Costa Rica!

Last week I WENT TO COSTA RICA! 

I know, I know, this was a spontaneous trip but I simply had to get away. And my brother gave me money for Christmas (Thanks, Brian!) so I had to seize the opportunity.  You can see all my Costa Rica pics here, but here are the highlights...

I flew into Liberia, Costa Rica. This lil' airport was just had a fancy makeover so there are some GREAT flight deals from New York...

 

The first half of my trip was up by Rincon de la Vieja, a volcanic national park. 

Here are some pics of just how pretty the area was...

 

 

First up: RELAXING! Soaking in natural springs, bathing in mud, and--gasp!--taking naps...

 

 

Next up: ADVENTURE! I spent a day doing horseback riding, zip lining, and some hiking....

 Next: BEACH! I went over to Golfo de Papagayo, where I stayed on the super-quiet-you-can-have-a-beach-all-to-yourself Playa Panama...

 

But I also visited Playa Hermosa and Playa del Coco, which were more lively. (There will be more on this daytrip adventure in a future blog post)

Traveling solo, I met lots of awesome random people! A hilarious private jet flight crew, a group of Frenchmen who sell mushrooms, a couple environmentalists/geologists from NY, a pair of childhood friends from Toronto/Paris (and a local dog named Tequilla),  a rowdy clan of empty-nesters from California, and a local guide who let me tag along on his wave runner.  LOTS of adventures.

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And of course, no trip of mine is complete without MR DUCK'S travel photos!  He had a great time, despite being gnawed on by a toucan. (If you want to see the past decade of Mr Duck pics, go here!)

Currently Reading: Why We Broke Up...written by Daniel Handler, illustrated by Maira Kalman