Why is it that when you are having such a great time; the clock ticks at super-speed? My family was here one moment, and gone the next. What a fantastic time we had; where do I begin to try and fit the puzzle pieces together? Each piece being an experience worth remembering; each by itself; super, but fit together with all the pieces intact represents a fond memory and keepsake for years to come.
Going into the vacation, I was exhausted, mainly because I was so excited to see my family, I wasn't sleeping at all. Finally, Thursday arrived and I was off on the bus to the airport near San Jose to greet them. Mike and Gaudy held down the fort Thursday afternoon and Friday while I spent some one-on-one time with Poppy, Choppy and Auntie Beth. There they were at the airport waiting for me....peering through the glass, we exchanged waves as they gathered their luggage to meet me outside the checkpoint. Half their luggage was...well..."Christmas in February" for the Schaefers. So good to see them and the hugs and kisses were really needed. We piled into a cab and headed off to Hotel Villa Bonita about 5 minutes away in Alajuela. The hotel was great, quiet, on the out-skirts of the town, with a yummy breakfast and beautiful gardens and courtyards where Auntie Beth enjoyed sunning herself trying to get a little base before we hit the beach. We enjoyed a great dinner at a Peruvian restaurant just three blocks away and chuckled for hours over this and that. Friday we toured around the town square, the market and enjoyed the gorgeous day. Friday afternoon, we hired a private driver to drive us from Alajuela to La Cuenca Restaurant at the bottom of the mountain where we would wait for the three boys (Mike, Michael and John) to arrive in Kattya's van. From there, we would pile into her van, load up our luggage and make our way toward Manuel Antonio Park/Quepos; about three more hours on the road. A long travel day but well worth it. The boys were fast asleep when the van pulled into La Cuenca; it was fun to see them awake shortly after and see their expressions when they realized that Choppy, Poppy and Auntie Beth were on-board. Choppy quickly pulled out a new eye-spy book and amused the boys and kept them busy during the journey. Oh how we quickly felt the climate change; by the time we pulled into the Costa Verde Hotel, I was in need of a shower as every bit of clothing was sticking to me. Kattya, as always was a delight, as we enjoyed good conversation with her during the trip. Costa Verde was beautiful; and I can attest that their slogan "Still more monkeys than people" rings true as we were overcome with squirrel monkeys more than several times. They certainly made themselves comfortable roaming around the restaurant and put on a good show for us "tourists". We were especially lucky to have a glimpse of a mama monkey with her little one on her back...so sweet! The hotel was very accommodating, the rooms were equipped with kitchenettes, which we put to good use; cooking two nights out of three and enjoying dinner by candlelight out on the veranda. The Schaefer clan felt especially pampered with the tile floor, air conditioning, hot showers on demand, t.v., and plumbing that could handle the toilet paper being...well...flushed! Ah...living the life of luxury! The pool was like bath water and the boys were FISH - we could not turn our heads for fear that we would miss Michael pushing off from the edge and floating towards us. The 2 1/2 days at the beach were so relaxing; so much fun in the pool and great fun exploring! I was happy to have the help with the boys are really enjoyed seeing the them interact and pick right up with family. The walk to the grocery store was especially memorable; starting out to be just us gals; however, Michael was adament in accompanying us and 'promised' to walk the entire mile hike. A quarter of the way during the 1 mile trek, he pooped out (no surprise given the time of day
We celebrated Mike's birthday while at the beach and sang a decent rendition of "Feliz Cumpleanos". We made due with adourning a peanut-butter granola bar with one of the hotel candles. The views from the hotel rooms were spectacular - the lush foliage and the calming beach; the sunsets, well...no comment necessary.
Sunday, we packed up early and headed to Manuel Antonio park for a guided hike. Even by 8 a.m., the thermometer was climbing and must have topped off at 95 degrees. They boys were uncomfortable in the heat so we called the hike early and spent the rest of the day at the beach in the water. Plenty of sunscreen was needed as the sun shone brightly and strong. We enjoyed exploring and investigating the hermit crabs around the bend of the beach. Poppy and Choppy enjoyed the shade and the 10:30 a.m. visit by the white faced monkeys. On the hike, we saw howler monkeys and a rare bird, which Leo, our Guide, called "the stick bird". We were a little skeptical as to whether this was just a decoy or was it actually 'real. You can be the judge. After some googling, we believe it to be real, but it looks almost staged, so pre-historic. Mike now tells me it is of the the Potoo bird family - a cunning Jedi of the avian world. Wrapped in a mysterious feathered suit of barkish blending, the Potoo is a primarily nocturnal smallish bird that stays perched invisibly on trees. Extending closed eyes and beak up to the heavens, the Potoo lies hidden in broad daylight with perfectly blended striations as if “cloaked.” South American and Central American Potoo residents live in natural habitats in Nicaragua, Coats Rica, Panama, Columbia, Surinam, and other ecotourism destinations along that axis. The Potoo in its natural habitat naps in plain sight, calmly presenting a lizard like chameleon effect with the arboreal scrub. We also spied a georgeous crab with brilliant colors. We treated the boys to a snow-cone and us to a cold beer at a beach side restaurant. The snow cone process was very interesting (no machines or electricity needed). Back to the hotel and pool for some more water fun.
I would recommend Costa Verde to anyone searching out a hotel in the Quepos area. The hotel campus had several restaurants to choose from and a variety of accommodations, even a bungalow for longer stays with an airplane as part of the attraction. The fully outfitted, meticulously detailed, two bedroom, Boeing 727 fuselage suite. The hotel refurbished a vintage 1965 Boeing 727 airframe, which in its prior life shuttled globetrotters on South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines (Colombia).
We will carry fond memories of our stay at the beach. So many great photos; I had a hard time selecting which ones to post. Next post; Family Fun Part II - Welcome to Monteverde - heading up the mountain to spend the rest of our time with family. Stay tuned.
Signed: S
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