Magic Moment 3

Magic Moment #3

Costa Rica

I used the tickets that I won from the JetBlue contest, to travel with a friend to Costa Rica. We flew from Orlando to San Jose and were glad that we had made transportation arrangements beforehand. There was a four hour ride from the airport to our Hilton resort on the west coast (two hours without traffic-four hours with traffic).

As soon as we stepped inside the minivan, the driver presented us with a cold beer, although water and soda were available as well. The ride cost us $100 each way but I viewed it as an opportunity to see part of the countryside. It was a short five day visit, but well worth the effort. The Hilton all-inclusive resort in Puntarenas was situated right on the beach, although the beach was usually empty. It was a brown lava beach and impossible to walk on unless your feet were protected from the searing heat of the lava, but I was glad to have experienced both brown and black lava beaches. The waves were high and although I went in up to my knees, I decided that it would be too risky to try and take a swim in the Pacific Ocean.

The resort was beautiful, the queen beds were fantastic and the food was excellent. In fact there was such an abundance of food everywhere, at all times, that it wasn’t possible to sample all of it. There was also an unlimited supply of drinks, including alcohol and everything was included in the price of the room which was half price because we booked on line. We hired a private guide which is always the best thing to do if you’re visiting a country that has a reputation for being slightly dangerous. Whenever we went down to the beach, there were security guards at each end of the strip who prevented us from taking a long walk or from disappearing out of sight. They followed us closely to ensure that we were safe. The Costa Rican people that we met were extremely polite, helpful and eager to please and I felt perfectly safe with them.

Our guide together with a driver showed up in a minivan and we drove to the Rain Forest. It was a long drive that provided us with another view of the countryside and when we finally reached the Rain Forest, I was impressed by the efficiency of the tour guides. For two hours we went zip lining on a canopy tour through the rain forest, and for me it was magical. We flew high above the treetops. It was amazing and stunningly beautiful. At the beginning I went tandem, safely strapped to the guide right behind me but at the half way point he asked me if I would like to go solo, and I did. That was an accomplishment.

At the end of the zip-line tour, we took a stroll through the forest and ended up having lunch right there among the trees, together with some other tourists. The food tasted especially good because I was hungry after all that exercise. I tasted Guanabana juice for the first time. At first glance I thought that they were offering me milk, but the white milky looking drink was something different and delicious. The food was typical Costa Rican food and was also delicious. This was a successful trip although the volcano was shrouded in mist and we couldn’t see it. I shipped home a wood and leather rocking chair that I bought on impulse, because I liked it so much. The chair sits in my bedroom together with the Columbian hat (that I will never wear) that I purchased on my next vacation. I like the combination of wood and leather. That’s it.