Costa Rica

Every year I try to get away with my best friend of 38 years, just her and I. This year we chose to go to Costa Rica.  We invited our other friend from childhood, but at the last minute, she bailed as she didn't want to deal with Alaska Airlines and all the issues they are currently having. Our first day of the trip was a little of a wash due to mechanical issues on our plane and then when we arrived there was no gate for our plane, so we had to wait for a spot to open where they could bring stairs. This caused a back up with immigration which then resulted in it taking over 90 minutes to get through immigration. The goodness was that we had chosen to stay in a hotel close to the hotel, so we were able to just go straight to our hotel.  One thing you should know about visiting Costa Rica is that car rentals are expensive.  When you go to book the price is pretty reasonable, but they don't tell you if there is an additional 35 dollars a day charge which is mandatory insurance that you can't wave away. Unless you plan to not leave your hotel or have booked a variety of excursions a car is necessary.  The towns are pretty rural and there aren't a lot of options for Uber or taxis to get you around.  After a good night's sleep and a tasty breakfast, we picked up our rental car and made our way to the hotel where we would be staying for the next 5 nights. We stayed at the JW Marriott Hotel because we combined our points and didn't have to pay anything.  The hotel was beautiful.  We checked in and the staff was lovely.  We immediately changed into our swimsuits and went for a swim in the pool.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and a high of 93 degrees.  It was just what I needed after weeks of rain and cold temperatures. We ate dinner that night poolside and watched the sunset.  It was a perfect day.  The following day we ate a delicious breakfast and made our way to the horse stables to go horseback riding.  My friend loves to ride.  It seems whenever she can get me on a horse she does.  We didn't really see any wildlife, but the ride was fun and peaceful.  We met a really nice couple from Oklahoma who were ranchers.  We finished our day by the pool.  The following day we went into the neighboring town of Tarimindo which is a cute beachside resort town.  The streets are lined with hotels, shops, and restaurants.  We walked along the beach and discovered the message tables which were very reasonably priced.  We went for it! We ate lunch at a restaurant called Pico.  The food was so good.  It was local cuisine, but the food was delicious.  We did a little shopping, got ice cream, and headed back to the hotel.  My friend ended the evening by watching Boys in The Boast which I had already seen at Christmas with my family.  I tried to stay awake that evening to read but fell asleep quickly.  Wanting to see sloths we ventured up the coast to an Eco Park that had a small zoo. We would have liked to see them in the wild, but given the location of our hotel and the location of where you will see them in the wild, we just couldn't justify spending our precious few days of relaxation sitting in a tour bus 3 hours each way. The eco-park had a sloth feeding session which was cool because they woke up and we were able to see them.  They sleep about 20 hours a day and so they aren't very active creatures. We also saw monkeys, reptiles, Toucans, butterflies, and a variety of big cats like Jaguars. Our final day we spent at the hotel relaxing by the pool.  We also took advantage of some of the hotel-free activities included in the resort fees.  They had a cooking demonstration, so we were able to learn how and taste Ceviche.  It was delicious.  That night we went to my favorite of all dining experiences a beachside restaurant called Lola's.  The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was dreamy. The trip overall was perfect.  I would have to say my only complaint would be how expensive everything was such as food and excursions.  I feel like all the restaurants pretty much collude their prices because there really isn't such a thing as a cheap meal in Costa Rica, but don't quote me on that as it may be that if you travel to some small town or even San Jose you can get meals that are more reasonably priced. Hotels are pretty expensive as well.  I was shocked that it was more expensive than going to Hawaii.  Well, it is late and I should go to bed.