Hotel Arboleda Manuel Antonio National Park

... was the longest and the last one was the fastest. It was thrilling to be gliding over the jungle/rain forest. It was quite a rush. The 6th zip line was abut 2 minutes long and we were about 300 or so feet in the air. I am really bad at judging distance, so give or take 200 feet. Once we have a better internet connection, I will post pictures. After the zip lining, we went back to someone´s house and they made us lunch - rice and ...

3rd August
Slept in due to the park being shut and a morning tropical storm. Getting fully into wet season now, so the weather hasnt been the best, no clear days to lie on the beach, its just cloudy, grey and bloody humid all the time.
Eventually manage to get out of bed, get some breakfast and update my blog. Trying to make the effort now to keep this thing more up to date so people know whats going on and dont think ive been killed or kidnapped somewhere on the ...

So my days are numbered here and i had to have some fun. I met some super cool people staying at the hostel with me and we kicked it about everyday. Whether we were going to the beach or just chilling my the pool (we made a whirlpool) we did it and it was amazingly fun! I got my tan darkened so when i went back to Mn i would look super dark compared the the Mn winter skin that everyone else would have. The crew and i would rock out ...

... a green shell, named him (I'm assuming it was a boy crab, but have no proof or evidence) Greenie. We spent time body boarding, we discovered the error of our ways with sun block by reading the instructions... I'll spare you the details, but its all our fault. The afternoon was spent up at the Tulecafe, perfect views from the top of the hill down to the sea. Club sandwiches are the order of the day, dam nice ...

... as I've said, leaves much to be desired.) Apparently that's a Mexican saying (makes sense; I learned it in Mexico) and in Costa Rica the equivalent expression is, "disculpe?" I feel like I've been walking around with spinach in my teeth for the last month, and no one's told me. On the way home, we hit a killer pothole that reduced the right rear tire to shreds. I hopped out of the van despite the rain, to see if I could help or at ...

... up for 5 hours of walk and it was time to get back to meet with Steffi at the parking. First we walked along the vehicle path out of the national park, but the bridge was heavily overflown and crossing it was quite deadly. We then walked all the way back to the main entrance where the park wardens recommended that we wait until the river (which we crossed on a boat to come into) reduced its strength. The local fishermen had gone home as the river ...

... out the manager lived in Vancouver for 6 years and married a Canadian girl so he came to the table and chatted for awhile. About construction in Quepos. About 5 different high rise condo developments are going up on the beach that will certainly make it look quite different in a couple of years. There are also 2 other sites of high-rise condo just off the road. Right now all you see are boarded up properties with elaborate signs depicting what is to come. I read ...

... and children o Familiarity with grant writing and fundraising for a non-profit organization o Excellent interpersonal and communication skills o Creativity, compassion, and adaptability o Desire to learn from and collaborate with others Scope of Responsibilities The DREAM Program's mission for Camp DREAM is "to offer a free, quality camping experience to children from disadvantaged circumstances in Vermont, and to build amongst them a ...

... farm, but more on that journey another day. Today I went hiking up a *steep* mountain road. I eat dinner with the family, and in general we eat on the later side -- around 8. For example, last night the kids went to English classes at my school, and I co-taught a class, so we didn't eat until 8:30/9:00 p.m. My dinners generally consist of rice and chicken and beans. The first night we had this incredible soup made with carrots and potatoes. My home stay ...

... Lounge during our layover in Charlotte. This is the way to travel! We sucked the life out of the free wireless internet, muffins and hot chocolate. ARRIVING IN SAN JOSE My first impression of Costa Rica as the plane was pulling in, was how green and lush it was, with beautiful mountains visible in the distance. The sky was overcast and given it's rainy season, chances for rain every afternoon are high. We ...