PigTailz

Sirena National Park, Costa Rica

The next adventure was glamping in Sirena National Park. We had to park somewhere north and nervously await one of only a few boats to transport us into the park. The wide rivers were full of life and we could see fish, and birds, and crocodiles as we made our way to the “hotel.”

The rivers gave way to open ocean and the views of Costa Rica’s rocky shores were breath taking.

The boat let us off on a beach of rocks and sand. As I write this, I am realizing I will have to find a thesaurus because I am running out of words to describe this country.

We had to make a short climb to the top of the hill to find our glamping check in. The vegetation was lush and green. The ocean was an incredible, rich blue. And everything was pristine. Absolutely no tourist trash anywhere to be seen.

After checking in, we made our way down to the beach and played in the little pools that formed in the stones.

I learned the ocean here has a very fast tide. Everyone left the beach rather suddenly. It was just before sunset. I was curious why, but I really wanted to splash in the water. As an experienced swimmer, I am embarassed to say that I did not notice the undertow until it was a bit too late. Or maybe it came on suddenly. A large wave came, I went under, and was dragged down and tumbled across the sand as the water pulled me a short distance out to sea. Fortunately, I knew better than to fight and saved my energy. The salt water left me bouyant and it was easy to tell the moment I was ejected from the riptide. I had been pulled past the wave break but not to worry. The waves were coming in slow but high. So I floated over the next few, caught my breath, and swam in between the waves.

That was enough adrenaline for me. I watched the sunset from the shore instead.

In the evening though, once the sun was down, the beaches were overrun with hermit crabs! I had thought it was strange I have never seen anything like this in my life. They were even climbing the trees. I thought it was so strange there were no shells on the beach. Now I know it´s because they all had occupants.

Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

After a delicious traditional breakfast of blackbeans, eggs, fruits, and toasts we set off for Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. The rocky beaches, blue water, and interactive wildlife made for a fantastic adventure.

Entering the park, all forms of food are confiscated. Apparently the monkeys like snacks a little too much and will chase the tourists through the park in hope of finding chips and sweets. They do, in fact, chase you for snacks and have no problem cornering you on the walks. I was grateful for the opportunity to get so close to the wildlife, but also to have nothing worth stealing. I had a good laugh at some tourists who were sneaky and brought treats anyway.

Aeropuerto a Quepos, Costa Rica

I have to admit, I was not in charge of planning this trip and I do not remember the names of anything… so uhhh… here goes!

Arrived in Costa Rica pretty early in the day but had quite a lot of driving to do before the hotel. We stopped at the first roadside restaurant (and fruit stand) that met the resident cat requirement for tropical dining.

As expected, the food was amazing. The first taste of Costa Rican coffee was a little piece of heaven. And the fruit stand had something called mocos! Amazing and awful at once.

It was a long drive to the hotel, but I saw crocodiles in Jaco and chickens in some little restaurant along the side of the road.

It was still a long drive through the night. The hotel was located in the jungle, more or less, just north of Quepos. My first view of the place was this private swimming pool at night. And I woke to the sound of Toucans in the morning.

Salamanca, Spain

After the endless rain in Santiago, we were happy to see blue skies. Unfortunately, strong winds bore down on the city for our entire stay. That also meant, we were able to enjoy the stunning views without too many other tourists. We arrived in Salamanca in the late afternoon, so there was not much time for site seeing. This bull with a wheelchair was the only notable part of the adventure occurring before dark.

We stopped for tapas and cortados, at a bakery/bar in the touristy old-town. After the food in Santiago, we were all a touch disappointed in the fare. The highlight of the snack was reemerging from the cafe after sunset.

The sky was dark and the the entire city had been illuminated by streetlights and ground lamps placed to create dramatic angles and contrast. Coupled with the early modern stone architecture, the yellow lighting was reminiscent of a movie set. If only I could remember my lines!

Stepping into the Plaza Mayor for the first time was surreal. I half expected women in corsets with heavy skirts to walk the balconies arm in arm with men in skirted coats.

We visited a number of beautiful buildings constructed in the middle ages and early modern periods. Modern shops and neon lights stood in stark contrast to craftsmanship and enduring beauty.

The streets were narrow and lined with stunning, high walled cathedrals, offices, convents, churches, and… Each of the historic buildings was covered by intricate patterns or sculptures.

I had been told about the church of shells, but I had imagined something entirely different. Growing up in a tourist town where shells were glued to everything. I thought it was going to be some hideous conglomerate of dead sea creatures and mortar. Needless to say, I was quite pleased to discover it was actually scallops carved in stone to honor Santiago.

In order to take in the magnitude of any of these monuments, I was forced to stand against the equally beautiful building facing opposite.

These are buildings from the University of Salamanca. One of the oldest Universities. Apparently local folk lore is that first year students must find the frog skull, the astronaut, and the ___________ in order to pass their examns.

We made our way down to the roman bridge, possibly constructed as early as 27 bc-14 ad.

One part of the city reminded me of the set for an old pirate movie.

We unfortunately stumbled on the modern art museum only moments before it closed. It does look like a pretty cool vampire mansion though.

Serra d’Irta Natural Park, Spain

Spent the day at this beautiful natural park. It was a bit of a hike to get to the beaches. But late December, 70 degrees, and sunny on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea… Yeah definitely hiking to the beach weather. This was the first pebble beach I have ever visited.

We stopped here for a bit and enjoyed the sun. We found bits of beach glass here and there. A few birds. An adorable dog that followed us for way too long.