My goddaughter, Abbey, proposed to her parents that she get to take a trip out of the
country with me, and her parents agreed if she saved her own money. Impressively, at 15, she did it! We went to Costa Rica for a week. I told her how I budget for trips--accommodation, food, transportation, and excursions. I am not big on buying souvenirs, but I let her know to bring money for that too. It was an adventurous and fun trip, for sure!
Our adventures began as I used my poor Spanish with our taxi driver to try to find our Airbnb for the night in the dark. The address I gave him was not taking us to the right place, and I was not letting him drop us off until we found the house! The driver kindly called our host since my phone doesn't work outside the US, and Abbey spotted the house, saving the day.
We took a public bus to our first destination, La Fortuna, where we stayed in a hostel, that has unfortunately closed since. We shared a room and bathroom with two young women. Abbey really enjoyed hanging out and socializing in the common areas with the other guests, which is a definite perk of hostels especially when traveling young or alone. Our host was amazing. He had a great dog named Toby. Danny gave us recommendations, and he told us how to get to a great swimming hole where Abbey jumped off the rocks over and over. Abbey and I both adored our host instantly, and we still follow Danny on Instagram. Now he has a toddler and a restaurant called Spectacolar Cantina, so if you go to La Fortuna, please give him business!
Ziplining is big in Costa Rica, and we did a course. The last leg was very high above the trees, and we were together. We were flying and had a hard time getting it to slow down!
We also went canyoning, which was my favorite! We went to Pure Trek in La Fortuna. Canyoning is rappelling in waterfalls. It was a lot of fun and very exciting. I like stepping off things backwards. I highly recommend it.
The wildlife in Costa Rica is incredible. We did a night hike and saw sloths, a baby sloth, and a tarantula. On our day hike through the rainforest, we saw a snake and other cool animals, like colorful frogs. Our guides were amazing. They knew so much and had a keen eye—knowing where to look and what to look for so we did not miss a thing!
We swam in a waterfall on one of our day trips. After exploring the small town of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano area, we took a boat ride to Monteverde, which is a beautiful area in the mountains.
Finally, we went back to San Jose to explore Costa Rica's largest city before flying home. We visited a museum and enjoyed our hotel's small pool. I told Abbey when we went to dinner that she had to direct us back. Maybe everyone else in the world has a cell phone that works everywhere, but I think it is so important to learn how to pay attention to landmarks and get back to your accommodations without GPS. She did a great job!
Overall, we loved Costa Rica. It is beautiful with diverse landscapes, very affordable, and the people were lovely.
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