[213/365] Field of Yellow Flowers, Zarcero, Costa Rica

We had our own personal tour guide on our last day in San Jose, Costa Rica. On this day, we visited the Central Highlands area outside of San Jose. These were some yellow flowers we saw outside  church in the area. So lovely.

[82/365] Paints at an Ox Cart Factory, Sarchi, Costa Rica

Not too far of a drive from San Jose, Sarchi is a town in the Central Highlands area of Costa Rica that is known for ox carts. These beautifully hand painted ox carts are a symbol of Costa Rica and it was nice getting to see where and how they are made. These are some of the paint cans in the workshop. Have a great weekend!

[25/365] Sunset at the Beach, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Today, I decided to look back on my photos from Costa Rica from summer of this past year. It was so much fun! Costa Rica seriously had one of the most beautiful beach sunsets I've ever seen. The beach at Manuel Antonio was amazing to swim in during the day and even more amazing to watch as the sun set, creating reflections in the mirror-like surface of the wet sand. I was mesmerized - I couldn't stop taking pictures!

Red Truck, Sarchi, Costa Rica

In the town known for ox carts of all sizes beautifully hand-painted in an assortment of colors, Sarchi was a nice side trip from San Jose. The town is known as an artisan community, full of stores displaying souvenirs of their famous hand-crafted ox carts. Before heading back out to San Jose, we stopped at a gas station and as we were filling up, this red truck left the station and went on its way.

Beach, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Wish I were there right now...

Hibiscus Flower, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Pretty flower. :)

Hammocks for Sale, Costa Rica

On our way to Manuel Antonio, we made a short rest stop to a place with a restaurant and little shops. This shop in particular was selling hammocks in all different variations of colors and prints, all hanging from a bar.

Sorry, my descriptions have been less wordy as of late. That just means I have less to say and I am pressed for time (haha I need to sleep). This is a photo diary after all! Hopefully when I have some fresh photos, I can put more descriptions. Good night!

P.S. One more photo later today (I missed the Thursday cut-off time).

Riding along the Beach, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

As we lie on the sand, soaking in the sun, this man pushed his cart by us, asking if we wanted any of the products he was selling. We politely said no, and he continued on his way along the beach. His umbrella was colorful and his backdrop of the beautiful beach went together nicely. The clouds were visible against the blue sky and the turquoise waters were warm and perfect for swimming. Lovely day at the beach!

Lock, Monteverde, Costa Rica

At our hostel in Monteverde, the common area's entrance was a wooden door with this lock on it. Monteverde was a beautiful area, filled with greenery and blue skies, and our hostel was overlooking all of it. Through these doors, we were able to see the views of the mountains, especially when it was pouring rain outside one night.

Yellow Flower, Zarcero, Costa Rica

In the quaint town of Zarcero in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica is a church surrounded by a peaceful garden. It looked like it was just about to rain, so skies were hazy and the mountains surrounding us seemed to be in the clouds. There was a bed of these yellow flowers to the side of the garden along the street. People were strolling around the garden and enjoying the fresh air, untainted by city smog.

"Despacio" Sign, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

It was a nice sunny day and as we were ready to cross the street to go to the beach, we saw this curious sign. Must slow for people, dogs, some unknown third animal (any ideas?), and monkeys! Apparently, monkeys come out at night, but unfortunately we didn't get to see one. Loved this area of Costa Rica!

Day 5: San Jose, Costa Rica to Los Angeles, California

This post was meant to be posted yesterday, but much of the day was spent traveling home (finally back in Los Angeles).

This photo was of one of our cat friends at the hostel we stayed at the first and last night in San Jose. There were 3 cats that we saw roaming around and one of them even snuck into our room the first night we were there. The people at the hostel were really friendly and very helpful! On our last day, got my last few glimpses of San Jose as we sped through the city on our way to the airport.

I highly recommend Costa Rica - there's so much to do and so much to see and we clearly didn't have enough time (as expected for such a short time) but I thoroughly enjoyed myself! :)

Another post to come later on tonight... I'm tired!

Day 4: Manuel Antonio to San Jose & Central Highlands Area, Costa Rica

Early morning rise and shine! Our 6AM bus back to San Jose was one of our few options left as availabilities permitted. As soon as we got on the bus, I closed my eyes and went to sleep because buses are the worse for my motion sickness. We arrived in San Jose and returned to our hostel from the first night in Costa Rica. Shortly after, we met our guide for the day - Paolo, born and raised in San Jose.

I was able to see a lot more of what Costa Rica is all about. We drove through the countryside, up and down green mountains and around curved roads where we passed by homes, businesses, eventually arriving at the Poas Volcano. Visibility wasn't the greatest, but at one point, the clouds cleared just enough to give us a quick glance at the active volcano crater. We then had a Costa Rican meal and continued the drive through windy roads, through the Central Highlands area where we visited a garden, coffee bean trees, and local attractions.

Today's photo is of small replica ox carts that are a Costa Rican national symbol. Each one is hand painted and each one is unique - there are no two ox carts that are the same. We were able to see the artists' studio and the progression of the development of the wheels to what it is today. I learned a lot about the country today, including more about the people, the educational system, the political system (their party primary was going on today), the healthcare system and the culture! Pura Vida (Costa Rica's motto)!

Day 3: Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Hola from Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica! Today we arrived in Manuel Antonio and I opened my bag to discover a stowaway - a black beetle the size of my thumb. Who knows how long it had been there or how it even got in, although I imagine it probably wasn't difficult.

Today we left Monteverde the day after the storm and the skies were glorious and the views were amazing. As we went through the curvy roads and out of the mountains, all directions had sights of the rolling green mountains that the area is so famous for. As we got to the Pacific coast, there were miles and miles of beautiful white sand beaches and other attractions along the way. We had a stop where we even walked towards the river and saw a crocodile!

As we reached the Manuel Antonio National Park area, we were welcomed by a stretch of white sand beach with large rocks and caves, with green trees just next to it. The waters were warm and perfect for swimming and jumping with the waves. Throughout the day, the clouds were a mixture of pure white clouds and grey ones looming. There was a short spurt of rain, but after that, the sun set and the beach was even more amazing. Wet areas of the sand became reflection pools and the sky beyond the clouds were a glowing yellow. This photo was taken at the beach during that time, and people became silhouettes against the sky!

Back to San Jose tomorrow morning! Adios!

Day 2: San Jose to Monteverde, Costa Rica

Hola! No internet yesterday, so I'm posting yesterday's adventures. Today's adventures to come soon!

As I sped over the trees of the Cloud Forest, raindrops came crashing down to earth and from top to bottom, I eventually became drenched in rainwater. Ziplining through the Selvatura Adenture Park's cloud forest was an amazing experience. Through over 15 different ziplines that eventually returned us to our starting location, I was able to go through and far above the trees. Clouds were hovering over, creating a misty atmosphere over the towering green trees. In addition to traditional ziplining, we also did a bungee jump type of activity that they called the Tarzan Swing - basically we were pushed off a ledge and swang back and forth! I really did feel like Tarzan, speeding from tree to tree, and swinging as I jumped from a tree.

Monteverde means "green mountain" in Spanish and I had no doubt of this as we rode to and from the area, always surrounded by mountains full of life. This photo was taken right outside our hostel (located in Santa Elena, right outside of the Monteverde area) - the clouds were descending upon us and we could feel that they were getting heavy and ready to drop water down to us. That night, it rained heavily for hours, something which the hostel owner said happened over 300 times a year. Quite fitting for an area with such green trees and so much wildlife dependent on it!

Day 1: San Jose, Costa Rica

Hola!

We arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica today around noon. After leaving after midnight and having a stopover in Atlanta, it was a relief to finally arrive! Despite weather reports that there was expected to be scattered thunderstorms, our first day was mostly rain free except for a few drops here and there. Its actually quite hot and humid here. On our first day, we walked around downtown San Jose, stopping at various key buildings and parks in the area. We even went to an area that was an outside ampitheater that was a gathering of young Costa Ricans, ready to listen to the live music.

This photo was taken as we walked back to our hostel. In San Jose, streets (calle) run from north to south and avenues (avenida) run from east to west. Tomorrow morning (early, early morning), we're headed to Monteverde! I'm excited to see what else Costa Rica has to offer!

Adios!!