Hello everyone,
Sending happy mid-week vibes to you wherever you are in the world.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer with an amazing organization and group of people -International Student Volunteers- in the Dominican Republic. These were honestly the best 5 weeks of my entire year, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
While there, we had an amicable project manager from Costa Rica named Malo.”Pura Vida!” Malo would always say, which literally means “pure life”. However, in Costa Rica, it’s used more to mean “enjoy life” or “life is good” etc.
Pura Vida – POO-RA-VEE-DAH
What I want to do: 1) Walk across the Rainmaker aerial walkway: This one is somewhat of a redemption activity, so I’ll give you guys a quick backstory. Years ago, when I was 9 and not full of adventure, I refused to step on a canopy walkway in Ghana’s Kakum National Park, for fear of falling. In my defense, the walkway looked too unstable and too high off the ground, and I was a chicken. 2nd time’s the charm?
2) Surf in Tamarindo: This is an opportunity to give the elusive surfing another try. I tried and failed to stand up on my board while learning in the Dominican Republic, and I’ve wanted to try again ever since. Plus, the beach in Tamarindo should make up for it if I wipe out again.
3) Taste chocolate in Puerto Viejo : Yes, I know there’s chocolate everywhere but I’ve never had chocolate from a cacao forest. Surely, it’s nothing like the processed sweet bar from the grocery store. “The Chocolate Forest Experience” includes how chocolate is made, a cacao forest tour, and chocolate tasting!
“No, I am not addicted to chocolate, chocolate is addicted to me” -Anon
What I want to see: 1) Rio celeste @ Tenorio Volcano National Park : I’m not sure how or why the water here is the color of the sky, but I do know it’s pretty to look at.
2)Playa Hermosa+ as many pretty playas (beaches) as possible : Err, maybe I’ll just go to the beach to watch the sunset.
3)Nuayaca Falls : These are apparently one of the nicest waterfalls in Costa Rica’s South Pacific region (You can either hike here, get in a 4×4 or ride on horseback. Horseback is painful for me after a while, so it’s between the car and my feet. Which would you guys choose?
4)Arenal Volcano National Park: The volcano landscape looks absolutely stunning in photos. Although you can’t hike up the volcano – which I wouldn’t try anyway – you can hike around the park or kayak in the lake near the volcano. Imagine kayaking with this view.
What I want to eat: I’m a huge fan of Latin American + Caribbean food. A “comido tipico”typical dish in Costa Rica would be a plate of rice (with either meat or seafood), plantains, vegetables, and beans. That’s all on one plate. Pura Vida indeed!
I’d love to take this trip with my entire family because we haven’t traveled together in a while, and this seems like the perfect destination for a family vacay. Have any of you been to Costa Rica? What did you get up to & what would you recommend I do outside of this list? Leave me a comment to let me know!
Until next Wednesday, keep dreaming+ thank you for reading!
Pura Vida!
Stock photos without credit culled from Google images
same footprints, different sands.
Same Footprints 