COSTA RICA DAY 3

Day Three on our trip consisted mostly of checking out of our hotel up north and driving down to the Southern part of the country. As we were leaving the cloud forest, the clouds that are usually there every day rolled in. It's hard to see from this picture, but the clouds literally sit right in the crevice of the cloud forest and nowhere else. It's bizarre and so cool.

On our trip down south, the temperature rose about 15 degrees or so and so did the humidity. Oh my goodness was it HOT HOT. The ride though was AMAZING. We stopped here for a photo opportunity just south of the town of Jaco which is mostly a surfing town. Along the way we passed a Palm Oil tree Farm. Hundreds and hundreds of Palm trees stood in line after line all along the road. Never seen anything like it.

We finally reached our destination at the Hacienda Baru after a 3 hour drive. This place was recommended by our friends Lisa and Nolan. They stayed here just a couple of years before. We loved the place. It's actually a National wildlife refuge. It's got a restaurant, pool, beach and hiking trails.

When we got there, we walked down to the beach that feels like it just falls out of the rain forest.  On our way, Jordan noticed a line of leaf-cutter ants. These ants are everywhere and are very interesting to say the least. They travel in a line sometimes many meters long.   Leaf-cutter ants have powerful jaws which vibrate a thousand times a second to slice off pieces of leaf. Size for size, their bodies are amazingly powerful, able to carry pieces of leaf that weigh at least 20 times their own body weight - that's the same as a human carrying a one ton load. They don't eat the leaves, however. Instead, they carry the cut pieces back to the nest and use it as compost to cultivate a particular fungus. They consume almost 20% of the vegetation which is crucial to the tropical forest. There can be three to eight million ants in a single colony, which can measure 15 m across and 5 m deep. Be careful not to step on them though...ouch.

The beach at the hacienda was beautiful. The waves were huge though with dangerous riptides, so the kids stayed close to shore. The Pacific Ocean???...wicked warm! NICE!!!

There was a gorgeous sunset that night....amazing!

One of the little shelters you see on some of the beaches. Very "Gilligans island".

Scott happened to see around 4 vultures sitting in a tree. Just a little freaky!! There were also tons of little hermit crabs here. The kids were in heaven.

This is our Hacienda. We stayed here 4 nights and most of our stay. Two twin beds and one king, a fridge and huge stand in shower. A little porch on the outside. We loved this place except for one thing...no A/C. yes we are spoiled. It was SO hot and there was no way to really cool off except to take a cold shower, which we did a lot of. Just thinking about drying my hair w/a dryer here, made me wince. I had glorious hair to show for it too..ha!

When we first came into the room, Jordan found a little lizard under my bed. Freaked me out a little but by the end of our stay we had them on the walls in the shower with us and it felt like home. :)

Across from our hacienda was a pool that the kids loved. We swam in it sometimes twice a day every day.  I must say that "every day" Kasey would ask to go back to the hotel to swim in the pool. That first night, Jordan was taking a shower at the pool and he looked over and saw a tree frog. It was huge and even clung to his leg when we tried to put it back. It was pretty funny. 

When we got back from hiking, the kids went swimming and I made some sandwiches and brought them to the pool. After a few minutes, poor Kasey tossed his cookies. Poor thing was dehydrated. We took him back, gave him a shower and he feel asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. We all got bit a few times too which comes along with the territory. I was feeling lucky until my last day there and I got bit by stinging ants and whoooa they burned. Nothing that a quick jump in the 80 degree pool can't fix though.

Later while trying to sleep, the reserve comes alive with SO MUCH NOISE. Monkey's, geckos, frogs, bats etc....I must say, it was awesome!!

COSTA RICA DAY 2--Zip Line Baby!!

 Day 2 was ZIP LINE DAY baby!!...and what a great day it was. Soaring over the treetops on a zip line was a thrilling experience....an awesome, amazing, adrenalin rush of an experience! We went to the Selvatura cloud/rain forest for the zip lining. They have the longest zip line in the country and also the only one that would let Kasey ride since he's so young. Jordan had been zip lining once for scouts but NOTHING like this. He was a tad nervous but once he got on there...he couldn't keep the smile off his face. Jordan was the first one to go...

Kasey was very nervous about this whole thing. He kept a straight face all the way up and while waiting his turn. I told him if he got scared he should just close his eyes. He just stared at me and nodded his head. He kept it together though and after the first ride....no more fear, only smiles and pure excitement. Here is Kasey after his first line.

Here I come. I can't say I was nervous but I was a little worried about holding my arm on the line since it still hurts from surgery. After the first line, I stopped near the end and the guy had to come get me...embarrassing! But after a while they gave me an extra harness to lift up my shoulders a little bit to take the weight off my right side and it was much better. By the way, those green things down there are NOT bushes, they are tops of trees. This has been on my bucket list forever...and I finally did it! What a way to celebrate....wooooo hoooo!!! 

 Here comes Scotty boy! Poor Scott had the camera the whole time so we only got two shots of him. He was like a kid in a candy store. He and the boys were in heaven!

People think Kasey is the dare-devil in our family, but I have to say that Jordan really surprises me. Not only did he show no fear hundreds of feet in the air, but he eventually wanted to go by himself instead of with a guide. I was a very nervous mother when they were hooking him on. I kept reminding him what to do with this feet and arms....to which he said "Mommy, I KNOW how to do it!!" ....and he did. Good boy buddy! Your awesome! He was also jumping off waterfalls later in the trip.

This rain forest is the only zip line tour built entirely inside the cloud forest. It has 15 lines and 18 platforms. When you see us in the pictures, you see greenery underneath us. That greenery are not bushes but the TOPS of trees. Tall, large trees. Here is Kasey going with a guide and one other kid. If you click on the shot to enlarge it, you can see the cable ahead of them. That clearing is above a mountainside and those trees down there are hundreds of feet far beneath you.

Can you see the speck in the middle of this picture? That speck are my boys moving at about 25mph at around 400 feet up and over 1000 meters long. 

Again, now they are smaller. Absolutely incredible.!!! Again if you look closely, you can see the cable coming up the other side. This last line, they let Scott and I ride to together. This was the best part for me, high above the jungle through the breeze with my honey. SO cool!!! Nothing like it in the world!

 Kasey all smiles!!!

 

The family before the last cable

Right before the longest zip line, there is a thing called the tarzan swing. It's basically a free fall bungie off a tall tower. Kasey wanted to go first. They click you on to the rope, hold you buy the belt and basically drop you off. I was stressed out for Kasey. He took the jump and we heard a scream all the way up....but then on the way down, a huge smile!

 

Did I mention you go up REALLY high?  Here I am and I must say, that drop off is a little scary. You then get that feeling you get when the elevator drops....then it's AWESOME!!!

Here is Jordan. I didn't pick the one where he is up high because he had such a huge smile on his face, I wanted to pick one where you could see it.

So, after the zip line, my knees were shaking from all the hiking UP the moutain with 6lbs of extra equipment. . Momma is not in shape, and the thin air took it's toll. So, we took a break and ate, then went on the hanging bridges tour. Not as exciting but still cool nonetheless. You are so high up, you can see such amazing things. We saw some very rare birds and of course tons of butterflies.

And so ends day two with us relaxing in our little hut. LOVED this hotel. Two rooms, two bathrooms, a little sitting area and fridge. All to ourselves. The weather was great, the zip lines were great...the food?....yummy. We ate a lot of casados which are the main meal here of chicken, fried plantains, rice and veggies. Isn't this place beautiful?

They have banana trees everywhere. I never knew it grew this huge seed at the end. I thought it was kind of pretty so I had Scott take a picture of it. The nights here were perfect weather wise. It was quite windy I must say and you hear tons of sounds you've never heard before. It's LOUD!...but so cool.We also ate at this place called the tree House Restaurant which is basically up inside a tree. Also, around this little city there are tons of dirt bikes and 4-wheelers. Many of the people can't afford the insurance for a car so they ride these. They are everywhere.

Celebrating in COSTA RICA Day 1

Celebrating in Costa Rica
Day 1

We are back from our trip to Costa Rica. As I mentioned  before, we wanted to go somewhere to celebrate my last mammogram which was clear and free of cancer. My friend Lisa suggested Costa Rica and we took the leap. I figured my 4 yrs high school and 3 yrs of  Spanish in college should be good for something. So, I took out some books at the library and brushed up on my Spanish and off we went. This country is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! SO beautiful and peaceful. The people were great and helpful. They lead such a laid back life. Their saying for living life is "Pura Vida" which basically means "no Worries", "live the pure life and just go with it".....and so we did!! The Ticos say this to you where every you went. It was an experience I will never forget and one I will cherish.

Since I have so many pictures, I decided to blog our adventures day by day. So, after flying into San Jose and getting our rental car, we headed into the city to stay for the night. It turned out to be a good idea since Kasey had fallen asleep in the rental car place, with this back pack on, flat on his stomach. The hotel was clean and spacious. Here is a picture of the our little hotel.

 

The grounds were beautiful in this hotel. Palm trees and flowers everywhere. I was loving this tree and how the leaves grow on every part straight on up. The trees in Costa Rica are HUGE with amazing looking trunks and cool branches. I have seen trees here I have never seen anywhere in my life. 

The flowers are also amazing. They are everywhere you look and the smell is divine. The particular flower Jordan is holding is called the False Bird of Paradise. It's one of the most vibrant plants in the rain forest. Looks like a bird doesn't it? It's a favorite for hummingbirds.

On our first day, we drove up to the Monte Verde Cloud forest. Because of the road conditions, it took us 3 hours to get there. The road was dirt and rocks and RIGHT on the edge of the cliff....ALL the way up. The whole country is mountainous and poor Scott had some painful shoulders after grabbing to the wheel so tight trying to drive on this road. I can't imagine driving this during the rainy season. This was a couple of guys we saw on the way. Their houses are basically right on the cliff or even over the cliff. I don't even know how some of them get down to the house. The horses and cows all feed directly on the steep slopes. Incredible. The view was amazing. Many times during our trip we would see the locals riding their bikes up the steep roads, in the heat, not even breaking a sweat. 

Since it took us so long to get there, we only had a few hours left in the day, so we decided to hike the Monte Verde Cloud forest. This place was almost primeval. Cloud forests are packed  with animal and plant species thanks largely to their water-drenched conditions. Usually there is an average of 16 feet of rainfall here and add to that the constant heavy cloud cover. Jordan loved the big leafs they call the "poor man's umbrella". These were not even the biggest ones we saw. 

The cloud forest reserve reaches 5032 feet above sea level and spans the Tilaran Mountain range. There is more plant life, species of birds and butterflies then I've ever seen. Butterflies would float past your face constantly. Jordan was a little nervous here because Kasey was extremely close to the edge.

Look at this view!! The reserve has lush vegetation and a cool climate. The weather was perfect. Usually however, you cannot see a view like this because of the cloud cover. The guide we talked to the next day said that you almost never get a clear day like this. Your usually drenched in clouds. The collision of moist winds with the Continental Divide here creates a constant mist whose particles provide nutrients for plants growing at the upper levels of the forest. Because of this, every tree is covered with orchids, mosses, ferns etc..! I have never seen trees so big and unique!

 This was a little opening in the trail, but for the most part your walking in the heart of the jungle.We were looking for snakes and tarantulas but didn't see any. The tarantulas evidently only come out at night (thank goodness).

One of the many beautiful flowers that are around you at every turn.

Jordan and Scott happened to see all the hummingbirds. I didn't see any but they were everywhere. Scott caught a picture of a green one sitting on a branch. Can you see him??

Easter 2012

Another Easter has come and gone. Look at my two cuties! Getting bigger by the day.




Jordan wanted Binoculars for our trip to Costa Rica coming up. So, the Easter bunny indulged and bought him a really good pair. He can't wait to use them to see a sloth. He's informed me he's also going to look for a Boa constrictor. Here's hoping THAT wish doesn't come true.



Kasey wanted a pogo stick. He went back and forth for weeks on what he wanted. This was a great pick for him because he's always bouncing and jumping around. He loves it. I hear him bouncing when I'm in the shower....over and over!! Here he is bouncing before church.





We had our usual egg hunt. We lost a few they were hidden so well. Can you see the one Jordan missed in this picture? I'll give you a clue...it's orange.




Kasey looking for his.


This picture of my nephew Tyler just cracks me up. Sweet shades Tyler!!!




We also celebrated my dad's and nephew Matthew's birthdays. My dads' is on April 3rd and Matthew's is on April 12th. Tyler was raring to blow out those candles. My dad turned 77 and Matthew turned 16....look out drivers.! Can't believe he's 16 and I can't believe my dad is still alive at 77... right dad???Did I just say that?? yeah it's a running joke between my dad and I. According to my dad, he should of been long gone about 10 to 12 yrs ago. Glad your still kickin' daddy!



Once my niece Caroline found out Kasey was getting a pogo stick, she had to have one. Two peas in a pod these two. Poor Kelli had to switch plans to get her a bike, to getting a pogo stick.


There was also lacrosse and football... also a little tackle with Mark and Aaron resulting in Mark maybe breaking his shoulder blade..we shall see....not fun. Up until then, it was a great day for the kids. I love how Easter reminds us of new life in the spring starting with the Savior.

Happy Easter everyone.