Jungle Time

Hola amigos!! Estamos en Bosque del Cabo! Es en la Osa peninsula en el sur del pais. We are in a nature reserve that a couple has created and preserved. We are staying in a house that has walls but no windows, the kitchen and sitting area is all open, and the bathrooms and showers are outside with just little privacy walls. Being 8 of us, we have created a system using towels to make sure we dont walk in on each other using the toilet! Showering is pretty amazing when you can see monkeys hanging in the trees right next to you.

This is our 3rd day here and so far we have been on a few hikes where we saw spider, howler and whitefaced monkeys. Howlers sound like zombies, not a very nice sound especially at 4:30 in the morning which seems to be a ritual for them. Spider monkeys walk upright on the branches sometimes, and you can't help but get a weird feeling that we are related. There are tons of beautiful birds, including my favorite the toucan!!! We are pretty lucky, our house overlooks the ocean and has plenty of wildlife and all we have to do is sit in our patio chairs.

We have been eatingg.....and eatingg....3 square meals a day! All the food has been incredibly delicious, but I have actually grown weary of eating. Yes me, a foodie has literally gotten tired of eating. I wish though to bring home this salsa that is served at every table called Lizano...it is haeaven and goes on everything!!!

It's my birthday today! 25! I think its a pretty sweet way to enjoy it :) We are hiking today to the ocean and a waterfall - which hiking here is so different than what we are used to in the high desert. Here it is wet, the mud is like clay and you can't help but wonder if there is a snake under all those leaves. The canopy and trees block a lot of the sun light so it is fairly dark in the forest.

So far, we have not had any awful bug encounters...and knock on wood the mosquitos have not eaten us alive.

We have learned to get used to wet clothing, as nothing dries here, just stays damp, including the hiking shoes...heres to hoping I dont get foot rot or something dramatic and gross like that.

Considring that we are literally in the jungle it has been quite an experience, and the set up makes it feel like you are roughing it without actually roughing it. I am very lucky that Phil and Sarah's mom and Bernie have brought me on this incredible and somewhat lush experience.

We are here for another 2 days then head to Zancudo which is across the little bay called Golfito. Bernie and Donna say we will really be roughing it there, so far we know we are staying in banana cabinos on the beach, and I guess there is only one hotel in the area? We shall have to see!

On a funny side note, we have all falled in love with the local beer Imperial. So much that in our first place, we had to have beer brought everyday and when we arrived to the Osa peninsula, Puerto Jimenez to be exact, we asked the driver to stop at the local grocery store. Quite a sight to see a whirlwind of 8 white tourists sweep through the market in about 10 minutes collecting snacks, 10 bottles of wine and about 2 cases of Imperial. Probably the most action for these locals in a long time, we were happy to entertain and support local business. :)

Internet and phones are limited here so not sure when the next post will be...love to all!

Pura Vida - Manuel Antonio

So the first segment of the costa rica adventure....I'm here in manuel antonio, which is a three hour drive from San Jose airport, with phils family. We have been staying in a rented villa, since there is w total of 8 of us, that sits on the hillside in the vegetation overlooking the beach and natural forest reserve. Every day consists of incredible eating with tons of fresh seafood prepared by the in house chef, a 22 year old costa rican with incredible talent. He is great an none of us can get enough of the fresh fruit and seafood. Each day we usuall hit up the beach for some ocean swimming and head back to he house, about 5 min taxi drive or 20 min walk, to have lunch, swim in the pool and take a nap. Dinner is usUally at 7 so we read or chat after our nap till then. One day we did a ziplining tour where we did 10 ziplines, one Tarzan swing (exactly how it sounds), and two repels down trees. The thrill and the rush of flying through the trees is unlike anything else and u would never believe how high u r because u cannot see the bottom floor. Another day we went on a guided hike through the natural preserve where we saw sloths, an incredile amount of white faced monkeys, lizards, and leaf cutter ants that have incredible strength. We came acros a pack of monkeys that were literally two feet away from me playing and going nuts, stealing cookies from tourists it was fantastic. I have videos of it to post when I come home. Everything has been wonderful so far, 5 days has felt like two weeks! Except for the massive cockroach I found in my room or the scorpion jeff found in his shorts in his room. Sort of nervous for the bug situation at the next place, you can look up the website by searching for Bosque del Cabo. We depart from here tomorrow and will be at the Eco lodge for 5 nights after which we check out zancudo for the remaining time, then I meet eve in the Dominican to see Stacie! Anyway that is the scoop thus far I will try to write at the next place!!!! Also last night we experience a crazy thunderstorm! The lightening was lighting the whole sky evey 5 seconds and when the storm was over our place it sounded like a nuclear war! It wasnt necessarily scary but our nerves were on edge for about 2 hours! And the sweltering heat kicked in after the power went out! Ok thumbs hurt Now from writing on the iPhone love to u all!