Dawn Patrol at Playa Grande - Thursday

5:30 am on the last full day in Costa Rica came very early this morning even though everyone was moaning into the rack at 9:00 PM the night before. Surprisingly, Jonathan and Meddie were up for the morning trip. At 6:00 am we had a short bus ride and then a 20 minute boat ride to Playa Grande. The waves were inconsistent but they had plenty of height. We were all catching some decent waves but unfortunately having some pretty terrific wipe outs. Med had a spectacular "pearl" - burying the nose of her board into the bottom of a 6 foot wave and then having the wave collapse on top of her. Dan (still struggling with some of the basics like positioning) popped up perfectly on a good size wave only to find myself dead-center at the top of too big of a wave. The board went down the face faster that I did, leaving me to get buried. Our Boat Captain (Chilio) was also surfing with us and had some great laughs at our expense. Its all good....

Back at home base we wolfed down a breakfast (or two) and then went about various mid morning activities. Steven, Nolan and I went for a run, Jonathan and Meddie for a walk, Med went out to get a present for Jonathan's birthday. After a lunch at the local bakery we were all in bed and napping by 1:00 pm.

Surfing at Avenellas

Yesterday, Christmas Day, we spent a quiet morning at the camp. We were all still pretty wiped out from our day at Ollie's and Witch's Rock. In the afternoon we went to Avenellas to surf. It was the best day of surfing we have had so far. Avenellas is a beach break. This particular day the waves were between chest high and head high, beautiful lefts and rights for as far as the eye could see. We got to the beach at around 1:45 with the intention of surfing for about two hours. We did not get back into the van until almost 5 pm. Everyone was catching waves. Jonathan and Stephen, our two nephews, really started putting it all together here. Dan had a great afternoon. I even got inside the barrel or at least that is what people say. Generally it felt like I was getting crushed by the wave, but I held on for awhile.
We were so toast by the time we got back that we ate dinner and crashed. I was asleep by 8pm. The rest of the gang held out a bit longer. We didn't take any pictures from this beach so there is nothing to really show you. But we promise to take some surf shots before the end of the week.
Pura Vida.

Costa Rica Pictures

Motley Crew on a hot afternoon


Italian Ice Cream store manager Flaminia who befriended us


Slick bike that Jonathon talked Adreas (surf instructor middle) to let him ride through Tamarindo to give Ricardo (surf instructor left) a ride home.


Witch's Rock Surf Camp's outdoor patio

Group Photo on the last day


Smallest cousin always gets the short stick


Preparing for the next wave...


Nephew Steven Catching the wave

Nephew Jonathon catching a Wave
Down Time at Witch's Rock


Cattle taking an afternoon stroll on the beach!


A Costa Rican home on the beach. This is located on the beach just before Playa Conchal.



Costa Rican wildlife - largest grasshopper that I have ever seen... A full 6 inches end-to-end.


Walking back from Playa Conchal.

Baby Howler in Playa Sugar.

Her Mama!



One of the thousands of hermit crabs that invaded our spot on the beach. Yes it was a little creepy. You could hear them walking there were so many.


Outrigger trip back in Portero at Playa Sugar.

Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas from Costa Rica. While we are waiting for high tide to surf ... we are looking over the beach having breakfast and preparing to open a few gifts hauled down from the states.

Witch's Rock

After climbing out of the water at Ollie's we wolfed down a packed sandwich (marginal) and some fresh fruit (excellent) and guzzled as much water as we could get out hands on. We hauled anchor and headed south along the dry coastal cliffs of Santa Rosa. Numerous sea turtles lazed in the water and gave us ample opportunity to get a quick shot.

We arrived at Witch's and took a quick tour of the Rock as the guide explained that the local people believed the rock to be haunted. Though exquisite to look at, you can imagine that it's ominous presence could conjure up dark thoughts and perilous stories.

We anchored off of the 4 mile beach and paddled into the surf. A nice swell was coming in with a mixture of left and right breaks. For most of the afternoon there was no one but our group of 6 in the waves. We all got some good rides but the arms started to fade as the surf started to build. This is not a preferred combination! As the waves reached an overhead state, I began to sense that my strong paddle had diminished to a weak imitation of a dying turtle. Arms loosely flapping in the water. It was time to exit with some sense of dignity. The gringos dragged themselves out of the water and onto the boat, barely able to get up the ladder. The Ticos of our party continued to catch wave after wave. David and Jose amazed us with their ability to catch a wave, ride it all the way in and get back out and in position for the next wave of the set only missing one wave. They would do this continuously!!

They finally paddled back to the boat as the waves started to get "mushy".

We then had a 60 minute boat ride back to the beach. A FULL DAY!

Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point

At 5:25 am the day before Christmas I rolled out of my bed and reached for the Ibuprofin. We were leaving in20 minutes for the famed Witch's Rock. I wasn't sure that I could swim across the wading pool let alone manage through any sort of big sets. Meddie, Nolan, Med and I were not well educated on what to expect for the day. After a 1 hour car ride we got to Playa Cocoa and then packed the boards onto an open fiberglass fishing boat and launched. Little did we realize it would be 8 hours before our feet hit dry ground again.

The boat ride to Witch's and Ollie's point took about an hour. The seas were fairly flat except for the last twenty minutes which consisted of a pounding over the swells that rattled us to the bones. We ventured past Witch's Rock and on to Ollie's point as the tide tide was low and Ollie's is much better at low tide. Ollie's is a right point break that begins at a small outcropping of rocks on the far right of the beach. The swells were not huge but nicely formed. There were a couple of other boats hanging around in the water but no one was actually in the water yet. Our tour guide David, a young Tico, pulled on his wetsuit and plunged right into the surf. So with nothing else to do we followed. I would love to say that we riped out there but the truth of the matter is that with an incredible strong offshore breeze we all had some difficulty paddling into the waves. Meddie actually showed us all up including the seven other guys(ticos not included) that were in the water by this time. Eventually we all manged to catch some waves. We hauled out on the shore a couple of times to catch our breath and warm up our bods. There is a beautiful river that flows right out into the break which we explored a bit. We lasted a couple of hours and then, with shivering bones we paddled back to the boat for an early lunch and some needed water. It was only 10:30. We had hours to go still!!!

Witch's Rock and Ollies' point are two of the most famous breaks in Costa Rica. They were both featured in the Endless Summer 2 movie. Most people take a boat to the breaks as they are located off of a National Park (El parque nacional Santa Rosa) which only has road access with a four wheel vehicle. Our guide informed us that there are some hard cores that make the four hour walk to the breaks carrying their boards. The boat seemed a good way to go for us.

From Ollies we headed back south towards Witch's rock...

CPI Central Panamerican Idiomas

Just a quick post on CPI.
We came down to Costa Rica for two reason. One was to surf the other was to learn spanish. When we were in Costa Rica last March, we heard about this school from a number of people we met at the hostel in Saint Elena. CPI is located in the town of Playa Flamingo which is on the Guanacasta Pennisula. It provides individuals with intensive spanish language classes. You can study for as short as a week or for months if you want. We, of course, only had time to do one week.

I would say that in general, it was a really great experience for us all. The kids were in a class together and Dan and I were in a class with two other people. We definately learned a lot. We would love to come back and do another week or two next summer.
The students in the program range in ages from 7 to 65. Many of the students were American but there were also students from as far away as Russia, Switzerland and England.

If you have an interest in learning spanish, in a spanish speaking country we would highly recommend this program. The program has three different locations in Costa Rica; Playa Flamingo, Heredia and MonteVerde. They even have some resident bats!!!

In general, you attend classes in the morning and then can participate in various excursions in the afternoon. You have the option of staying in a modest villa, a B&B or a homestay with a Costa Rican Family. We opted for the villa which was nice and very economical.





We finished with our program on Friday and today we left Playa Flamingo and traveled to Tamarindo to start our week of surfing. we will miss Playa Flamingo and our new friends. We would like to wish Tomar, Evan, Beth, Lean and Michael a safe journey and a happy New Year. You all made our expereince so much more memorable. We hope that our paths cross again. Evan, good luck with the whole college thing and let us know if you caught some waves!!!

Pura Vida!

Playa Conchal

Well we made it through another morning of Spanish lessons. We are all progressing. I can manage some Spanish slightly above basic. So at least when we are in a restaurant or need something (like our laundry done) we can more or less get the point across intelligently. The six years of Spanish that I took in high school and college is slowing creeping back from the abyss.

Today after class the school sponsored a trip to the lovely Playa Conchal. It is a beautiful white sand beach in a large cove. We were able to do some snorkeling and enjoyed the little bit of sun that was out. The water here is a great temperature and such a beautiful color.
The highlight of the outing, however, was the troop of howler monkeys that lounged all afternoon in the trees right behind us. There were about ten all together including very tiny baby that kept hanging upside down by its tail. A sad fact about the monkeys in Costa Rica is that 80% of all deaths are cased by electrical shock. The country is developing very fast. There are now electrical wires and roads that cut through the monkeys routes to the beach. Monkeys are regularly getting electrocuted as they try to swing on electrical wires to get across roads.

At the moment, we are doing our homework together at the kitchen table. When we are done we will walk down to the Heledaria for some ice cream. We are exhausted but in a good way. The last two days have been so great here and we are really getting into the groove of being in an exotic country. We are happy to know that we still have a week of surfing ahead of us.

Nos Vemos
Pura Vida

La Playa Penca

This is a beautiful sand beach north of Playa Flamingo that is off the beaten track and barely used. There is excellent body-surfing in this protected cove that looks out onto picturesque rock formations and islands. From here we explored 3 more beaches to the North, by walking along the rocky points at low tide. The kids loved exploring the tidal pools that swarmed with crabs, sea anemones, brittle stars, darter fish and sea slugs.

Monkey Park

El Parque De Monos

Tuesday
December 19, 2007

It is our fifth day in Costa Rica and our third day of Spanish classes at CPI. For part of our morning session we went to an animal rehabilitation park about twenty minutes from the school. It is called El Parque de Monos, which translates to The Monkey Park.
Although the park was not much to look at, it was a very interesting trip. The guide, who was from Venezuela, was very knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He is a volunteer as is everyone who works at the park and their main objective is to rescue animals and release them back to the wild.
Most of the animals that we saw are permanent residents because they would not be able to survive back in the wild for one reason or another. But many of the animals do get released back to the wild.

While we were there we saw fur types of monkeys, several exotic birds, crocodiles, wild pigs and the Costa Rican version of a raccoon. This last critter has been released several times on the large reserve and keeps coming back. They let him just roam around for a bit on the grounds but he kept coming up to the tourists and growling at them. Apparently he is quite friendly but can be scary if he shows up behind you growling. So they have him back in the cage.

Costa Rica

We arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica yesterday. The weather is beautiful.....but hot. We are certainly not complaining. We swam at the beautiful Playa Flamingo Beach this afternoon with the jack fish. We were woken from our afternoon nap by the cows mooing away behind our Villa. Playa Flamingo is an odd tourist town built primarily on a hill overlooking a bay. We forgot to bring the camera to the beach today but we'll be sure to get a picture tomorrow.
We are staying at the Villaggio Flor Del Pacifica.
We spent the morning at the beach and the afternoon at the pool. We begin Spanish classes in the morning. In Playa Flamingo it is hard to find someone who speaks English so we have been working the Spanish and getting by. We are excited about seeing our nephews Jonathan and Steven at the end of the week.
Until tomorrow....Pura vida

Countdown to Costa Rica

Just four more days until we head to Boston to catch a plane to Liberia, Costa Rica. Although it has been a bit stressful getting all the Christmas gifts and arrangements done before we leave, were ready.
I forgot to mention that we will be spending our first week in an intensive spanish language program north of Tamarindo. We will be at the CPI Spanish Language Program in Playa Flamingo. The kids aren't wild about being in school but it's hard to complain to much when it is 90 degrees and the pool is just outside the door.
We will keep you posted on departure and hopefully we can post everyday while we are in Costa Rica.
Medelise

TRAVEL PLANS...before you die

Where.Why.Who

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Visit Travel Plans and tell us what your plans are.

Craftsbury Nordic Center

Ringing in the New Year

As we drove through the Commons, we noticed a street named Auld Lang Syne. At that moment it became clear that we had made the right decision. This New Years Day, determined not to wallow in the post holiday blues, we packed the car with skies, sleds and kids and hit the dusty trail or rather the snowy one! We were headed to the quintessential Vermont town of Craftsbury Commons, our final destination: Craftsbury Outdoor Center.

Know originally for its superb sculling program, Craftsbury Outdoor Center is a thriving four season resort that allows you a peaceful and down to earth setting while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing, running and sculling, just to name a few. For years, my husband and I have been enjoying the freshly groomed cross-country trails of this long established business, located in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, but we were about to discover that the Craftsbury Outdoor Center is much more than a cross-country ski area, it is a virtual winter playground for families.

As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed that it was full. It seemed that others too might be making good on their New Years resolutions: spending more time with the family, getting more exercise, returning to the great outdoors. Crowded as it appeared, it was far from the overloaded, highly fashionable parking lots of the nearby downhill ski areas. We quickly found a spot, unloaded the gear and headed towards the touring center.

We paused briefly as we approached the ski center(warming hut) to allow a line of children, imprinted to their instructor like ducklings to their mother, to glide by on their skies. The group was heading towards the teaching area which was embellished with a variety of snow structures to serve as an obstacle course. Although we all knew how to ski we couldn't help to imagine how fun that lesson would be.

One of the wonderful things about Craftsbury Nordic Center is that to spend a day there with your children won't break the bank. Adult tickets for a full day start at $16 without rentals and $30 with rentals. Kids under 12 can ski for about $8 without rentals and $18 with the full rental package. What can you do now days anywhere that will only cost you $8? The beauty of it all is that skiing is not the only thing to do!!!

Just when our kids had had enough of being bribed with m&m's for one last ski run, we sent them off to the sledding hill. Despite my shrieks of be careful, gaining air off the makeshift snow jumps remained a popular theme of the afternoon. fortunately, everyone managed to escape any real injuries.

And if the skiing and the sledding does not quite exhaust and/or exhilarate you enough, it is only a step(literally) from the touring center to the skating pond. If you have your own skates by all means pack them. However half the fun of the skating at the Center is stepping into the skate room and looking for a pair of skates that will fit you. In the skate room you will find, arranged in no particular order, a collection of skates that may very well contain a pair of skates as old as your grandfather. Just tell the kids that uncomfortable skates are prerequisite for a true ice skating experience! Once you have found the golden pair, grab a hockey stick and get out on the ice. There is always a pickup game of hockey between adults and their kids in full gear. Just don't shoot the messenger the next day when you have difficulty rolling out of bed.

Well... we certainly made good on our New Years resolution this New Year's Day. Grabbing one last hot chocolate for the ride home we packed the skis, sleds, skates and kids back into the car. We drove off just as the sun settled behind the hills and cast a beautiful orange glow across the snowy trails of the Craftsbury Nordic Center.