La Sirena Hotel Quepos

... really appreciate the strength of the sun. I'm very fair (thanks again, Dad) and I can burn just dreaming about a sunny day. We arrived in Manual Antonio, at the Blue Monkey hotel mid-day and enjoyed a group lunch. One gift my father instilled in me is that when you're on vacation, the rules go out the window. So you don't feel guilty about spending money (within reason of course), or eating junk food. It's a temporary respite from everyday life. Sure, I ...

... jungle, the hilly road is lined with hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and even a casino. Then when you get near the park entrance, you have to fight your way through hordes of tour guides clamouring for your business, and past stalls selling all kinds of tacky souvenirs, most of them sporting a "Made in China" label. At least once you have found the actual entrance - and not just another tour company's kiosk - and you're in the park itself, all ...

Yesterday (Dec. 16th), we took the early bus from David, Panama to Quepos, Costa Rica. It looked short enough on the map, it sounded like an exotic journey on the pages of Lonely Planet, however it was anything but easy and exotic. The trip to the Costa Rica border town of Paso Canoa was quick. Our cross border bus was not even half full, so the exit and entry procedures were unexpectedly faster than usual. Once we ...

Día 2 - Quepos. al despertarnos el segundo día nos sentíamos bien animados y con mucha energía. Encontramos un bote de guía que se veía muy bien. Nos llevaron a tres lugares vimos muchas cosas como peces, tortugas, camarones ...

... s beautiful beaches, to Hanna's (our 8 year-old volunteer) glee. The whole time, we had to keep an eye out for Capuchin monkeys, which have apparently learned how to open back-packs and will steal food and shiny objects. After returning to our hotel, we showered and changed and went to enjoy the sunset and another fine meal at a restaurant called Ronny's Place. Afterward, some of us headed out to have a few drinks at a bar/restaurant ...

We finally made it to Manuel Antonio park for the first time on this trip. We walked through the park, wondering why we hadn't come earlier, looking at sloths, monkeys and Iguana. We saw 2 and 3-toed sloths high in trees, lots of Iguanas of all sizes, a Jesus Christ lizard, hermit crabs and white-faced monkeys putting on a show for the tourists. We also saw a Ringed Kingfisher at the beach. A lot of the animals seemed to ...

Dave has now surfed in 3 countries !!! (US, Mexico, Costa Rica.) It is amazing to surf in warm water after surfing in the cold waves of LA! No wetsuit! No toes going numb from the cold! Awesome! We messed around on the beach for most of the day on Monday the 14th. Dave surfed for about an hour (rented nice Epoxy board for only $10) and Keli worked on her tan. Then, we turned over the stage to Keli who ...

... the way though the scenery is amazing! There are so many strays here it breaks my heart. Of course I would save them all if it were possible. They just wander and hangout with locals or whomever will pay attention. At breakfast I surly made a friend. She came right up to me and rolled over for a belly rub and I swear she was ...

... Maya religion sits beside the Catholic here but isn't really integrated. 20% of the population don't speak Spanish but one of the 23 or so Maya languages which has consequences for literacy, jobs and voting levels. Real poverty is again the big issue. Here in Antigua most people have jobs thanks to tourism and language schools but tomorrow we're heading out to some mountain villages where things are a bit different. Still savouring every minute of our travels but ...

... outside with me. Despite the rain at the house, I would wake up every morning to the sound of tons of birds, frogs, and monkeys. The indigenous land is in the same park as Corcovado which is the largest national park in Costa Rica. So, on our way back to town (La Palma) we saw some monkeys in the tree tops. The family I stayed with were so nice. Everyone was involved with me being there including the grandmother who taught me how to shred the ...