Costa Rica, Day 23

Costa Rica, Day 23.

Costa Rica, Day 22

We met this “Gaucho” on the road trip from Nosara to Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal

Monday, January 7th.

Time to leave Nosara! Ruan surfed while I packed with the girls. Then it was time for our last swim in the pool before leaving for Lake Arenal. The road trip was again fun and so scenic. We got closer and closer to the volcano as we travelled around the lake which was so picturesque. We arrived at our hotel the Magic Mountain, checked in quickly, savoured the beauty of the fabulous view of the volcano from our window, before we went to explore and decide which hotsprings to go to. We had a look at the Baldi Hotel and got a guided tour of their hotsprings pools before deciding that it was overly priced and too man made. We took the girls back to the hotel. They were not disappointed as they had got a tour on the hotels cart and only wanted to swim in the pool in our hotel anyway! We discovered that we had a puncture again and Ruan went to fix it while girls and I went for a swim at our new hotel. Turns out that the pool bar had the warmest water so we hung out there mostly and Leilani, Saoirse and I had a happy hour cocktail. Two for the price of one, virgin cocktail for the children of course. Saoirse said “this is the best place to have a cocktail in the whole wide world!” After Ruan got home with tales of his trials and tribulations of changing a tyre for the third time on this trip, we had dinner at the hotel. We met the owner of the hotel who made us feel very welcome and treated us to a drink at the sports bar. Leilani and Saoirse again fell asleep and we carried them to bed.

Arenal Volcano

The Pool at Magic Mountain Hotel

Costa Rica, Day 21

Sand, sun and surf

Sunday, January 6th

So sad that this will be our last full day in Nosara and our last day surfing in the warm water and basking in the sunshine until our next holiday. We went with our routine of beach in the morning with surf all round for the family. Back to the pool for lunchtime where the girls and I had a picnic by the pool while Ruan booked our accommodation for tomorrow night in Fortuna, near lake Arenal and our last night in San Jose.
We went back to beach for a sunset surf and watched the sunset with our new friends, Matt, Nicole and Lucas Peterson and our Montreal friends, Christine and her daughters Ann and Marie Eve. We ate at The Blue Azul tonight. The food was delicious. My tuna was perfect. We listened to the live band and looked around us to see all these faces of local people and surfers who we have met or have just come to recognise on the street or in the water. We carried our sleeping children back to our room at the Iguana before having a cocktail and choosing some photos from Jeff, a photographer, who visits Nosara regularly. He got a few good photos of Ruan and some of the girls too.

The kids found some sea creature on the beach!

The sun sets on our last day at Nosara

Costa Rica, Day 20

Saturday, January 5th

We slept in a little after last nights festivities, got up with the children and went to the beach. Ruan surfed while I played with the children. We surfed and built sandcastles and enjoyed the hot sun and the warm water.
After the beach we swam in the pool. I took the girls to the Kaya Sol pool across the way from the Gilded Iguana for a change of scenery and we relaxed in the cooler water as the pool was in the shade. We decided to go to Lagarta Lodge to watch the sunset and have a drink and appetiser. We ended up seeing our new friends Matt, Nicole and Lucas there. We shared a table as the sunset and we soaked in the awesome scenery in the knowledge that this wonderful holiday is coming to an end in a matter of just days. We wish it could go on forever. Together with the Peterson’s we went to a Tico Pizzaria in Nosara.

View from La Garta Lodge

The Petersons and the Kents

 

The buds hanging out

Me

 

 

 

Costa Rica, Day 19

Ruan at Bruce and Peggy’s

View from Bruce and Pggy”s house

Friday, January 4th

My 40th birthday

What a great day. The best birthday ever. Ruan got a morning surf. The girls woke me gently with love and kisses. Then made me breakfast in bed. Granola with no milk since we forgot to go to the grocery store and a juice that had been left out all night. Thanks girls. After getting up and getting sunscreened up we went for breakfast here at The Guilded  Iguana. Ruan got back from his surf and then he and the girls presented me with two birthday gifts. A beautiful necklase and earings. Then we all hit the beach. It was my turn to surf. I got a few good waves. After it was Leilani’s turn and she surfed so well. Saoirse does not want to surf now as she has had one too many wipeouts! We went back to our hotel for lunch and a dip in the pool. We booked a babysitter with Joellen for the evening and made reservations for dinner.
We took a drive with the main objective being to do some groceries but we got lost and somehow ended up at Bruce and Peggy’s house, a lovely American couple who bought land overlooking Nosara back in 1992.
We hit the beach again for sunset and I had a good surf and a lovely time watching the sun going down over the Pacific Ocean, while the children played on the beach with their friend Lucas, Ann and Marie Eve. Ruan took the girls for their dinner at Kaya Sol as I got cleaned up to go out with Ruan for my birthday dinner. After getting the children ready for bed the babysitter arrived and Ruan and I went to eat at the Gilded Iguana. Matt the manager brought us a bottle of champayne on the house and we had a yummy dinner. The Thai prawns were delicious. We enjoyed some music and some chat before heading down to the beach to look at the stars  which were so vibrant and clear. My birthday was so perfect and dreamy I could hardly believe it was all real!

Ruan and I

Sunset Surf

 

Family photo on my 40th birthday

Costa Rica, Day 18

Thursday, January 3rd.

Ruan got his early surf. Then we had fun at the pool before I went for my surf. I am really enjoying the warm water. Then it was Leilani & Saoirse’s turn for their surf. We met a family from Montreal, Christine and her two children Marie Eve and Ann so Ruan gave them a surf lesson too. As the sun set I got a fabulous surf. The sun setting over the Pacific Ocean as I surfed was magical and a moment I will never forget.

Christine, Marie Eve and Ann with Leilani and Saoirse

Lucas

The kids having sunset fun

Sunset at Nosara

Costa Rica, Day 17

Leilani and Saoirse’s buddy Lucas catching a wave.

Nosara Beach

 

Wednesday, January 2nd

More fun in Nosara. We spent the day surfing and playing on the beach with the children. The girls are such good surfers now. Leilani is standing up every time. Saoirse is loving the water too and doing really well. As for me and Ruan surfing so regularly in such lovely waves is doing us lots of good too. Our new friends that are renting a house nearby invited us for dinner and we gladly excepted. We had a great time.

Ruan and Leilani apres surf

Costa Rica, Day 15

So happy with this family shot. thanks Diana

Monday,  December 31st,
New Years Eve

We woke early. Ruan went for his morning surf while I did some yoga outside our room before the kids woke up. Then it was breakfast for us before heading down to the rockpools one last time for a play and a swim. We also managed to fit in a photo session as Diana, a Argentinian photographer who was staying at Ranchos Itauna agreed to come take a family photo on our camera for us. After we packed up and paid for our stay at Ranchos Itauna and reluctantly said our good byes to Playa Santa Teresa since we have had such an awesome 8 days.  Next stop Nosara. The road from Santa Teresa to Nosara is very special. We opted to go the coast road which could only be attempted at low tide because you have to drive a 4×4 along beaches, across rivers, and over endless winding, bumpy, potholed dirt track. We thought the roads in Ireland were bad! This route was an adventure to say the least, but, we finally made it to Nosara about 5 hours later after meeting countless interesting people, who we mostly had to ask for directions or just reassurance that we would make it across the river! It was a great journey.
We have now checked in at The Guilded Iguana, Nosara. The girls and I took a dip in the pool while Ruan checked out the beach. After dinner at The Guilded Iguana we went for a walk to the beach as a family to check out our sorroundings. It was just a few minute walk to the beach. It was a beautiful starlit night. We are now back in our room. The girls are sleeping and Ruan and I are enjoying a cocktail to celebrate a great 2012  and to welcome in 2013.

A nice Canadian couple that we met en route to Nosara

Grave with surfboard

Costa Rica, Day 14

Sunday, December 30th

Maria had invited me to surf with her again this morning so I was delighted to take up the offer. Again, the surf was fab, again it was a clean 3 ft and again Maria helped me to find the right waves and take off in the right spot. After Ruan went for his surf while the girls and I had fun on the beach. We had lunch at our room before going down to the beach again for the afternoon.  There was a wedding at Ranchos Itauna and it seemed like a great venue for a very small wedding. After meeting the bride and groom, and the mother and father of the groom we relaxed, taking in for the last evening the beauty that is Playa Santa Teresa. We had dinner at the local Soda restaurant and it was the best value for money so far and it was very tasty also.

Ruan and the girls with some of the bar staff at Ranchos Itauna

yummy!

The Happy Couple

Costa Rica, Day 13

Howler Monkeys

Our pad at Ranchos Itauna

Saturday, 29th December

Ruan again got a early morning surf. The girls and I woke a little later, had breakfast, watched howler monkeys on the trees right outside our door. Ruan got home after a good surf. I then left to meet Maria my surf guide for the morning. We walked a good length of Santa Teresa before picking a nice, almost empty peak. After 2 or 3 spectacular wipeouts I started catching some great fast waves. It was low tide so it was fast and pitchy. I was delighted with my surf and the sweet waves I got. When I got back to the family we messed about on the beach, rock-pools and shore-break before we all had a rest in the hamocks at Ranchos Itauna. We watched the sun go down, while the girls played with some new friends and Ruan and I sipped a pina colada.

Maria, my Surf Guide

Messing around in rock-pool