National Parks ROCK!

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Jen and I left for Tamarindo, Costa Rica. That wasn't really what we expected, even though we could have known, the nickname is Tama”gringo”. The bus ride was bumpy over unsealed roads again. In the town itself we had a lot of fun at ladies night: being a ballerina, got invited for some cocaine/ a kiss/ for a naked swim in some pool.. Hilarious night Jen a bit less in the morning when she embraced the toilet. (and we had to go back in the bumpy bus.)

We head towards the capital San Jose, were we met up with Mo and his brother also with our English funny lady Gemma! We said goodbye to Jen and I met up with Kate. Together we take a bus to Monte Verde were the others were (3 off them). A canopy tour was arranged including more or less the same route on suspension bridges and a snake museum. The canopy was great fun. Even though it was pissing rain and really windy at the top, which made things more interesting.. We 'zipped' into the fog with the wind in our side, made me brake and I didn't get across. After some stress (you don't see further than half a meter) and arm muscles I arrived on the next platform. The walk after gave us a up close and personal encounter with hummingbirds (love!), that was a good day!

We went al together towards La Fortuna, to see lava but what's new- of course we have rain. On the way the bus stopped and we had to walk across a broken bridge, as in holes everywhere with all our gear to wait for a bus on the other side to back up. 'They' say it rains in La Fortuna 11 months a year. Enough reason to go to fancy hot springs by night, heated by the volcano. I was so beautiful and nice. We also had a suicide gecko in the room, sounds horrific but it was more hilarious to be honest. Geckos have the speciality with their sticky feet to stick against walls and ceilings. This one did it wrong, well actually two things wrong 1.) he fell, and not just normally but 2.) he stretched out vertically, fell through the tiny gaps of the bars of the fan case, and became bird food..

With the last 4 we went via San Jose to the Caribbean coast: Cahuita. A tiny coastal town with dirt roads. We stayed over at this adorable Linda's Secret Garden room, with a kitchen in the greenhouse. Gus joined in again, we did a hike in the national park Cahuita along the coast. We've seen heaps: a sloth, some howler monkeys, white face capuchin monkeys. Of which one seriously climbed me to grasp my apple from my mouth! Shocked and laughing we returned, running for mosquitos at some spots. We also had a fun bike trip to Manzanilla with again some beaches on the way and a little park hike!

After this the girls went up (we left Ryan behind) to the pacific coast: Quepos, with National Park Manuel Antonio. It was pretty touristy, but it felt like walking in a wild zoo, so many animals! We saw 3 sloths, 3 kinds of monkeys, a snake, raccoons, coatis, iguanas. Amazing, all so close! And again all these hikes in between gorgeous beaches for a relaxing and/or refreshing moment. In these moments someone had to guard the bags, because these jackass raccoons trying to get in our bags to find food and monkeys try to steal our bags. But even hermit crabs 'crawling' in big numbers towards your savory snacks. That afternoon, we just got back, pissing rain, streets were flooded, cars getting stuck and small guy fell in our 'Rio Nuevo'.

The last time San Jose was a big goodbye to the last ones standing, and also a hello with old friend from my Spanish lessons in Guate, how random! Heading back north to see all spots I've missed due to rain.

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