Pura Vida: The Finale

I mean really...it just goes on and on. But we are going to call this the "finale" in hopes that it will help me move on with my life and quit dwelling on paradise.

Tuesday morning we slept...until we felt like getting up. That doesn't happen much in my world these days. We wandered up to the patio where we enjoyed another delicious breakfast from the farm and then sat on our front porch and waited for the volcano to show itself. Catching a glimpse of the "cone" is a rare and wonderful thing. We were determined to see it before we left. And it teased us to utter distraction...the clouds would start to move, they would part, we would be poised with the camera and camcorder...and then nothing. We just couldn't move on with our lives. We were so determined.

Chris waiting and waiting and waiting for that volcano to show itself.

Me waiting for the volcano while lounging on the front porch devouring an entire delicious book. Is this the appropriate time to bear testimony of the amazing Jessica Day George? She is a phenomenal author and I can't get enough of her.

The closest we got to seeing the entire volcano.

This volcano was SUCH a tease!

We reluctantly checked out of our love cottage and started the drive back to Liberia. I chose to drive the entire way back to avoid the car sickness and it was a peaceful, beautiful drive back. We only got lost once...saw a little bit of the local countryside. By the time we got back to the car rental place, I realized I had burned the living daylights out of my left arm. That was the arm hanging casually out the window, in the sun, the entire drive back. I looked like a very strange Dr. Seuss character with my fleshy right arm and bright lobster red left arm. Charming!

We hitched a ride to the airport where we were supposed to meet up with the group from Chris' work that were flying in. When we got there, it was pretty deserted. So much for the shuttle. We instantly became a hunk of living, walking, breathing, fare-paying meat for all the taxi drivers sitting around. I think a couple of them salivated. Finally one approached us and Chris asked how much it would be to drive us to the resort. He said $45.00. Chris said it was too expensive. At that point I had to let out a small chuckle because really, we had no other options. But the desperate taxi driver looked a little disgusted and finally said he would do it for $40.00. Chris accepted and we began the long, windy, confusing drive to our resort.

Thus begins the next chapter in our little vacation...the part that we didn't pay for but did our best to take absolute advantage of. You have to understand...we are fairly simple people with very limited means. We are budget travelers. We have never even been on a cruise. So imagine these 2 vacation red-necks showing up at the gated, all-inclusive, 4-star resort. I've NEVER felt so frumpy in my Old Navy jean skirt and orange T-shirt. But is was beautiful! There was the "main" building that sat on top of the hill and had a grand sweeping staircase that led down to the pool area. It had open verandas with couches and chairs for lounging, a disco, a bar, and 3 fabulous restaurants (the Italian, the Oriental, and the buffet). They checked us in, gave us the magic wristbands that gave us everything for FREE, and drove us to our fabulous room.

Our bed with the fluffy white bathrobes and "pool" towels. Every day our bed was made in a different arrangement.

Our front porch. I like a country dedicated to front porch lounging and living.

The view from our front porch. A little sidewalk and a drop off to the ocean.

The view from the main building down the winding staircase to the pool.

My hunk of burning love walking up the stairs toward the "veranda" in the main building.

Down by the pool was my favorite restaurant called "The Grill". Every morning you headed up to the main building for a delicious buffet breakfast...I loved all the fresh squeezed juices with the bottles of vodka and rum tucked behind them. For lunch we usually ate at The Grill where the homemade tostito chips and guacamole flowed abundantly and for dinner you could chose the Italian, oriental, buffet or grill. All you can eat...and drink...and all you did was flash the magic wristband. It is what I imagine "good" people heaven to be.

All over the place were the bars where you could saunter on up and order yourself a drink. Of course, every time we ordered ourselves a fruity little drink "without alcohol" we got ourselves a big reaction...until we'd been there a few days. Then we'd order a drink and they'd say, "Let me guess...no alcohol!" They were catching on to this group of Mormons pretty quickly. I spent my time sipping virgin pina coladas, strawberry margaritas, and smoothies anywhere I could...at every meal and snack, beach side, poolside...I didn't find one single place on that whole resort that wasn't slightly improved by a fruity drink with a little paper umbrella.

Don't we look cute with fruity drinks?

Our amazing 4 star resort!

Lounging on the veranda!

Loving resort living!

Light breakfast anyone? Scrambled eggs, french toast, juice, water, bacon, some pastries...just the usual fare. The sad part was leaving that hefty meal and putting on a swim suit.

Chris pulled out these fabulous sun glasses for the trip. He looked like Paunch from Chips. Total 70's fantasy come true!

We spent our days eating, reading, eating, lounging, eating, alternating between beach and pool, eating, hanging out, and having a grand ole' time.

On Thursday, Chris' company paid for the entire group to go river rafting. We took a chartered bus with a fabulous tour guide to the Tenario river. We rode the bus as far as we could and then switched to a truck with benches in an open back to ride the bumpy, dusty roads the remainder of the way in. We hiked the final way down a path to the the place on the river where we set in. We received our directions, got ourselves organized, and hopped in a raft with a guide. It was one of my favorite activities! We took some gentle and not so gentle rapids, saw toucans, bats, and monkeys, and finished the whole rafting trip off with a drop down a 12-foot waterfall. The water was blue and beautiful, the scenery was breathtaking, and the exotic wildlife unbelievable. When we reached the end, we headed back on shore for tropical fruit and juice...then back on the bumpy, dusty truck and across the scary, dilapidated bridge. It was a fantastic day and amazing adventure. We ate lunch at a great restaurant built on the edge of the river that served amazing local cuisine. I loved every minute!

On Friday, Chris and I took off in the morning for a little adventure of our own. Our resort and the beach were located in a little bay and we wanted to walk around the "corner" of the bay and see beach on the open ocean. So with low tide, we set out. We hiked over amazing volcanic rock and explored the beautiful tide pools. We saw caves and crashing waves and lots of wildlife...my favorite were the pelicans. It was always breathtaking to watch these animals in their "natural" habitat! We discovered a white sand, deserted beach that we quickly claimed for ourselves and spent a glorious morning playing in the water and laying on the sand. We were doing some fabulous body surfing in the waves until a dead fish almost hit me in the face and I quickly abandoned the water for safe, dry, non-death infested land. There wasn't another person in sight and we loved exploring the beach. After our little rendezvous, we headed back to the resort for a day lounging on the beach, reading books and occasionally wandering up to the Grill for chips and guacamole or a fruity drink.

Our own private beach.

Hiking around the bay.

We had to travel across a couple of ravines...quite an adventure in a dress with flip-flops.

This was my favorite bed making day. We came in and discovered she had pulled the top blanket into a funky little design and topped it off with a fresh, tropical flower. I definitely don't see that kind of service at home!

On our last night there, we had dinner at the Italian restaurant with Noah and Kristy Eyre. We ate pasta, had fruity drinks, great conversation, and tried not to think about the fact that paradise was quickly coming to an end!

How we spent the entire last day of vacation. I stood up long enough to take the picture. I knew vacation was ending when I finished my book on the beach. I had a fruity drink to celebrate uninterrupted reading in a lounge chair on the beach.

All the glorious wildlife in Costa Rica!

Loved finding evidence of "visitors".

I don't think I mentioned the howler monkeys that lived in the trees outside our room or the little gecko lizards that danced on the ceilings around the lights at night or the snakes that I dutifully did my best to avoid. There were so many wonderful things to see and hear and enjoy.

But all good things have to come to end. On Saturday morning we left and started the long journey back to Utah. It was so good to arrive and see our kids. I did miss them. They would have loved Costa Rica.

And there you have it. The deed is done. We have traveled, documented, savored, and relived all the glorious moments! I feel so grateful for the absolute gift this trip was to me. It was a country I don't think I ever would have traveled to and now I am plotting and schemeing to figure out how to get back.

Pura Vida!

A Star is Born

I was asked to give a short presentation today in Ogden at the annual UELMA conference for librarians. As a member of CLAU (The Children's Literature Association of Utah...go check us out at www.clau.org), I had the opportunity to present the 10 new nominees in the picture book category for 2010. One of the books on the list is our beloved "I Am Invited to A Party" by Mo Willems. If you have never read this book, I must insist you go buy it. Don't go borrow it from the library because there will be tears and tantrums and gnashing of teeth when you try to return it. Plus there is a good chance it will be carried around in a small child's armpits for a few days. Anyway, HB and I drove up to SLC last night in a snowstorm to spend the night at Mo and Papa's house and after a smashing breakfast complete with berries, several types of cereals, and fresh squeezed orange, we drove up to Ogden. I took my sweet 4-year old daughter to help liven up my presentation. And she not only livened up the presentation, she brought the house down.

My daughter stood on a chair at a podium in front of a HUGE conference room FILLED with people and read the book with me. She was Gerald the Elephant and I was Piggy...the pink pig. She read the book with all her voices and expressions and shook her hips on the "Party! Party! Party!" pages. She even said her "Very fancy" line with her english accent and deep, gravelly voice. It was hilarious and darling and ever so endearing (but you know I'm just an objective 3rd party...).

When we were done, she hopped off her chair and went back to her seat to finish her Fancy Nancy sticker book. After it was all said and done, one of my friends asked, "HB, weren't you nervous?"

"Nope," HB answered.

"Not even a little frightened," my friend replied.

"Well, maybe just a little tiny bit."

And there you have it. A star was born. She stole the show...and as we wandered out of the conference room and out to where books were being sold, we saw several women scooping up their own copies of the book. One of them turned around when she saw HB and said, "Look! I'm buying your book. You sold me!" and another turned around waving her book and said, "Me too!" So dang...where was my discount?

I love my kids. They are full of surprises and charm and personality that oozes from their pores. I'm constantly amazed by what they do and the talents that come exploding from their bodies. I'm so grateful to be their mom. I'm just happy they let me tag along for the ride!!


P.S. Here are the 10 books that made the 2010 picture book nominee list:

1) Louder, Lili! (by Gennifer Choldenko)
2) The Chicken of the Family (by Mary Amato)
3) The End (David LaRochelle)
4) I Am Invited To A Party (by Mo Willems)
5) The Black Book of Color (by Menena Cottin)
6) When Dinosaurs Came With Everything (by Elise Broach)
7) My Travelin' Eye (by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw)
8) South (by Patrick McDonnell)
9) Mary Had a Little Lamp (by Jack Lechner)
10) The Cow That Laid An Egg (by Andy Cutbill)

Pura Vida: Day 2

While I really do believe that I could easily become a woman of leisure, it doesn't appear to be in the cards for me. Which is unfortunate...I could be really, really good at it. Being in Costa Rica made me long to be a woman of leisure...being at home is really busy. So in the spirit of being brief and not neglecting my children ALL morning, I will finish documenting our adventure. In a briefer format than the first entry. (We'll see how this really unfolds...like I said, I'm not known for my brevity!)

Day 2: Monday

Ah, a spectacular day! It started with a fabulous breakfast on Jorge and Jessie's tile porch where we ate fresh scrambled eggs and toast with jam and drank hot chocolate with fresh milk from the farm with a German couple who was also staying at the inn. I even thought the little dog begging for scraps was charming...dogs are more charming in Costa Rica than America. No offense to the dog lovers out there!

Next, we headed up a very pot-hole covered road, over a decrepit bridge, up a mountain to ride a sky tram into the rain forest and then spend an amazing, glorious, unbelievable morning zip lining over the rain forest canopy coming back down. Lake Arenal is all its splendor was below us, the fabulous active volcano with the lava running down the side was next to us, and underneath us was the lush green canopy of rain forest. It was breath taking! We rode from platform to platform as we made our way down. It was indescribable!

The view of Lake Arenal from our perch on the zip line tour.

Just one fine example of the high quality roads in Costa Rica. You just close your eyes, gun the engine, and pray.

One of our guides on the zip line tour. They are hanging out waiting for the next person to come in on the very, very, very long zip lines. It was AWESOME!

Chris getting ready to fly over the jungle canopy.

I loved every minute of it! It was exhilarating! I haven't had an adrenaline rush like that in a long time!

A view from our sky tram cable car looking down at the jungle and out to the lake. We went really high up...it was so magical!

Standing on one of the platforms in our stylish helmets.

Equipment check...nothing like a stranger helping you into a harness that fits in awkward places.

And as a side note, that morning as we were getting ready to leave our inn for the day, the volcano let out a massive rumbling that both thrilled and frightened me! It was loud and rumbly...a little like Matthew burping after a satisfying meal. Made me strangely homesick for my boy...

The live volcano that "burped" periodically both scaring me to death and thrilling me to no end!

Anyway, after the zip lines, we went exploring at a near by spot where we had heard there was a hot spring that you didn't have to pay $60.00 to see and/or wade in. It was in a mysterious place and there was a naked lady there when we arrived so we just moved on. It was beautiful though!

Hiking through a mysterious tunnel to find the hot springs.

The beautiful hot spring pool...off to the right is the naked lady changing from something into something and off to the left is her "mate" floating serenely in the pool. We chose to move on.

Strange animals that are a cross between a monkey and a racoon. We saw them all over Costa Rica. Anybody know what they are?

Next, we headed into La Fortuna to check out the sights and get some lunch. The town was mostly souvenir shops trying to sell plastic things to tourists. We grabbed some lunch and headed out of town for our next adventure.

Our lunch spot. Chris is sitting at a table to the far right!

Drove up another dirt, pot-holed road and arrived at a beautiful spot up in the mountains. We hiked through the rain forest, across covered wooden bridges and down rustic stone stairs until we arrived at a breath-taking waterfall. It was stunning! I will never cease to be amazed at Mother Nature's handiwork. It would be impossible to "make" something so beautiful and wild and powerful. We took lots of pictures and Chris even ventured into the water (a little ways down stream) while I opted for a dry rock to take it all in. It was an amazing hike and beautiful sight!!

Heading into the jungle to find a waterfall!

Oh, hello big tree in a jungle. I felt so primal wandering around in a rain forest.

Spectacular La Fortuna waterfall.

I just stood and stared. I was truly mesmerized and overwhelmed. It was amazing...even the "pool of death" churning at the bottom of the waterfall.

Me and my rock.

We hiked back out and prepared to leave. I couldn't take another ride over the pot holes and I really wanted to run...strange sensation for a complete "non-runner" personality but since the road was mostly downhill, I told Chris to grab the car and catch up with me. And I have to say, the run down this mountain was a unique, wonderful experience. I started running and it was pure exhilaration! I was flying...I was running through the most amazing countryside I have ever laid eyes on. I ran past rain forest and fields and exotic birds. I ran past little homes with tile front porches and rocking chairs. I ran down a dirt road and waved at locals who thought I was crazy (or being chased by madmen). I got whistled at by Costa Rican construction workers (I have to admit I was flattered). I ran past cows and horses and dogs. I ran until I literally couldn't run anymore and then I jumped in the car and marvelled at the amazing moments life hands you when you least expect it. Sarah would understand...she describes these running moments lots and I finally got a glimpse! (I still don't like Postum though...maybe she'll change my mind about that one day as well!)

We headed back into town to do a little shopping at the tourist joints and then chose a restaurant for dinner. It was the typical dining experience in Costa Rica...a concrete floor under a wooden/metal roof, open on all sides. We had a delicious meal of "local" favorites. I loved eating in these restaurants. It made everything taste delicious and exotic and I was loving the temperature and lifestyle. It was a fabulous, perfect day!

(This is absolutely not turning out to be brief. Good grief!)

Pura Vida: Day One

Pura Vida (POO-rah VEE-dah), used by Costa Ricans since 1956, literally translated means "Pure Life." Contextually, it means "Full of Life" "Purified life", "This is living!"or "Going great!" It is used as a greeting, a farewell, and to express satisfaction. Costa Ricans use the phrase to express a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, good spirits, enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune, whether small or large.

It is an acknowledgment of the Costa Rican attitude towards life. (Wikipedia)

There couldn’t be a more perfect phrase to capture the absolute beauty and magnificence of this country! We have been back for one week now and I’m waiting for that little ache in my heart to go away. I want to go back. I want to speak Spanish and live near the beach and eat pico galla every morning for breakfast. I want to play on the beach, watch the pelicans dive for fish, enjoy the hermit crabs scurrying along the sand, and listen to the howler monkeys call to each other as they eat their breakfast. I want to hike through the rain forest to a magnificent waterfall and sit on a rock and enjoy the mist on my face. I want fruity drinks and smoothies served at my whim and homemade tostado chips and guacamole available at any hour of the day or night. I want to read 3 books in 7 days and have my husband all to myself. I want Costa Rica back.

This picture was inspired by Emily's trip to Costa Rica. I thought it was the perfect image to summarize it all!

My toes in the Pacific Ocean.

We left at 12:50 a.m. Sunday morning (February 8th) from Salt Lake City and flew into Atlanta where we had a 4-hour layover. We spread ourselves out as best we could on the metal waiting chairs and tried to nap but they had the TV’s turned on with the volume cranked loud enough to leave your ears ringing. I ended up eating lots of yummy Target trail mix and reading a trashy celebrity magazine. We finally boarded our flight for Costa Rica and tried to catch a little more sleep!

Trying to catch a little sleep in Atlanta!

We arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica around 1:00 p.m.where we were greeted by wind, humidity, and blessed warm sunshine. My skin is so dry in Utah during the winter. As we left SLC, the knuckles on my left hand actually starting bleeding because they were so dry. Within 2 days of being in paradise, my skin was smooth, silky and shiny! Love, love, love.

The airport was fabulous. Just a big open building with the biggest ceiling fans in the world gently moving the air around. The roof was some type of tin, the floor concrete and very few walls. It was all open and welcoming and very "tropical". I loved it!

The open air airport in Liberia, Costa Rica.

The largest ceiling fans in the world.

We caught a shuttle to the car rental place and got our first glimpse of Costa Rica. Liberia is on the west coast which is in the middle of their "dry" season. Even though it is 80-90 degrees, it is very brown looking. It looks like winter there…except no freezing temperatures! We rented our car, received all the scary instructions about how to not be ripped off, mugged, or have our car stolen, and then set off for our first adventure. We drove roughly 3 hours inland to the Arenal Volcano and tiny city of La Fortuna. It was interesting watching the landscape change from dry plains to lush, green rain forest. The drive was amazing! We passed through several small towns and really got to see the homes, stores, fantastic views, numerous skinny cows, horses, dogs, beautiful people, and landscape. We were really blessed…the main road from Liberia to La Fortuna is paved and in pretty good shape…a novelty for this country. While the road was just 2 lanes and we had the occasional mud slide, broken bridge and questionable drops off the side into the lake, it was fairly smooth driving. It started raining as we neared the Arenal area which made everything more beautiful and misty looking. Lake Arenal is the largest lake in Costa Rica and is breathtaking. It is surrounded by rolling hills that are part pasture land and part forest. It was a beautiful backdrop to the volcano and rainforest.

Our spunky little ride.

We arrived at Erupciones Inn and were amazed at our luck! This little "bed and breakfast" type place is run by a Costa Rican family on a real working farm. The husband showed us to our beautiful cabin, left us the keys, a few simple directions and we stood looking at each other in disbelief. To get to the front door of our "room", we walked up a little path past banana trees, bird of paradise flowers and other tropical plants. We had a little front porch with a table and chairs to facilitate book devouring and watching the amazing live volcano right in front of us! Our room was simple and classic and perfect. In the mornings, you would walk up to the main house where they had little tables and chairs on the patio and they would serve you a plate of fresh scrambled eggs (from the chickens on the farm), hot chocolate with freshly squeezed cow milk, and toast with jam. Jorge and Jesse were the owners and while Jorge was busy working on the farm, Jesse was serving breakfast out of her kitchen with her gorgeous 4-year old daughter playing around her feet and her 13-day old son sleeping in the next room. Jesse speaks at least 4 languages fluently (German, English, French and Spanish) and is one of the most gracious people I’ve met.

The pathway to our little "love nest". We had a banana tree and our own tropical plants.

The front porch of our love nest...perfect for reading and volcano watching.

The love nests at Erupciones Inn. Can you believe this place?

Breakfast visitor

I was charmed by every aspect of our room...from the door handle to the rustic orange and blue color scheme to the spanish tile in the bathroom to the wooden beams on the ceiling. It was beautiful.

The volcano from our front porch.

My idea of vacation...a great book, fabulous front porch, and volcano view.

Arenal Volcano


Chris desperately waiting for the clouds to part and the volcano "cone" to show itself.

That first day we marveled at our beautiful surroundings and then crashed for a little nap while the storm raged on outside. Do you remember napping without children? You truly fall into a deep sleep with no part of you listening or worrying about anything going on around you. There is no tension, no yelling at someone to get out of the cupboard, no mysterious crashing noises…just pure, blissful sleep. We awoke (when WE felt like it) and decided to go get some dinner. Our fabulous Frommer’s tour book recommended a little place right near our bed and breakfast and since it had the word "steak" in it, we decided to try it out. It was called "El Novillo del Arenal" and while it was truly nothing fancy, just some tables and chairs set on a concrete slab underneath a high, open zinc roof, it had fabulous food. We ordered steak and chicken and some "fried yuca"…it was truly divine…every last morsel!

Divine steak house.

Me standing next to a big plastic cow rubbing my belly full of beef and yuca!

We headed back to our little cabana for more rest and relaxation! And thus ended Day One…Chris just came down and asked if I was writing a novel. I’m not known for my brevity and since this is the only semblance of a journal in my life, you get all the details. Feel free to skim.