Zarcero topiary gardens As I transitioned from slumber to consciousness, the memories flooded in – I was married! After months of planning and giddy excitement, Fabian and I had tied the knot the previous afternoon. I glanced down at my ring finger, a big smile on my face, before flying out of bed. I was [...]
Day 8: Waterfall Rappelling – the Ultimate Rush
View from the top of the falls Some call it waterfall rappelling, and others call it canyoning – I just call it intense. I began the day by eating an amazing breakfast with seven complete strangers in the countryside. Quepos Canyoning had collected us from our hotels a half an hour earlier, and deposited us [...]
Day 9: Coconuts and Banana Boats
Banana Boat My flight back to Liberia was scheduled to depart at 2:30 p.m., and I intended to spend every moment of my last morning in Manuel Antonio in the sun and surf. After an enormous breakfast of fruit, pancakes and scrambled eggs at The Falls Resort, I began the long walk toward the coast. [...]
Day 7: A Manuel Antonio Walk in the Park
Manuel Antonio National Park Today was the quietest day our guide had experienced in his entire four years leading tourists through Manuel Antonio National Park. Go figure. The park is incredibly biodiverse, boasting 380 species of plants, 109 mammals, 185 birds and 78 species of fish within its 137,605 land and marine acres. On a [...]
Day 6: A Manuel Antonio Massage
My suite at The Falls Resort I awoke with sore arms at 5:59 a.m. (exactly one minute before the alarm went off), thinking about yesterday’s huge sailfish success. After a shower I grabbed a mango for breakfast from the supermarket on the road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio. While these tropical fruits are available year-round [...]
Day 5: Sport Fishing Success!
Christian with sailfish If you had asked me two years ago my favorite pastime, I never in a million years would have answered “sport fishing.” Back then, I felt that angling just wasn’t my scene. Now, after three amazing excursions in different parts of the country, sport fishing is one of my top things to [...]
Day 4: Parasailing Manuel Antonio
Rainbow Parasail Although it is difficult for me to complete tasks requiring nominal coordination before 10:00 a.m., I could not resist a Thursday morning session at Sivana Yoga in Manuel Antonio. I left Condotel Las Cascadas early to catch the 7:45 a.m. bus from Quepos. The Vinyasa yoga lesson was taught by a serious instructor [...]
Day 3: Diving the Central Pacific
Gorgeous landscaping at Condotel Las Cascadas. Some people bring good weather when they travel, and others don’t. Take my mother for instance, wherever she ventures, it almost always rains. When I travel, on the other hand, lady luck is with me. Similarly, on every underwater adventure I’ve experienced, clear waters prevailed. Unfortunately, my lucky streak [...]
Day 2: Whitewater Rafting the Savegre River
Savegre River “There is no way I’m falling off the boat” is the mantra I kept repeating in my mind as I walked along the road leading to Quepos. Surely, with the power of positive thinking, I could make it so. Iguana Tours was taking me whitewater rafting down the Savegre River (pronounced “sah-vey-grey”), and [...]
Adventures in Quepos and Manuel Antonio
Parasailing View of Isla Larga While planning my trip to Quepos and Manuel Antonio, I was astounded by the sheer volume of things to do and places to see – the possibilities seemed endless. Since I couldn’t manage to do it all in a mere nine days, I was going to enjoy as much as [...]