Postcards From Costa Rica

Pura Vida

When and Where: 12/1998 – Quepos, Manuel Antonio National Park

05/2004 – San Jose

09/2015 – Matapalo Beach, Tamarindo, Rincon de la Vieja National Park

01/2023 – Puerto Limon

15^th Country Visited; 7^th North American Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

· Costa Rica is the only Central American country without a military.

· Most of Costa Rica’s energy comes from renewable sources.

· Roughly 25% of Costa Rica’s territory is comprised of national parks: more than any other country.

Costa Rica is by far one of my favorite countries in the world. I spent today in Puerto Limon, my first time on the Caribbean side of the country. Puerto Limon is mainly a commercial port so there isn’t much to see in town. I took a pontoon boat tour of the Tortuguero Canals: a series of natural brackish waterways filled with various wildlife. As the pontoon navigated the canals, I snacked on bananas and cassava chips. The smell of fragrant flowers filled the air as the tour guide pointed out various animals along the way. I saw sloths, iguanas, monkeys, crocodiles and many species of birds which are native to Costa Rica.

All of my trips to Costa Rica have been memorable for varying reasons. In late December 1998, I first visited Costa Rica with my longtime friend George, who also loves travel. Upon arrival in San Jose, we walked to another terminal to catch our connecting flight. I took one look at the eight-seater aircraft and thought “No way!” My excitement about the trip continued to decline when I realized the plane seats were equipped with shoulder harnesses. Fortunately, the flight over to Quepos was only 20 minutes long. As we approached the Pacific coast, I then realized the plane would be landing in what looked like a carved-out section of a corn field (see stock photo below). To date, this was the most primitive place I had visited. After a short taxi ride, we arrived at Hotel Costa Verde, a rustic mountainside hotel overlooking the glistening blue Pacific. By rustic, I mean really rustic. Twice daily, we had spider monkeys running across our balcony. We heeded the warnings not to feed the monkeys as they can be aggressive. We had an array of colorful insects scattered about the room. We had howler monkeys and toucans overhead along the trail to Manuel Antonio National Park, a short hike from the hotel. Along the route, we would feel “raindrops” despite clear skies. We later realized howler monkeys were in the trees above peeing. Somehow, after a few days, this all seemed normal to me. We spent most days chilling on the beach at the biodiverse Manuel Antonio National Park. At night, we would walk into the town of Quepos for dinner and drinks. The small town had a chill vibe and the locals, known as ticos and ticas, were welcoming.

Fast forward to September 2015. Joe was working at the Baltimore Sun and won a sales contest. I strongly encouraged him to choose a Costa Rica vacation. Two weeks prior to Costa Rica, we were in Iceland: quite a temperature contrast in a short period of time. We arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica and took a bus to our hotel at Matapalo Beach. The beach itself was nothing special, but the nearby town of Tamarindo was a surfer’s paradise. Tamarindo also had colorful shops, lively outdoor restaurants and eclectic art galleries. We went there often to hang out. The two highlights of our vacation were day trips: one of Grenada Nicaragua and the other to Rincon de la Vieja National Park for zip lining. I was onboard for zip lining until we arrived at the first zip line. I froze up. Once tethered to the zip line, I knew there was no backing out. The first step I took off the edge of the mountain was undoubtedly the bravest thing I have ever done. The lush canopy was probably 300 feet below. I refused to look down. The tour guide became our photographer. In all, we zig zagged across the canopy another 13 times; the last time upside down. With each crossing, I gained confidence, but it's something I will never do again.

Despite all of these wonderful experiences in Costa Rica, one of the happiest days of my life was spent in San Jose International Airport on May 6, 2004. Three days after becoming a dad, Aaron and I travelled from Guatemala City through San Jose and onward to Philadelphia. Despite being confined to the airport for over five hours, the thought of coming home after a long adoption journey seemed surreal. That night, upon arrival at Philadelphia International Airport, Aaron became an American citizen.