.

After the boat ride we had lunch at Vista Mar Restaurant.  Skylar and Sarah left early because Skylar wasn't feeling very well, and since the hike was next, he went to get a knee brace for that.

Next was the hike that I opted out of.  Rick and the others drove up to the Manantial Falls trailhead while I drove over to get a massage and facial.  I think I got the bettered of the deal.😀

The hike was very difficult, about 2 miles each way, but everyone said that getting to the falls was worth it.  It was very muddy and slippery and steep.  Rick was the only one who got into the pool but they ALL got soaked when getting close to the falls because of the whoosh of air and water.  

I met them at the top of the trailhead and they ALL said that they were glad that I did not go.  It would have been far too strenuous and muddy for me.  While it was such a difficult hike they were all glad to have FINISHED it!

Tuesday morning we left around ten to drive back down towards Quepos again.  We were excited to get into Manuel Antonio Park.  Well, unfortunately the park was closed!  Wouldn't you think that the park would be open on a Tuesday of all days?  We should have checked the schedule because they were most definitely closed.  Apparently, every Tuesday it is closed for maintenance.😐  We decided to make the most of our day down in that area, so we decided on a beach day at Manuel Antonio Beach just outside of the park.  It actually turned out to be one of the funnest days of our trip.  A fellow by the name of Marcus acquired some chairs and an umbrella for us.  I also brought my beach blanket so that was good, too.  We set up camp and enjoyed time in the water.  We were getting hammered by the strong waves, so Rick took me a little further back (outside the wave break) and it was nice with rolling waves not breaking ones.  

Throughout the day we ordered some chips and guacamole and a delicious quesadilla all delivered by Marcus.  He also picked up our plates to return them.  Brach found a ripe coconut while beach combing and figured out how to open the thing so we all enjoyed some wonderful fresh coconut!  Skylar and Sarah ended up getting a couples massage, and we all enjoyed the nice beach day.  Rafael, a salesman from the Guanacaste area of CR, came around selling wooden bowls.  I got a very nice one for $40 to display in our basement travel room.

Rick and I decided to go on a parasailing trip just off of the beach.  It was really beautiful way up in the air and I felt very safe and not scared at all until......the landing!  Everyone had been landing in the water seemingly without too much trouble.  When it was our turn, as we entered the water I got a face full of sea water and coughing and sputtering I couldn't get my harness unlatched.  Rick reached over and got one of them unlatched but couldn't get the other one.  At that point the fellow on the waverunner, who came to pick us up to take us back to shore, jumped into the water to get me unlatched.  I was very happy to get back to solid ground after that. 

We stayed until sunset.  It had been overcast most of the day so we didn't see the sun actually go down but it did turn the sky a beautiful pink!  

We drove into the town of Manuel Antonio and stopped at a restaurant that Skylar had seen online called El Avion.  The food and drinks were fantastic and we all enjoyed our evening.  

Then we had the long hour drive back to the house.  We were all glad to get back after a long day.

To be continued.......

A long travel day.....

 Today began our couples trip to Costa Rica!  Gary brought us all in to the SL Airport and we arrived around 10:30.  We found out on our way to the airport that our flight to Dallas was delayed by twenty minutes.  Our connection in Dallas was supposed to be about an hour and 15 minutes originally, so that was a little concerning for us.  When we got our tickets we found out that NONE of us were going to sit together AND we all had middle seats on a completely booked flight.

That was fine (not comfortable, but fine) and the flight went well once we got off the ground.  When we arrived to Dallas, our gate still had a plane sitting at it so we had nowhere to pull in.  The captain guesstimated that it would be a twenty minute wait to get into our spot.  That twenty minutes turned into more like thirty minutes which REALLY made us nervous about that connecting flight.  We had only about fifteen minutes to get from the C gates to the A gates and get on our plane.  I was sitting at the back of the plane and couldn't get off very quickly.  As soon as I did we booked it over to the A gates.  It was now five in the afternoon and Rick and I had only had breakfast but we did not have time to stop to get anything to eat. 😑

We boarded our plane with almost no time to spare.  Our seats were in the VERY BACK of the plane.  You know, the kind that don't recline?  A few minutes later the captain of this plane comes on the intercom and says that the toilets were not working properly so he was going to call technicians to come and fix them.  FIFTY FIVE minutes later we were able to take off with working pottys!  It would have been pretty miserable to have to travel for hours without a bathroom break!

Our flight to San Jose' was going fairly well until the captain came on the intercom and said that San Jose' was having a lot of fog and that we would have to land in Liberia if the fog didn't lift over San Jose'.  He said we had enough fuel to stay in a holding pattern for a while to see if the fog would lift.  So we circled over Liberia for a half an hour with the thought that we might be landing there.

Luckily, the fog cleared briefly, and we were able to get into San Jose'.  Surely all of our prayers to that end had helped.  Everyone clapped for the captain when he touched ground because it was still pretty foggy outside.  We were grateful to safely be at our final destination.  We then went through customs (the very last ones since we were the last ones to deboard the plane) without any trouble and then....

No luggage.  Well, let me rephrase that.  Kendra got her bag but FIVE of our bags did not make it on the plane.  They are all still sitting (as I write this at midnight) back at the Dallas airport.  Anyhoo....they will arrive tomorrow at 12:30...fingers crossed.  We have to change our plans of attending the San Jose' Temple tomorrow morning because we don't have any clothes to change into.  We were planning to do sealings but 11:30 in their last session.  So I guess we will hang around the hotel until the time to pick up our bags and then come back and get ready for the day.  Thankfully, we are allowed a late check out tomorrow:)

Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow when things don't turn out the way you hope!   All is well that ends well, though, and we are happy that we got here safely.  We are ready for a good night's rest and then plan on having an adventurous week here in Costa Rica!

Scout's Baptism

On Saturday, November 6th, Scout was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!  Rick and I are so happy that Scout has chosen to follow Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism.  Scout is a beautiful girl and is growing and maturing in life.  We love her very much!

Her mama took these pictures of her out by the reservoir the day before her baptism.

They are really sweet pictures!

                          Scout was baptized by her dad.  She looked so cute in her bubble braids!

 

It was a beautiful service.  I was asked to play the piano with Grandma Leesa leading.

Aunt Cassidy Boman gave a talk on baptism.  She brought cotton candy and explained how cotton candy is sweet but it can make us sticky and messy at times.  She then showed some wet wipes that can get us all cleaned up.  She likened the two to life.  Sinning makes us sticky and messing but through the atonement and repentance (like the wet wipes) we can become clean again.  

Then Scout was baptized, being fully emerged in water, which is a symbol of going into the grave (death) and coming out of the grave (resurrection) and becoming a new person:)

Then after the baptism her dad, along with all of the other priesthood holders int he room played their hands on her head and through the priesthood gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Brach gave her a beautiful blessing along with that:)

Next, Uncle Bridger talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost and how important it is to have in throughout our life.  

The bishop finished the meeting with a few words and then we ended with the song I am a Child of God and a prayer.  It all turned out very nice.

 

After the baptism we met at Doug and Leesa's (Boman) for a soup bar and homemade bread.  It was nice to visit with Brach's family who we do not see too often:)  

                                                    It was a great afternoon!