My wonderful husband turned 30 in November and we celebrated the only way we know how, by going on another trip! As we've been in the States now for almost two years, we decided to go somewhere on this side of the world; Costa Rica. The trip started out great for the big 3-0! On our flight over we told the steward that it was my husband's birthday. So the pilot, over the intercom, wished the "man in seat 19A a wonderful birthday"... the steward proceeded to allow everyone to clap and cheer. As my husband is an AIRPLANE NERD, this couldn't be more exciting for him. If you want to read about our flight, please read his blog: When I Travel the World. (if you're into flight reports)
let the road trip begin!
traffic jam !
Any who.... this trip started off great for my husband's 30th. My husband planned the trip as it was his birthday, however, lets just say "google maps" doesn't get everything right! Once we landed in hot, humid, Costa Rica we needed to get our rental car. Well, after about 30-45 minutes of us walking up and down a street and me trying to talk to the locals in my very broken Spanish, we discovered that the Alamo rental car that google maps said was there, had moved over a year ago! Way to Google!..... Normally, something like this would irritate us, but we were on vacation and to be honest, it was pretty fun using my "spanglish" again. We eventually picked up our beast of a mini-jeep and started the 2 hour drive to Manuel Antonio National Park.
the "Beast" !
I have never seen it rain so hard in my life. We were driving along this tiny two way road, lightning everywhere, and it was pouring down rain. I knew Manuel Antonio was a rain forest, but I didn't imagine it would actually rain this much! We got to our hotel, The Falls Resort, and it was absolutely a wonderful stay. We had an adorable cottage in the back of the property equipped with a hammock!
attempting to drive in the storm
our cottage
As it had stopped raining for the afternoon, we walked down the road to a bar to have some local Costa Rican beer: Imperial & Pilsen. We also thought it would be a good idea to order some fresh mahi-mahi. Our first full day and we were rewarded with a gorgeous sunset. In retrospect, I am extremely happy we really soaked in the beauty of the sun setting over the pacific ocean, because at the time we had no idea that would be the only sunset we would see during our entire trip. By the time we headed back to the hotel, it was pouring rain....again. We attempted to sleep, but it was just soooo loud due to the storm!
our first and only sunset in Manuel Antonio
well deserved after driving in the rain
Relaxing :)
We woke up early to another 100% humid day, but we had a kayaking trip planned through the mangroves, which we were pretty excited about! UMMMM..... kayaking did not happen. The guide proceeded to tell us how the other day a 16 foot crocodile was eating a calf! We opted to proceed with the tour, but in his boat instead of kayaking on our own through the murky waters. We ended up seeing a ton of snakes, lizards, birds, crocodiles... and MONKEYS!
where the sea meets the murky river
I absolutely hate monkeys! The guide got too close to the trees so the monkeys decided they would come on board. I screamed and freaked out and jumped to the other side of the boat; which I guess is what you're not supposed to do. Jayda, on the other hand, sat still like you're supposed to and he ended up having monkeys crawl all over him; gross! ..... this so called professional 'guide' told us the monkey's were safe. Come to find out when we get back to our hotel, the staff advised us that they are not safe and can be aggressive; way to go guide, way to go. Luckily everything was fine, but I sure was ready to get away from the monkeys. Another night of pouring down rain & lightning storms kept us awake, but it was pretty awesome at the same time.
hey dude, you got a banana?
We were up early again at 6 am the next day to get our hiking on in the Manuel Antonio National Rain Forest. We hiked for 3 hours on our own in order to make our way to one of the secluded beaches. We saw a ton of monkeys, iguanas, a deer, butterflies, birds (including toucans!), howling monkeys, raccoon's, and a SLOTH! Seeing a sloth in its natural habitat was my main goal of Manuel Antonio, so this hike and trip already was a success in my eyes.
Mr. (or Mrs?) Sloth
Iguana on the coast of Manuel Antonio
The forest of Manuel Antonio is so thick and full of nature. I have been to many rain forests before, but none like this. It truly was a fun experience. When we made it to the secluded beach, the water was so green and beautiful. I did not go into the sea as the waves are quite large on the Pacific side, but it was gorgeous. We were hiking for hours and to come out onto a small sandy/rocky patch of green ocean beach was just perfect. It was definitely an adventure, being stuck in the thick jungle, then all of a sudden you can hear waves crashing in the distance. Within a few minutes you step out onto the sand and see the ocean. It was breath taking.
our jungle path in Manuel Antonio
the green pacific ocean after hiking in the jungle
The area of Manuel Antonio is truly gorgeous, but ensure that you get up early every day to do your adventures and site seeing. Once it starts raining, it does not stop until late the next morning. The National Park was great, but a bit of advise would be to not pay for a guide. You get to see just as much or probably more being on your own schedule. Plus, if you see a large group looking up at something the guide shows them.... you can easily look up and see what they see. We didn't get a guide and saw a ton of wildlife, plus we were able to get off the beaten path and do our own thing as well, which was nice. During the day in Manuel Antonio, you get humid sunshine which is great for outdoor activities, but be prepared for incredible lightning and thunder storms at night. Get a beer and just watch mother nature work.
we made it!
Manuel Antonio
Our next stop was the Arenal Volcano area. That was about a 4.5 hour drive through beautiful winding mountain roads. I loved the drive out of Manuel Antonio and up to the inland north part of Costa Rica. We of course had rain, but we also saw some sunshine and amazing clouds driving through the cloud forest. Our destination was a Tree House, where we stayed at for the remainder of our trip. Waking up each morning to a thermos of coffee waiting for us on the porch and sun shining through the trees was phenomenal. I have never seen so many beautifully colored birds in my life.... just eating and flying past us in the tree house. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip.....
one of the many morning views in our Tree House
driving through the cloud forest
our tree house aka home in Costa Rica
We then decided that we must go zip lining! When you go to Costa Rica, you HAVE to go zip lining! It was pretty freaking awesome. We did 18 zip lines, including the superman zip line! The farthest was 552 meters and about 200 feet over the river. We also did the Tarzan swing, which was terrifying. Zip lining was great, but the Tarzan swing was scary! They hook you onto a rope and then throw you off a cliff. You need to pay attention and lift your legs up on the swing back, otherwise your legs would get crushed. What an adrenaline rush! Seriously, after the Tarzan swing my legs were shaking uncontrollably due to the adrenaline rushing through my body. I am not over exaggerating! It may have been the funnest/scariest thing I have done in a while. Here is Jayda doing the Superman Zip Line, and I come right after him. Pretty awesome, right?!:
After the excitement of zip lining, we headed back to our tree house to get ready for our Arenal Volcano hike and natural hot springs evening relaxation. Well, we're sitting on the balcony and we notice some howling monkeys. As previously mentioned, I am afraid of monkeys so I decide to go inside. Well, the "macho male" sees us and decides that we are a threat. No joke, he comes over to our balcony, walks up to each window and puts his hands over his eyes to peer inside! Like a creepy little man! He starts to rub his ginormous balls on our door and balcony handles! To top if off, he proceeds to put his feces in front of our door. Whilst he is taunting us, he is laughing the ENTIRE time. Well, we are now inside and have 2 hours to kill before we have to go anywhere, so we think that we can wait him out.
UMMMMMM SCARY!
Well, an hour later we were still being stared down so we begin opening the door to see if we can get out. As soon as we open the door, he starts hissing/howling/whatever you want to call it and showing his huge teeth! Well, we're still stuck and he remained sitting on the ledge staring us down.... now 2 hours later we're afraid we're going to miss getting picked up for the Arenal Volcano hike. I made the decision to go to the bathroom shower (it was mesh netting so you were "one with nature" when you showered) any who... I started calling for help hoping that some distant tree house neighbor would hear us. Thankfully someone did!!!! The lovely owner ran down to our tree house and scared the monkeys away. They assured us they were not violent, but this family of monkeys have tormented previous guests before; particularly guests staying in our tree house. Great! They started cleaning our balcony for us and assured us they would not attack, just throw poop at us. HOWEVER, side note: if they were not violent, why did they have Rolando waiting for us upon our late evening return from the hike/hot water springs? He was waiting with a machete to escort us back to our tree house and also look around to ensure our safety prior to leaving. I say it is pretty suspect.
do you see those things? On our balcony!
I must emphasize that the people who work and run the Tree Houses are amazing and I have nothing but great things to say. If you go to Costa Rica, you must go see the Arenal Volcano and stay at the Tree Houses Hotel. It is safe to say that we were eventually rescued and made the pick up to the Arenal Volcano for our hike. Of course, it started to rain on us, but it was still fun.
A man named Juan was our guide. If you stay at the Tree Houses Hotel, they will hook you up with Juan. He is a local and he showed us all the local brush, trees, and plants that were indigenous to Costa Rica and also their tasty health benefits while on our hike. Due to the Arenal Volcano's 1968 major eruption, there was nutrient volcanic rock that provided for the lush growth. We hiked to the peak and could see Lake Arenal, but the clouds prevented us from seeing the top of the volcano. As (of course) it started to down pour, we had Juan guide us back and drop us off at the natural hot springs. That was very relaxing.
Arenal Volcano
There were many different springs, all with different temperatures. We challenged ourselves and managed to get up to our knees in the hottest spring! There was also a water slide, which Jayda partook in, but not I. We spent most of our time relaxing in the 46 Celsius pool as it was the largest and most peaceful.
an Arenal Natural Hot Spring
Eventually, we had Juan take us back to our Tree House. That is when Rolando was waiting with his large machete to escort us back to our tree! Rolando knew little English so him and I spent the little 10 minute walk talking to each other in my broken Spanish. He was such a nice man and (again) you must stay at the Tree Houses Hotel! Rolando takes people on night walks through the jungle that the tree houses are located in. He teaches everyone so much and points out things we wouldn't see on our own. Plus, he makes you feel safe with that machete!
vamanos !
just another winding road trip
We ended our trip the same as we arrived; a long road trip through a lightning and rain storm. It seemed fitting. Costa Rica was great! Normally Jayda and I are so "go go go" on our trips to ensure we see all the sites, but in Costa Rica you're forced to relax. The people here are so kind and fun. It is truly a country to go to if you want an adventure. Kayaking, snorkeling, surfing, hiking, zip lining, the list is endless! However, due to the weather, you're also forced to sit back and relax and just be "one" with the rain forest. It was nice to get away from technology, modernity, and just be. Costa Rica is an exciting country and the perfect place for the adventurous traveler.
Toronto was
definitely different than quaint little Quebec! We landed extremely early in
the morning and noticed right away how HUGE of a city it was! It also was the
first time we actually felt like we were in Canada, “aye”! We only had a few
days left in Canada so we tried to make the most of it. We dropped off our bags
at the hotel and went exploring right away. It was hot, humid, and raining so
we weren't really sure what to do. When I say humid, I mean dripping in sweat
humid! It was just awful, but we made the most of it by dipping into a Tim Horton’s
for a bit, enjoying donuts and coffee. It still just seems so crazy to me how obsessed
Canadians are with Tim Horton’s! It is instant coffee out of machine, I don’t see
what the obsession is other than it is cheap, but everyone drank it. I
personally prefer fresh coffee and not instant, but the place had air
conditioning and caffeine while we waited out the rain.
Once it
cleared up we made our way to the boardwalk to walk around and take in the city
views. We went to The Power Plant Contemporary Art Museum, which was very
interesting! They had a lot of interactive displays, which helped a lot as sometimes
I don’t quite get the whole “modern art” thing. We also went the Historical District in The Distillery and had some of the best ice cream at Gregs! We went
inside to attempt to cool down and the guy let us taste all the ice cream! He
made it all from scratch with unique flavors such as Anises & Oreo; which
sounds horrible together but was actually quite awesome! I didn't get anything
too adventurous, just coffee & cinnamon. It was such a treat after our hour
long, hot, walk from the Museum to the Distillery; our map was unfortunately quite
deceiving.
We ended up seeing most of
the sites in the two full days we had before going to Niagara Falls: The
Waterfront, Tim Horton’s, Eaton Mall, Power Plant Contemporary Art Museum, the downtown architecture walking tour, Toronto Island, St. Lawrence Market & the CN Tower. The two full days we had there I thoroughly enjoyed Toronto as it is a
very clean, huge city, filled with friendly people. Just like Montreal, it is
also a very multi-cultural place. First impression: Toronto was a clean New York
City, and like any metropolitan city we had similar experiences.
As it was a
very multi-cultural city, we took full advantage of Little India and gorged in
Indian curry. We went to this AMAZING little Indian restaurant called,
ironically, Little India and had a curry feast. One thing I truly miss about
England is all the curry houses we used to eat at. Curry does exist in
California, but we have been completely disappointed in the quality. However,
in Toronto we didn't let this opportunity pass us by. We ordered all of our
favorite things we used to eat in the UK, plus a huge glass of Kingfisher each;
you cannot eat curry without a big glass of Indian beer to really wash it down!
It was an amazing treat for us and completely delicious! Eating curry at Little
India probably was my favorite thing I did in Toronto. I LOVE food and sitting
in the restaurant, conversing, eating and drinking until I was about to throw
up was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had in the city.
tasting "ice wine"
The second,
maybe a tied for first, best thing about our trip was the fact that we made new
friends. We booked a trip to Niagara Falls, which was the real gem of Toronto for
us. We were picked up in this super tiny, non-air-conditioned van and made the hot
2-ish hour journey to Wine Country for wine tasting; at 10 am! We tried the famous "ice wine" and it actually was pretty good! It was extremely sweet and I recommend only drinking it in small quantities, but it was not bad at all. I heard from my mother in law that it was horrible, but I actually quite enjoyed it.
I had a nice time at the winery, but I do LOVE wine. The wine connoisseur
did a great job getting to know everyone and made the connection that Jayda and
I, currently residing in California, were the same age as the Austrian couple
on our tour. They were on their honeymoon and were going to make their way to
California on a road trip. He didn't really introduce as so much as demand us
to meet… “Hey you!!! You California people!!! This couple is going to
California. Talk!” Well, I was very thankful for his bluntness as it was nice
meeting another young married couple.
wine tasting
With our forced meet and greet, the four of us decided we would venture Niagara
Falls together. As soon as we got there, I have to admit, I honestly thought
that the Falls were going to be a lot bigger! Don’t get me wrong, they are
HUGE, but as being one of the “wonders of the world”, I thought they were going
to be more awe-inspiring. While my first glimpse was slightly disappointing, once
we got onto the “Maid of the Mist” I realized what was so unique about Niagara
Falls; its sheer force. The flow of the waterfall and its power was amazing. We
were getting drenched and could barely look up to see the falls as the power
of the water was consuming us everywhere.
on the Maid of the Mist
We didn't get a good look of the
falls on the Maid of the Mist, but it was so much fun! You cannot go to Niagara
Falls and not go on the Maid of the Mist. Otherwise, you won’t get to experience
its overpowering force because even though we couldn't see anything, we felt it.
It wasn't until we were on top (still
misty and wet) walking towards the drop off, where we actually got to see the
power. We were looking down below at the tiny little ships that dared to get
close to the falls and at the same time watching the “water fall” down; it was
something!
While
exploring the falls with our new friends, one thing led to another and it was
discovered that the husband’s are both OBSESSED with airplanes. Needless to say
they hit it off instantly (and the wives hit it off making fun of their geeky-ness)!
We made plans to hang out that night in a part of Toronto we actually hadn't
been to yet; The Annex. We took the subway there and the few small hours we
were in The Annex, it became my favorite neighborhood of Toronto. It was so
cute and filled with local shops, boutiques, bars, and restaurants. We went to
a pub and enjoyed beers on the rooftop talking about our crazy tour driver of
the day and exchanging stories of all the different experiences we had
travelling abroad as couples. At the end of the night we exchanged numbers and
email addresses making plans to reunite when they visited San Diego. A few
weeks later we all made good to that promise.
What I love
about travelling is that you meet people you never would have met while staying
at home. You make incredible friends while becoming even more inspired to
travel in order to go visit them in a different part of the world. Our new
friends came to visit us in San Diego and we plan on visiting them in Beijing;
where they will be living for the next few years. While travelling I have met
my husband, two of my best friends, and now plan on going to a different
country to visit new friends next year. When we went to Toronto we didn't plan
on making new friends, but we did. Friendship is just one of the many beautiful and fun parts of
the adventure!
Quebec City! We got to Quebec in the early morning after a 3 hour train ride from Montreal. We decided to take the 2 mile walk from the train station to our hotel. Well.... the map did not show the tremendous amount of hills! It was hot, humid, and we were STARVING by the time we got to the hotel. Fortunately for us, Lonely Planet had a great recommendation for food in Quebec. For anyone who has read any of my other blogs, specifically my Paris post, its pretty obvious I am obsessed with crepes. Of course, we went to a creperie! It was called Casse-Crepe Breton and it was delicious. We parked up in a small table by the window to people watch and enjoy cappuccinos and crepes. I got a delicious asparagus, spinach, and cheese crepe and was practically in heaven at this point!
Walking through the ramparts!
walking OVER the ramparts!
We noticed right away how different Quebec was to Montreal. Yes, both places were in the Quebec province and both places language was French, but other than that it was quite different. Quebec city had all cobblestone streets and was actually quite small. It had a very European feel to it, so much so we kept forgetting we were in Canada! We would even catch ourselves saying, "what a cute french town... wait, er I mean Canadian.. no Quebec!"
the first skyscraper built in Quebec
As we got to Quebec early, we started to site see after we ate. We walked along the old original ramparts that engulf the entire city. We also walked along the boardwalk of the famous, Chateau Frontenac; which is the worlds most photographed hotel. As the city was so small, we knew we could do all the sights in one day, but we had two full days. So, we took it easy after our small tour. We heard rumors that Cirque du Soleil did a free performance on Tuesday nights at 10pm, so after dinner we walked down to the Old Port to see. Well, it was no rumor, it was true! We were mesmerized. Cirque du Solei is truly an amazing and incredible experience! I was so shocked and entertained by their humor, beauty, and performances. We felt so lucky to be a part of this experience... and better yet, for free!!
waiting for Cirque to start
part of the show!
The next day, just so happened to be Quebec Day. We seriously had THE BEST luck while on our trip. In Montreal for Canada Day and in Quebec for Quebec Day! We did the entire city walking tour in about 4 hours. Old Town of Quebec is actually an UNESCO World Heritage Site. We got to see many fun things we normally wouldn't see if it were not Quebec Day, such as a parade of the old militia, displays of the old weaponry, and a lot of street performers. It was very exciting! We really fell in love with Quebec as it was so small and quaint compared to the big city of Montreal. We felt like we got to relax and just take everything. We didn't feel rushed in the two and a half days we had there, as there was time to see everything.
Again, with our amazing luck, there was a fireworks display for Quebec Day. Fortunately, our hotel was the Hilton (thanks to my husband being a travel agent we got "hooked up") and they gave us the best room in the hotel. It happened to look down upon the entire city and the entire wall on one side was a window. We had a perfect view of the fireworks over downtown while relaxing in bed.
fireworks for Quebec Day
Montreal was fantastic and another must while visiting Canada. It can be done in one day, but take two full days to really take in the beautiful city. It is romantic, comforting, and where else can you go to see a free Cirque du Solei performance? We were sad to leave the relaxing city of Quebec early the next morning, but we were so happy that we were able to fit it in. Also, it ended up being my husband's favorite city out of the three we visited... who would have thought?!
some Canadian humor for ya, eh!
just one of many images of the "most photographed hotel in the world"
