Manuel Antonio National Park and More

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August 31st 2011

Published: August 31st 2011

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Lilaura

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Driving to El Pelicano

Well we went to the restaurant Hicaco, in Jaco, to find that it was closed. So we headed to a restaurant in Herradura beach, called El Pelicano. Not only did I have the best seared yellow tail tuna I had every had, I also had a few of the best piña coladas ever made! Our dinner was delicious and we enjoyed the sunset right over the water.
Yesterday could not have gotten any better! My dad and I rented a car and drove down to Manuel Antonio National Park. We went on a tour with a man named William, who was incredibly knowledgeable about all of the different animals in the park. He also had the unbelievable ability to spot insects and camouflaged animals that we would have never seen with our untrained eyes. After a sweet two hour hike through the park and getting to view all of the animals through William's mini telescope, my dad and I went for a swim at one of Manuel Antonio's stunning beaches. The water was warm and clear, and it was our first sunny day since we arrived. After floating for a while, we headed back to our car and stopped to

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Sunset at Herradura Beach

buy a fresh coconut each, they were delicious and replenishing!! All of you who recommended seeing Manual Antonio, thank you, you were right, the park was well worth seeing. Then we drove back up the coast and stopped at Esterillos Oeste, a beach off the beaten path that had great surf. We also stopped at Playa Hermosa, just south of Jaco, which was really cool with its black sand stretching for miles.
After getting cleaned up, my dad and I headed back to El Pelicano for dinner (yes, it was that good). We shared the Mariscada, which was a giant bowl of lobster, crab, clams, mussels, calamari, sea bass, and prawns all cooked in onions, tomatoes, garlic, white wine, and butter. IT WAS PHENOMENAL!! We also enjoyed a couple of Bavaria Dark cervezas with our seafood feast. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Today has been mellow, we had breakfast this morning, said goodbye to Herradura, and headed back to the San Jose Marriott. We shared a tasty chocolate dessert for lunch and are now anxiously awaiting dinner. Tomorrow I get picked up at 1:30 and taken to meet my host family in Heredia. I am so thankful that

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The best Piña Coladas EVER

I had this week with my dad to adventure and relax! I am excited for my program to begin and also a little nervous and a little sad to say goodbye to my dad. Tomorrow will be bittersweet. Oh, and one more cool thing, I met a really sweet girl named Marianella who works at the front desk here in San Jose. She is my age and happens to go to the same University I will be attending. She also knows Abdy, my soon to be Spanish sister! We exchanged info and I am immensely excited to have already made a new friend. Pura Vida!

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