John and Kylee: Kylee

We got such a good flight deal to Costa Rica, but it came at the cost of convenience. Unfortunately we had to take a red eye flight that left late in the evening. And of course it wasn't a direct flight either. We had a 5 hour layover in the Atlanta Airport. This was pretty brutal. I think I have tried every possible neck pillow for airplanes, and in my experience none of them make sleep possible. I tried to tell myself that just resting would be enough, but it really isn't. Unfortunately the kids also didn't sleep great, so there was a price paid by all. At least Darcy slept a bit on the first flight. We also had everyone take melatonin, but that still wasn't enough. Thankfully we all (except Darcy) slept a bit during the layover. There were benches that we moved into somewhat of a circle where we tried to surround our luggage and our bebopping 4 year old. John got up with her at one point, but I think we all slept for at least a little while. I also was able to sleep a little on the flight to San Jose. We all made it with varying levels of asleep.

Almost immediately upon arrival, we had to change our clothes. We had to dress warm and comfy for our flights, but as soon as we stepped off the flight and that warm humidity hit, we knew that this had to be the first order of business. The next thing we did was get our luggage and exchange some money. We also had to get our phones working with the international plan. I feel like any of these things wouldn't seem so bad normally, but because we were coming off very little sleep plus travel exhaustion plus trying to corral our kids plus everything being unfamiliar and in another language. This all means that it feels like one of the most stressful parts of the trip! Fortunately we weren't on a time crunch, which truly makes a difference.

And we made it to our hotel! It was so cute and charming! It feels so good to drop all of the luggage and car seats and just be ablet to rest! Of course we all just felt like crashing on those three beds, but we knew we needed to try to stay awake until a normal time. It is funny that Costa Rica is actually in the same time zone as us, but because of the flight schedule it felt like pretty bad jet lag.

Holland couldn't stay up and play. She crashed hard on that bed. But the rest of us went out and played at the pool. It was so nice and warm. The tropical rain that came didn't even make us cold. It is fun to swim in the rain. I love swimming with my family.

That evening we just ate at the hotel for simplicity. We had heard that pizza was a big thing in Costa Rica, and that proved to be accurate. After dinner we played Phase 10 as a family and went to bed early. Nothing like trying to sleep on a plane overnight that makes you appreciate a flat bad that you can stretch out on.

View from our hotel window!

She didn't sleep very much on the flights and crashed hard when we got to the hotel.

Such a cute hotel with enough beds for all of us!

Sitting area outside of our room

We're so tired but we need food!

The next morning we were picked up at 5:50 am (good thing we went to bed early!) to go to Tortuguero. We got picked up in a van that took us to a meeting spot where we loaded a big bus with a bunch of other people. There were many tourists (most everyone else) on the bus that only spoke Spanish. I don't know why that surprised me.

The whole excursion to Tortuguero felt so cushy! Yes, please pick me up, tell me interesting facts while showing me interesting things, have food ready for us when we need it, just tell me where to go to get to my nice lodgings, all while we don't have to worry about anything. There is a monetary cost to this though. Whew it was pricey! It was such a fun indulgence.

On the drive out to Tortuguero our guide told us about Costa Rica and interesting things about what we were seeing. The only problem was that he would say a paragraph or two in English and then repeat it in Spanish. This made for a somewhat interrupted tour which gave me way too many opportunities to get sleepy. Even though I had slept a million times better in the hotel than the airplane, I was still sleepy during part of the drive. I wish I could remember what we were told from our guide, Fransisco.

Here are some fun facts from the internet:

1. Costa Rica is a biodiversity hotspot.

Despite comprising only 0.03% of the earth's surface, Costa Rica harbors around 5% of the world's biodiversity. There are over 500,000 species representing flora and fauna. This exceptional biodiversity is protected in reserves and national parks that cover more than one-quarter of the country's land area.

2. Of its 500,000 species, 900 are birds.

Costa Rica is a birdwatcher's paradise, boasting over 900 avian species, including the resplendent quetzal, scarlet macaw, and hummingbirds of myriad hues. Birding enthusiasts flock to its diverse habitats, binoculars in hand, in search of rare sightings.

3. It's a haven for hummingbirds.

Costa Rica is home to over 50 species of hummingbirds, making it an unparalleled destination for bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. These diminutive and vibrant birds can be seen fluttering in gardens and among the lush landscapes that characterize much of the country.

4. The country has over 200 volcanic formations.

Costa Rica's volcanoes date back over 65 million years. 100 or so show signs of volcanic activity and five are considered active: Arenal, Poás, Rincón de la Vieja, Irazú, and Turrialba. Until recently, the Arenal Volcano was one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

5. "Pura Vida" is a way of life.

It translates to "pure life" or "simple life," and it's more than a greeting — it's a philosophy that celebrates living in the moment and appreciating the joy of life. This attitude reflects the happy and content nature of the Costa Rican population.

6. Costa Rica has ambitious plans to become carbon neutral.

It intends to achieve this goal by 2050. The country already generates more than 98% of its electricity from renewable sources such as hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, and wind power.

7. Nicoya Peninsula is a Blue Zone.

A Blue Zone is an area where people live significantly longer lives. The Nicoyan diet, strong social networks, physical activity, and a sunny outlook on life contribute to their impressive longevity.

8. Coffee is one of the principal traditional exports of Costa Rica.

The production and brewing of coffee bean plants have been a significant part of its culture and economy for over 200 years. Costa Rica's Arabica beans are considered among the finest in the world.

9. Costa Rica is home to the world's largest butterfly observatory.

Spanning over 29,000 square feet, the observatory houses thousands of colorful butterflies representing various species. Visitors can wander through lush gardens and observe these delicate creatures up close, learning about their life cycle, behaviors, and ecological importance in Costa Rica's rich biodiversity.

10. It's an outdoor adventure paradise.

With dense rainforests, towering volcanoes, and rushing rivers, Costa Rica is a favorite destination for adventure tourism. Activities include ziplining through cloud forests, white-water rafting, and surfing some of the best waves in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

11. Costa Rica is a leader in sustainable tourism.

The country has many eco-lodges, wildlife reserves, and tour operators committed to minimizing their environmental impact. Travelers can explore the country's natural wonders with peace of mind, knowing their visit supports conservation efforts.

12. It's a green energy pioneer.

For several years, the country has run on 100% renewable energy for over two consecutive months at a time, showcasing its commitment to sustainable practices.

John got sleepy too I think. Darcy listened to Dragon Masters.

We stopped at this nice restaurant for an included lunch. The flower displays on the food tables were impressive. The food was nice, and someone was even brave enough to sit with us. It was an older woman who was traveling solo in Costa Rica for 3 months while she was waiting for housing to get done, I think. It is wild to me that she was traveling solo for 3 months in Costa Rica! Pretty cool, but sounds a little lonely.

At this restaurant, there was a large Ceiba Tree. The Ceiba tree, known for its massive trunk and umbrella-shaped canopy, can reach heights of 60 meters (190 ft) and can live for centuries. It is iconic to Costa Rica.

We loved the outdoor seating, but the rain that started abruptly pounded down.

Don't miss Holland in the background

The Ceiba Tree is fantastic

We walked through the jungle around the restaurant and saw a poison dart frog.

The bus trip continued towards the Caribbean Coast. The roads got smaller and smaller, and soon we were riding through agricultural areas. It was interesting to see the banana plantations. Once a banana stalk produces fruit, it won't again, but the pups around it will grow and produce. So the stalk is cut, but the banana hill has to stay healthy. They wrap the bananas in blue plastic to help keep bugs and pests out of them.

The bus paused at the packaging center where saw workers cut the bananas off of the big bunches of fruit. They were so fast! It is pretty fascinating to watch.

After driving on smaller and smaller roads we got to a parking lot where we loaded onto long boats. We actually had to stop and use the restroom there, but it was definitely one of those you have to pay to use this restroom situations. Thankfully we had colones that we had exchanged for.

They put all of our luggage in the front on the boat, and then all of the passengers were in the middle and back. It was the same as the bus where Fransisco said everything in Spanish and then in English. But this time they paused the boat when they spotted interesting wildlife.

Tortuguero is a fascinating place. It is a national park in Costa Rica. There is no way to drive there, but I think you can fly in a small chartered plane or take boast. It is made of channel islands that are totally covered in jungle.

Tortuguero National Park, located on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, is known for its diverse wildlife and the unique way it is accessed. The park is often called "Costa Rica's Amazon" due to its vast network of canals and rainforest. A key attraction is the large number of sea turtles that nest on its beaches, particularly green sea turtles, which have made a strong comeback thanks to conservation efforts.

Here are some fun facts about Tortuguero National Park:

A turtle paradise:

Tortuguero is a major nesting ground for four species of sea turtles, including green, leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles.

Accessible by boat:

The park is primarily accessible by boat, as the main way to travel through the park is via its network of waterways.

A wet place:

Tortuguero is one of the wettest areas in Costa Rica, receiving up to 250 inches of rain annually.

Diverse wildlife:

Beyond the turtles, the park is home to a wide array of wildlife, including manatees, over 300 bird species, 57 amphibian species, 60 mammal species, and 111 reptile species.

"Central America's Amazon":

Due to its extensive waterways and lush rainforests, Tortuguero is often nicknamed "Central America's Amazon".

Conservation success:

Conservation efforts, particularly those focused on sea turtles, have led to a significant increase in the turtle population within the park.

More than just turtles:

While sea turtles are a major draw, the park also offers opportunities to see a variety of other animals, including sloths, monkeys, caimans, and jaguars.

Rich plant life:

The park boasts over 400 different species of trees and over 2,000 plant species, showcasing its diverse ecosystem.

The blue bags are the bananas. In 2023, Costa Rica exported approximately 2.2 million metric tons of bananas, valued at $1.74 billion. This made Costa Rica the second-largest exporter of bananas globally. The banana is originally from Asia, and about 32% of bananas in Costa Rica end up in the USA.

When we got on the long boats, we pulled out of the harbor but immediately pulled back in because there was a giant lizard on the tree. We watched for a few minutes during which it just climbed this white bark tree, spiraling around the trunk.

We saw skinny white cows, big and little crocodiles, birds, monkeys, but never saw a manatee even though there were signs everywhere to be careful for them. Speaking of signs, I thought it was hilariously awesome that there were different road signs but they were just on the channels in Tortuguero.

When we got to Aninga Lodge, we were greeted with fresh juice and a charming layout to get to our two bungalows. The lodge is basically a system of boardwalks above the jungle floor. It was delightful and adventuresome to find our way around. We had two bungalows across the board walk from each other. There was no air conditioning, but other than that, they were so so nice. They were adorable inside and really quite luxurious. The private baths in the bungalows seemed new and updated. We had to be careful not to drink the water. Ellie is the only one who forgot and she ended up vomiting at the end of this section of the trip.

Because this lodge is on a channel island spread throughout the jungle, we had some great animal viewing from the lodge. First on the schedule was a guided walk, but before we even got to that we saw a sloth almost directly above the girls' bungalow. It is so hard to see the animals so I am grateful when people and guides pointed them out. There were more sloths, monkeys, and crabs and other critters on the guided walk, but to be honest, I didn't hear much of it because Darcy hit her head or something and was really inconsolable for a while. I tried to stay far enough away from the group that her crying wasn't disruptive, but close enough that I didn't lose them. I am sure everyone loved us.

It was fascinating to see the crabs in the dirt under the bungalows. I think they were mangrove crabs. Also there were giant spiders whose webs span the walkways. There were employees who went around with brooms gently moving the spiders out of the walkway area. They were a little creepy but weirdly not that scary.

The humidity was no joke though. It was hot, and even though the bungalows had ceiling fans, they were not that strong. I was grateful for our hand held fans.

The lizard is on the bottom left of the trunk in this photo.

So fun to be in the speeding boat, but be careful not to ingest the splash.

Our room was so cute! There were no windows just screens so we had to be careful what we said very loud.

The three older girls slept in this one. They had a tiny lizard in their room that they tried to adopt and named Jeffrey. They loved it so much, but I think it disappeared at some point on the second day. They also named a crab Polly and a baby crab on the walkway Job, as in the prophet.

This lodge really was in the jungle. If you look close you can see the huge spiders that were around.

Cute little walkways everywhere.

The sloth above the room.

Cool jungle bird

Spider monkey sighting.

Beautiful tropical plants.

I liked the little mushroom growing on the stump.

Baby lizard

Okay, that's a creepy spider

After the walk we had a dip in the turtle shaped pool to cool off. It was delightful.

Our assigned table at the lodge's restaurant. Everything felt so fancy! And the food was delicious!

Darcy found this little playset in one of the lodge's rooms. It was a little small for her, but she still liked it. I don't imagine they get very many toddlers at Aninga Lodge.

Yikes!

That evening we went to the main event. We saw leatherback sea turtles nesting! We were not allowed to take any photos or videos though because it might disturb the nesting process. It was amazing. After it was dark we went to the dock and got on the long boats again. We went to another channel island that was directly on the Caribbean Coast. It was pitch black and we waited on the airstrip for the guides to say that they found a nesting turtle at the right time. You can't disturb them until they have started laying eggs. Otherwise they give up and head back to the ocean.

The first sea turtle we saw, did exactly that. It was humongous, and it was heaving itself back towards the water. It looked so difficult, and made me think that my legs are sure efficient.

We waited a big more when we given the go ahead to head back to the beach. We had to wait some more (this didn't go over great with the young kids) but eventually we were told to come see. The guides had a special red flashlight that they shined on the turtle. We were able to get right up behind it to see the eggs actually coming out. They looked like peeled hard boiled chicken eggs. Just about that size and texture. We were so close that we were hit with sand when the turtle decided to dig some more. Some got in my face and shoe. It was amazing. I was surprised that the guides are extremely careful about light, but weren't worried about us making noise. Thankfully, because our party tends to make noise at any given moment.

We also saw that a sea turtle digging a false nest. Once again, this looked painfully inefficient for the turtles. So laborious! They dig a giant hold to confuse predators of where their nests actually are. Then they dig a smaller hole and actually lay eggs there. Then they just leave. The eggs incubate for about 60 days and then the little turtles try to make it to sea. I think we were told that 1 in a 1000 live to adulthood. Pretty crazy that their species have survived so long!

The nesting process was amazing to see. I will never forget it!

Online photo, but shows that the turtles really throw the sand.

This is what the eggs looked like, but we were closer. And it was a red light that we were seeing by.

This is like the red light that was used. It also shows how big the sea turtles were. Bigger than we were for sure.

The next day we were up early to have a jungle wildlife boat tour. We saw birds, caimans, lizards, and especially monkeys! Our guide Francisco came along to talk to us about what we were seeing, but it was the boat driver who actually spotted the animals to show us. This was more remarkable than it sounds. We would be rapidly boating down a channel when the drive would abruptly slow and boat over to the jungle edge where he showed us some green lizard that was the same color as all of the leaves around it. It was amazing!

Caiman hiding out in the water. How do they see these animals from a distance??

Boatbill Heron

I love this photo. We had so many things to peer at.

So beautiful!

The channels we went up almost seemed magical.

Another Caiman

Basilisk lizard or "Jesus" lizard because it can walk on water. This lizard was on this clump of fruit, but it fell and almost landed on John's head. Then it raced across the water and out of sight.

I think this is an Iguana

It's a red bird!

White faced monkey

Love the curly tail

We drove back so fast!

Fancy breakfast with some of the best eggs I have ever had. And also a tricorn hat.

After our wildlife boat tour and breakfast we headed to the turtle pool. We loved hanging out there for hours. I think we kind of fell in love with swimming as a family in Arizona, and we still love it. Turns out, it is no hardship to spend a day mainly at the pool.

That being said, we aren't subtle at the pool. I think there were some people in the little 'hot tub' when we got there, but after a bit we seemed to scare them off. And no one really joined us the whole day. We did a variety of races. Holland taught me how to do handstands in the water, and we did a bunch of competitions. Our favorite activity was to cram all of our thighs and bums in the spill way between not so hot tub and the rest of the pool (it was the head of the turtle). We created a dam and let the water build up in the little hot tub/head area. It seemed like it should be a hot tub, but it was the same temperature as the rest of the pool. The water level rose and rose. We had to use our hands between ourselves to help block the leaks of the dam. The water started to overflow the hot tub and then we would jump down and let the water fall flow flush us out and backwards. It was more fun than you'd think.

They need Mommy's booty to make a large enough dam!

I love the sea turtle shape!

The cabanas were so cute! Especially with the jungle in the background.

The girls every variety of fruity non alcoholic drink that the bar offered. It was very posh.

Darcy couldn't hang. She fell asleep in the middle of the day.

Holland and I had some selfie time.

The tail of the sea turtle was this waterfall, which was surprisingly cold. There was also a little underwater tunnel that we tried to fit through. I can't remember if John and I ended up fitting or not, but for sure the girls did.

Darcy fell asleep again when we went back to the bungalow after.

Such big jungle trees.

"Daddy I see a baby flamingo!" Snowy egret actually. :)

Later that afternoon, we headed to the town of Tortuguero. I believe this is where a lot of the employees of the different lodges work. We walked past an elementary school of sorts where we could here the kids practicing English. I think tourism is a pretty essential for this particular community, and I think that knowing English would open up a lot of doors for these kids.

There was a boulevard with a lot of souvenir shops. I think Miriam ended up getting a little musical instrument, and Ellie got some earrings. John and I got smoothies for the family to share. They were so fresh!

It was a hot afternoon!!

I can't believe how big the turtles are. I don't think this sculpture is exaggerated in size.

We went over to the beach to hear Francisco tell us about how so much of the ecosystem and financial system is dependent on the sea turtles. It was wild to me that just up this beach we had seen 3 giant sea turtles nesting.

So many sanddollars!

Sloth!!

The bungalow that John, Darcy and I shared.

I loved our cute dining table.

The next morning we packed up and left Aninga Lodge. It went by so fast! We got put on the long boats again, then we took the long bus ride back to San Jose. Then we got transferred to a van to take us to the rental car area at the airport. Then we got our mini SUV. It was pretty dicey for a minute but we managed to fit all of the people and luggage. We had been hoping to drive up to La Fortuna that night (it was about a 3 hr drive. But we read online that people don't really drive those roads at night. And it gets dark at like 6pm. We were disappointed to allot even more time to transit, but we were glad that we did.

After we got the rental car, we hit traffic heading to our hotel for the night. I think it was called Hotel Margherita. We had to take a lot of a narrow roads, but eventually we made it to the cute hotel that was more of a complex. The sun was going down and needless to say we were glad to be stopping for the night. The twisty roads with no lines and tons of traffic was wearing to say the least.

Unfortunately this is also about the time that Eliza started to feel nauseous. By the time we made it to the hotel, she was so happy to lie down. Pretty soon though she was up and vomiting. I also felt slightly nauseous, and John was feeling it pretty bad too. Thankfully though only Ellie threw up. I am so glad that our other girls avoided it. I think it must have been something that she ate or drank. The water wasn't safe to drink in Tortuguero, and I think she might have rinsed her toothbrush in the tap water.

We had a little dinner right there at the hotel. It was open air, and the owners rescue animals were all over the place. It was a lot. The dinner was cute, but not really that amazing. We were used to the resort food. He did give us a soda for Ellie though.

The hotel itself was adorable though. Beautiful grounds and gardens. The room was big and charming with a bed for everyone. There was even a single for Ellie which was nice for her to not disrupt anyone during the night. Also in case she had any germs she wasn't right in there face all night.

The next morning we had a better breakfast. We peaked around the grounds and packed up to head to La Fortuna. We were planning on about a 3 hr drive even though it was only about 80 miles. Even thought I anticipated that the road would be slow, I didn't realize how slow it would need to be. The road was so so narrow and so so windy and so so up and downy. I mean, it was gorgeous, but a terrible drive. I got so carsick. Definitely should have taken motion sickness medicine before we left. Thankfully I remembered for the way back. We ended up pulling over for a while to let me just walk around and calm my stomach down. It didn't help that there were big cargo trucks that were putting out so much exhaust. Also, there was no such thing as a passing lane in this area. There was no shoulder, and the single lane was tiny. It was my number one shock when we got back to Provo. The roads are so big and wide! Huge lanes, huge shoulders, it was astounding even though it was our normal.

Pizza for dinner again. It was just okay this time.

Cute hotel

It's just so charming, minus all of the rescue animals.

Weird lookout area to see across San Jose.

View from the lookout.

We made it to La Fortuna! This is our cute rental that was surprisingly cheap.

Mommy and Daddy's room

Girls bathroom. It was all so cute. I love the plants obviously. But also the toilet paper bow on the toilet.

Living and dining area

Our first day in La Fortuna we went to our rental and settled in. This airbnb was so nice! It was three bedrooms with more than enough space for us. I loved the private pool with waterslide. I also loved the outdoor dining area. The whole place was really nice. It was even fenced with a sliding gate for the driveway. And it was surprisingly cheap for what it was, especially if you compared it to places in the USA or other destinations.

After dropping our stuff, we went grocery shopping at the Maxi Pali. I think it is owned by Walmart. This was kinda painful. It was so hot in the store, and there was mainly only weird food. We bought stuff for a few meals, but needless to say, they were not amazing.

After that less pleasant errand we went to such an indulgence. We went to the amazing Baldi Hot Springs. It is a fancy resort that we could have stayed at, but we just bought admission to the hot spring park. We spent the rest of the day there because it was so amazing.

Baldi Hot Springs has 25 thermal water pools with waterfalls, waterslides, and even a kids park. The pools were varying temperatures and were absolutely delightful. I loved all of the waterfalls and the gorgeous tropical vegetation around the pools. It was just so pretty and fancy. I put my phone in a waterproof carrier so I could take photos. So some of my photos are foggy from that. Pretty impressive that it was so waterproof though. I was a little worried that the pools were too hot for the electronics, but it seems like there was no damage.

I was also worried that Darcy and Holland shouldn't be in the hot hot pools, but they said there was no restriction for kids. I am 100% confident that the answer would have been different in the USA. I tried to not let them stay in the hottest pools for too long, but they were their favorites. They were so so toasty.

We put our stuff in lockers, but tried to cart around towels with us. This was a mistake. We just worked our way up the hill to all of the different thermal pools. The hot springs were pretty crowded, especially when we first got there. So there were no covered chairs to set our towels. This was mainly a problem because it down poured on and off. We had the best success trying to keep them under the cover of some tropical foliage.

We went to Costa Rica during the rainy season. It was dry season over by the Caribbean and the rainy season for most of the country. Thankfully John did a lot of research and we were able to arrange our plans so that the most critical things happened in the morning when the rain was less likely. It was still an issue for some of our activities, but most everything was great.

This was one of the activities that it didn't matter if it rained (other than our towels). Swimming in the rain was so fun. Thankfully there wasn't lightening, or they might have closed the pools. It just came down and we all loved it.

There were different temperatures in different pools. One funny aspect is that they would have a cold pool in the middle of a hot pool. This is was good for cooling down, but it felt so icy! It was rush to go back and forth.

I loved the view from the hot springs. We could see the volcano so clearly. It is named Arenal, and it is the perfect cone shape with nothing very tall around it. It was so amazing to see. I couldn't get over it. Arenal is Costa Rica’s best-known volcano. It’s a stratovolcano – a large, symmetrical volcano that’s built upon layers of ash, rock and lava – and at 5,437 feet (1,657 meters), it stands high above the rest of the countryside. After nearly 400 of years of inactivity, Arenal began erupting in 1968, when it exploded and buried over 5 mi² (15 km²) in rocks, lava, and ash. That eruptive cycle took pause in 2010 when the volcano entered into an indefinite resting phrase.

There weren't many other kids at Baldi hot springs so out kids pretty much had the run of the kids play area. Darcy was a little scared of the waterslides, but she liked the toddler sized ones. Our older kids loved the giant bucket of water that dumped on you if you waited under it.

There were also adult sized water slides. They were so big and fast! John even got a little motion sick on one. We all (except Darcy) went on the fastest one. Whew! We flew down that thing! It was great fun!

We spent the whole afternoon and evening there. We stayed past dark when the colored accent lights were turned on around the pools. It was lovely and not very many people were around then. We had a delicious dinner there, but unfortunately one of the sandwiches that we decided to order had pesto on it that was contaminated with peanuts. I ended up taking a couple of benedryl which wasn't that big of a deal because they calmed the reaction right down. I was maybe a little extra tired and loopy for the rest of the evening, But laying around in hot, beautiful pools was so happy even if I was extra out of it. I was mainly mad that I missed one of the best meals of the trip because I was trying to recover from that reaction. Such a fun activity!

The resort did such a good job making all of the pools different and interesting. The installations and waterfalls were all so fun.

This was one of the biggest pools. It had a couple of the cold pools in the middle.

So many places to explore. Thankfully we didn't lose any of our kids (for very long).

Walking in the warm pool, hand in the cold pool.

The down poor was crazy and awesome!

It was the perfect day to wear our covering swimsuits.

Such an amazing view

The dump of the water bucket in the kids area.

It felt so surreal

The kids area was relaxing too.

The only slide she willingly went down.

She gave me a leaf hat while we were waiting for the sisters and daddy to go down the big waterslides.

Cute Darcy toes sticking up where we were waiting.

The mushroom that Darcy and I were waiting under for the watersliders. I love the greenery on top!

Cute Holland

The accent lighting!

We had the place to ourselves! It was so lovely.

Darcy's puddle jumper got some good use that day.

Sleepy, happy, drugged mama.

Are you kidding me? How is this even real life?

The next morning we started out the day hiking the La Fortuna waterfall. This had to be done early in the day to avoid any rain that would close it down. We had perfect, sweaty weather and loved it. We walked through the orchid garden which unfortunately didn't have much blooming. It did have very funny signage though.

Then we headed down many, many stairs to get to the waterfall. It was 530 steps. Down isn't so bad unless you have bad knees, but the walk back up could be difficult. Weirdly it wasn't so bad for us because we ended up counting steps as we climbed back up. We were having a competition to see who counted the same numbers. It is funny how a distraction makes all the difference.

The waterfall is about 240 feet tall. So tall that we couldn't really get a photo of it in one frame when we were up close. I loved the back drop of the jungle cliff, moss and fern covered cave, and beautiful pool. It was all so lovely. There were little silver fish in the river downstream from the waterfall. We took our shoes off, and Holland made jello with the sand and the water. We all waded around and enjoyed the cool water. There were some people but not a lot--some of them didn't have enough clothes on. We did some creative cropping with our photo taking. :) I couldn't believe how lovely the turquoise water was. Such a beautiful hike!

I guess it is a problem to have a selfie with an animal?

Are you kidding me with that jungle and mountains.

Maybe the only orchid that was blooming in the orchid garden

I can't even

The start of so so many steps

I loved this tree's trunk/root situation

This is the river downstream from the waterfall

Oh that water felt nice on our feet.

So many fish

Scary old steps. I can't imagine going down steps that look that slippery and unstable.

I can't get over the mossy cave

Is that enough photos yet. Nope.

I loved looking through the binoculars at the jungle and water. I have no doubt that someone who knew what they were doing could have seen so many animals. I saw no animals. Shocker. I love that John took this photo of Darcy copying me with her toy binoculars.

John carried Darcy up to save my back. Bless him.

My favorite

The little fungus!

The orchids, vines, and moss

The best sign

Ginger plants

Gorgeous foliage

I spy a Wandering Jew. Bad plant name.

So so lovely

Lovely garden at the top

Skinny white cows. We saw some like this on the Caribbean side.

Next on the agenda was Mistico Hanging Bridges. It was a lovely drive part way around the volcano. The hanging bridge park was off the main road, and it made me glad we had a small SUV to take us up the hills.

We bought our tickets and headed out on the trail. There was a shorter trail and a longer trail. They were pretty established paths through the jungle. But the extra cool part was that there were 6 hanging bridges spanning gullies in the rainforest. Of course we planned to do the longer trail and see all 6 bridges. We stopped by their botanical garden area first and admired all of the plants. In retrospect we wished we had not lingered so long because there was a thunderstorm coming. We knew that it was likely to rain in the midday and afternoon. But we had read online that it was no problem to do the rainforest walk and hanging bridges in the rain. So we weren't that worried about it.

The gardens were so lovely. I loved the giant trees and the vines and all of the tropical plants. Then we headed out on the trail. The path was longer and wetter than we anticipated. The rain went through our rain jackets and got in our boots. We were pretty soaked. It was all fine though. We sang some songs. Darcy fell asleep on John's back in the carrier, which was a bit of an issue because her rainboots wouldn't stay on.

But then we saw the hanging bridges. They were so much bigger than I thought they would be. They were also scarier. They definitely were sturdy, but they swayed when you walked. It wasn't something I really got used to, and I was super deliberate with how I walked. Of course John wanted to jump on them and make them sway even more...crazy man.

The problem started when the there was a close lightening strike and a loud thunder clap. We were almost half way done with the trail--almost as far as we could get from the entrance. I think there was another lightening strike--so two total, when we met up with an employee who told us that we needed to head back because the lightening wasn't safe. This was super disappointing. We had walked so far and had only seen two of the bridges. We were almost to the next one. But we were told we had to turn back. This was more frustrating to me because the rain seemed to stop and the storm seemed to clear out, but we were still walking the wrong way.

They ended up driving us part of the way back in a small SUV, which helped our girls' tired legs. But when we got back there we really debated about heading out on the trail again. We could wait until when/if they opened up the trail and hike all they way out there again. The trail is only about 2 miles round trip, but the elevation change, rain and mud made it seem harder than a typical trail. We ended up deciding to receive a refund for our tickets and just feel lucky that we saw the two bridges. This was disappointing, but I do feel so lucky that we were able to see what we did. And obviously I am glad we were all safe from the lightening. The lightening plus the metal bridges seems like a bad combination. And because we got our money back we were able to get a partial experience for free.

We hung around long enough for the clouds to clear for us to see Arenal. It was such a dramatic, beautiful view! Amazing!

That evening we enjoyed our rental's swimming pool and waterslide. The water was a little cold so we ended up putting on our wet suits. It was so nice just to swim as a family. I love doing that. We made some not so good taquitos and ate on the cute patio table. We had a little lizard friend come visit. We also enjoyed some fresh lychees that we had bought from a road side stand. They were fantastic. So so yummy!

Beautiful gardens

We try to grow this plant at home. Not super successfully.

Huge tree with so many vines

Oh the rain started

First hanging bridge!

So cool!

Second bridge. The rain is really hard.

We can almost see the top of the volcano through the clouds.

She had a good nap during the storm

Such a cutie pie! And the clouds are clearing up too!

What an amazing view! I love the small clouds lingering at the top of the rainforest canopies.

Some awesome (mostly Darcy) quotes from our Costa Rica trip:

Is that dead fish?

I didn’t know crocodiles were real.

Daddy I see a baby flamingo. (Snowy egret)

Just ignore the monkeys!

Are spider monkeys half monkey half spider?

Are Daddy’s stories distinct? No are dinosaurs extinct?

That would be AMAZING! (about going to swim some more)

You know this table is tilted because the whole world is one big ball!

Sorry I am not listening!

I didn’t know monkeys could be this real!

John: well I think it was a super good story. (About ninja bunny) Darcy: Why is it because the bunny had clothes on?

Eliza: Why don’t you go play with poppy? (While Miriam and Kylee were working on her face). Darcy: But Poppy doesn’t have those! Eliza: You mean zits?? Darcy: yeah!

Holland do you promise to hear the dragon story if Daddy tells it?

Daddy my bum is my cat’s tail.

You are my servant because you do things for me.

There are funny looking things on my toes.

M: I am going to keep squishing your belly through our adult years.

I'm going to invite Holland to sleep on the bottom bunk.

Mommy's bday is in the rainy season.

It's not fun but I like it a lot. (About Zipline)

D to H: the best part of playing is you.

We pulled off on the side of the road on the drive back because we loved the view of the volcano so much. We could even see the smoke coming out of the top!

The next morning was our ziplining tour. Oh man was I nervous for this. I went into this trip knowing that ziplining was thing in Costa Rica. I knew that it was something that I really wanted to try sometime in my life. When we were planning we had to look all over for a ziplining company that would accommodate a four year old. But we found one! And it had amazing reviews. I was still so nervous though. What if I was too scared to go on it? What if the kids were too scared to go on it? What if Darcy just screamed the whole time? Will this just be a massive waste of money? (It was pretty pricey.) These questions kept going through my head, but we decided to book it and hope for the best. Regardless, my brain decided that worrying would be the best course of action. Because that always helps. I even dreamed about what could go wrong the night before.

Well, here is once again the proof that worrying never solves anything. There was some confusion over how we were supposed to get there. We were told they were going to pick us up. They never showed so we drove over the park where we were told they tried to call us to let us know that they don't pick up from Airbnbs, but our reception was so spotty we never got the call. This made us late, so we were kind of rushed through the beginning.

It didn't matter though. Maybe it was better because we had no time to be nervous? Everyone got their harnesses on, even tiny Darcy and Holland. We got helmets and special gloves. Then we were taken over to the practice zipline. I think this is such a brilliant idea. I was nervous for two seconds before heading down the practice line and realizing there was nothing to be scared about. It wasn't very high off the ground, and we got a feel for how to do it. Darcy was still not thrilled for some of the ziplines after this, but she was happy by the end.

The rest of us had a blast! We were driven up to top of the park. We were literally on the side of Arenal! We ziplined on a volcano!!! We loved seeing the view from the trees and mountainside.

Feeling a little more confidant after the training zipline.

Some wild javalinas crossed the path as we were headed up the mountain in the jeep. It was a long ways.

What a view!

Darcy had small gloves with rubber bands around her wrists to keep them on.

With our left hands we held on to the harness cable. With our right hand we held on to the cable above our heads. The right hand glove was basically just a super thick arch of leather.

Sloth up there! It is hard to see it against the bright sky.

Our first platform

We saw a toucan in the trees! It is perched on a branch in this photo.

It flew off, and I got this quick photo of its bright beak.

Darcy rode double with a couple of the workers. She especially liked riding with this sweet girl. Her name is Jennifer.

Darcy was a little nervous but not nearly so bad as I had feared.

Right hand behind your head. Lean back. Cross your legs. It was so fun.

And there is Arenal!

One of the platforms was particularly dramatic. So so high up in a Cebu Tree.

We are relatively quite high in the tree.

Here are some of the photos from the photographer that went around with us.

Jennifer is teaching us how to do it. So glad they did this step.

Don't suck on the gloves, Darcy!

She doesn't hate it, but she doesn't love it. And she for sure grabs onto the worker instead of the harness rope like she is supposed to.

Holland isn't tall enough to reach the cable, she just hung there and spun around as she slid down the line.

This photo is so cute!

We ziplined on a volcano!

Occasionally we had to walk between platforms a bit.

This was so dang fun.

After our excellent ziplining adventure, we went to the Bogarin Trail. We paid for a guide to help show us the rainforest animals. This guide did a great job. We saw so many cool animals. Unfortunately, our tour was cut short by torrential rain. We came back later, but there was I guess all of the animals hide when it is downpouring, so we couldn't see much more. We did see some cool birds right by the entrance though. I thought it was so cool that the guides had scopes that they showed us the animals through and took pictures through for us. Such an amazing activity.

Iguana in the parking lot.

Sloth sighting

We saw it's face!

Bats in the hollow of a tree

Basilisk

The scope was amazing!

The other variety of slow - three or two toed.

Super duper poisonous frog

Red eyed tree frog

We ate some fresh pineapple while it downpoured.

We tried coming back when the rain slowed, but most of all of the animals were hiding from the storm. We did see some cool bird from the scope at the entrance.

That evening we went shopping in the town of La Fortuna. It was fun, but a little crazy trying to keep us all together. I think a lot of the shop owners were skeptical that we would either shop lift or break something. I don't think we would intentionally steal but for sure there could be an accident breaking something. We ended up finding cute matching dresses for Eliza, Miriam, and me. Holland got a cute dress that was in a different style. Darcy could not be talked into a dress. She really wanted a Costa Rican bowl as a play kitchen toy. It was a little frustrating, but the bowl is cute.

We stopped by this taco stand for dinner. It had been recommended to me. We ordered our tacos with a couple of horchatas. We love horchata, so it seemed like a no brainer to try it a Costa Rican version. Turns out that was a bad idea. I didn't realize that it is common in Latin America to use peanut milk as the base for horchata. Truly, what kind of nightmare idea is that??

Well, I tasted it, and it had a little different flavor than I expected. But it was yummy so I guzzled some. I drank about 4 oz before I started noticing the itching in my throat. I know it is a bad allergic reaction when I feel the swelling and itching in my throat before my mouth.

I took a couple of benedryl, but it didn't seem to help. I felt so swollen, and I was definitely wheezing and coughing to breathe. We went back to the rental, and waited but it wasn't getting better. It was just getting worse. I think that I drank so much of it, and it was a liquid meant that it just spread throughout my body so fast. And my body didn't like that. Of course I even did my standard vomiting after I ate a peanut trick, but I still felt so sick. I was starting to google "How to find an urgent care clinic in La Fortuna Costa Rica?" when I thought I should ask for a blessing. John gave me a blessing for healing, and it was a miracle. Immediately my throat opened up. I could breathe easily again. There was no scientific reason that this allergic reaction would all of the sudden just stop in my airways. But it did. I truly feel like I was blessed with a miracle. I am so grateful for his worthiness and readiness to bless others with priesthood power.

I was able to sleep, while John and rest of the family packed up all of our stuff from the rental. And we were off the next morning. We took a different way back to San Jose but we took meclizine before we drove so it was much more pleasant. Well, John didn't. He was driving. We got back to airport and returned our barely big enough SUV. We went to our gate when John has randomly flagged for additional screening. That meant that I was left with all of the kids and the luggage while he just had to board. It was such a burn. We always travel with so much stuff. What an amazing trip though! I feel so lucky to have had those experiences even though it wasn't all sunshine and roses. I loved it!