Heaven: Coming Back to Earth

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This wraps up our incredible adventure. We descended, celebrated, and took off for Puntarenas so Katie could meet my family. That Saturday I took katie to the airport in Alejuela and she made it back safe and sound, and with a way cooler story for she did over spring break!

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Photos

Dan and Kim
Two incredibly cool international teachers who hiked Chirripó the same days as we did, and with whom we became rather fast friends. Because they offered to give us a ride back to Puntarenas, Katie and I offered to take them out for a celebratory pizza lunch after our mountain-scaling feat! The company was like old friends, the restaurant charming, and the pizza hit the spot.

El Atardecer
The sun sets on the mountain side, and we watch peacefully from our perch in San Gerardo.

The World Family Dinners
Another wonderful night at Casa Mariposa, where we all made dinner together, told stories, and laughed late into the night. Such a homey place may not exist anywhere else (besides my own home, of couse!).

Mariposa Friends
It's always so wonderful to make great friends with awesome travelers, and we made some of the best! This is Kanuche and Mercy, Dan and Kim, Katie and I, and our fearless hostel owner, John at the end of our adventure.

The Wild Road Home
Don't tell Mom, but I rode back to Puntarenas enjoying the view from the back of Dan and Kim's pickup truck! It was a blast!

Puntarenas At Last!
After Katie met my family and completely charmed them, we jumped in the pool to cool off! That night my host mom wouldn't let us stay in and we went down to the paseo de turistas--concrete boardwalk--to see the hordes of Ticos that came to Puntarenas and set up tent cities right on the beach for Semana Santa. (I didn't bring my camera because I didn't want it to get stolen.)

Goodbye Costa Rica
One of the last photos Katie and I took before she left. We had an amazing adventure!