September 7th: Los Angeles

September 7, 2009: Los Angeles, CA USA

Sean: After a few hours of sleep I woke up this morning at 3:30am. I hoped in the shower, grabbed my bag and then headed to the airport for the 4:00am airport transfer.

The airport was fairly empty. Mostly there were scattered groups of celebrating Mexicans catching their flight home after a weekend celebrating their futbol victory over Costa Rica. Having been to the airport a week ago with my brothers I knew exactly what to do and where to go. I paid my Costa Rica exit fee ($26), checked in, and made my way through security to wait at the gate for my 6:30 flight.

Because all of the airport shops were closed I plunked down in a chair and read my book until it was time to board. The flight was very uneventful. I think I fell asleep before takeoff. I woke briefly to eat the horribly disgusting airplane breakfast and then dozed off again.

I woke up just was we were landing in Houston. Passing through customs was a breeze and rechecking my bag took no time at all. By 11:40 I was back in an airplane terminal and waiting for my flight, which wasn’t taking off until 2:40. With three hours to kill I made a few phone calls to announce my return to the USA, grabbed some lunch, and cruised a few shops. The most interesting of was the Clyde Drexler Experience, a shop dedicated to the NBA star and all of Houston’s sports teams.

From there I sat and finished my book: Fire in the Turtle House. It was a very interesting read on the rapid decline of Sea Turtles populations and the sad state of the health of the Oceans.

By 2:00pm I was more than ready to get on my plane, out of Houston, and away from an airport named after a Bush. On the flight to LA I was surprised to find that my iPod headphones could plug into the airplane jack. Because of this I was able to watch the Proposal (it was the only movie they had playing!).

Back on the west coast Uncle Dave and Aidan greeted me at the airport. We made our way to Grandma and Grandpa’s house and I was officially all the way back from my Costa Rican adventure!

Well bloggers, its been an amazing journey! I enjoyed every minute of my month in the tropics and I can’t believe it went by so fast!

I plan on having one more post once I get a chance to go through the video from the trip and get it into presentable form.

Thanks for reading!

September 6, 2009: San Jose

Sean: Is it really my last day in Costa Rica? I can’t believe that I am leaving super early tomorrow morning!

Hoping to pack a full day in, I had my alarm set for 5:30. We quickly threw on some clothes and jumped in the car to head for Manuel Antonio (A national park near Quepos that I previously visited with GAP). The drive took just over an hour but it turned out to be well worth it.

As we approached the park several people told us to pull over and park because that was where the nature hikes began. Having already visited the park, I knew that this was not true. We continued on our way and avoided all of the “naturalists” that wanted to take us on a tour. We paid our $10 and began our walk.

Almost immediately we started spotting wildlife (much more than last time I was here). Within the first five minutes we had found several lizards and birds. As we continued we found many animals ourselves and also had a peak at the ones that some of the naturalists found. These were often marked by large crowds of people staring up into the trees or into the forest.

On our way in saw a helmet head iguana, a white-face monkey (capuchin), several sloths (one was actually moving around and feeding), a few interesting spiders, and countless iguanas. Eventually we reached the beach and set our bags down to relax for a bit. My dad went in the water and I explored the sand. I even managed to see a small crab pop out of its hole to grab a bug and then proceed to tear it apart and eat it!

The way back was just as packed with wildlife. We stumbled upon a large troop of howler monkeys, an even bigger family of capuchins, a couple of basilisks, hundreds of hermit (or as Liam says Kermit) crabs, a green eyelash viper, and a deer that was not at all afraid of people. However, for me, the highlight of the walk was when we spotted a tiny squirrel monkey darting through the trees. I had never before seen a squirrel monkey and now I am fascinated. They are so tiny and cute (and fast)!

We got back to the car at about 10:30 and headed back for Jaco to pick up our things and check out of the hotel. When that was done we made our way into town to grab some lunch. It was one of the better meals I have had down here. We chowed down on some incredibly good sashimi and cheesy-garlic potatoes.

After a quick stop into some of the shops it was time to head back to San Jose. Everything went smoothly until we reached a point where the major highway was closed off. No detour signs were posted and I had to ask several people walking on the street which way to go. We ended up driving back to the nations capitol on a small two-lane highway.

Things were no easier once back into town. San Jose traffic is crazy! Somehow, we managed to navigate our way to a hotel near the airport (Best Western Irazu) and then to Avis to return the rental car. From there we headed into downtown San Jose for a final meal and a last taste of Costa Rica.

Needless to say, I had to have arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) for my final meal. After eating we walked down Calle Central and past all of the shops (most of which were closed). Still, it was fun to people watch and check out some of the street performers.

Back at the hotel things were much less interesting. I packed up my bag and then decied to take a dip in the pool. As soon as I finish typing this up I must head straight for bed. I have to get up at 3:30am to catch a shuttle to the airport for my early flight!

September 5, 2009: Jaco

Sean: Once again we woke up quite early this morning. In fact we got up so early that we were packed and ready to eat breakfast at 6:50 and the hotel restaurant didn’t even open until 7:00! We waited it out and had a large breakfast before hitting the road.

There was a LOT of driving today. We made our way from the northern part of the Nicoya Peninsula to Jaco, on the central side of the pacific. We snaked through many small towns and took a few wrong turns. At times we had to ask for directions and at others we had to decipher if we were on the correct highway.

En route we stopped at the Rio Tarcoles, home of the famous crocodile bridge. There were a ton of crocodiles basking under the bridge, many more than when I visited with GAP. After watching the crocodiles for a while and grabbing a quick lunch we continued on our way.

We arrived at Jaco at around 1:00 and cruised the main drag in town before settling on a nice hotel right on the beach. We dropped off our things and then jumped back in the car to head to Cararra National Park. Cararra is known as the park where the tropical dry forest from the north meets the rain forest. It is also home to a large population of Scarlett Macaws.

Just a few minutes before we reached the park it started raining as it can only in the tropics. Buckets of water poured from the sky. Undeterred, we made our way to the visitor center and attempted to wait out the rain. After waiting about half an hour we decided to just hike through the precipitation.

The trail was filled with puddles and mud. Nonetheless, it was a great hike through the forest and it was awesome to see some of the creeks swell to small rivers. I even spotted a Scarlet Macaw sheltering itself from the rain. Halfway through the hike we ran into a group of college aged students that were studying something in the park. As we passed by they showed us a snake they caught just off the trail.

Almost as soon as we began heading back the rain eased and the birds came to life. We heard several macaws squawking and saw them flying overhead (sorry I couldn’t get a picture…). We watched / listened to them for about 15 minutes before making our way back to the car, and eventually the hotel.

When we got back to the room it was about 4:00 and we decided to hit the beach just out our front door. As seems usual around these parts, it was a magnificent surfing beach. The waves were big, strong, and had a nice shape. We walked a ways down the beach and then hit the water. The waves rolled in quickly and I got tired fairly quickly.

By the time we returned to the room and got showered up it was time for dinner. Armed with free drink coupons we hit the bar attached to our hotel. After consuming and imperial and some nachos my dad and I walked toward the main part of town to check out some shops before the big Costa Rica – Mexico World Cup Qualifying Match (a soccer game).

To our surprise everything was fairly dead. Jaco has a reputation as a party town so I believe this was due to the game. Everyone must have closed up shop a bit early so they could get home to watch the match (that or the town is quiet during the slow season). When the rain began to fall we jumped in a cab and headed back to our hotel.

At 8:00 the futbol game started so we returned to the nearby bar for a few drinks and some more food. The bar was alive with excited Ticos! I enjoyed the atmosphere and cheered along with the Costa Ricans. Unfortunately, just before the end of the first half Mexico scored.

It was all downhill from there. The energy was zapped from the building. Making matters worse, Mexico scored again early in the second half. As peoples hopes began to fade, I was overwhelmed by a wave of tiredness and returned to the room.

As I sit here typing my blog the score is now 3-0 and the clock is ticking down. I expect the country to be a bit sad tomorrow…

September 4, 2009: Playa Grande

Sean: My dad and I got an early start on the day. By 7:00am we were on the road and heading south toward the coast on the Nicoya Peninsula. At around 8:30 we passed a place called Monkey Park that advertised itself as a monkey rehab center. It sounded like an opportunity too good to pass up.

We pulled into monkey park and were surprised to find that we were the only ones there. After a few minutes a young Tica approached us and told us it would cost $10 per person to walk around the park. We hesitantly paid the fee, slightly rattled by the lack of structure. After walking around for a few minutes it became apparent that monkey park was some sort of defunct zoo, not a monkey rescue center.

Thought they had an impressive collection of animals (several small cats, toucans, spider monkey, capuchin monkeys, deer, scarlet macaws, and others), the cages were not well maintained. In fact, the highlight of the entire park was a crocodile that was out of the enclosure! Im not sure if this animal had escaped or if it was wild and was roaming the park but it was extremely cool to walk around a corner and find a crocodile only a few meters away!

After about an hour we got back in the car and continued our journey. We arrived at Hotel Las Tortugas in Playa Grande at around 10:15. Playa Grande is a smaller town near Tamarindo that is on the edge of a national park and is famous for the nesting leatherback sea turtles (which begins in October).

We quickly settled into our room and then set out to find the days adventure. I inquired at the front desk about a boat tour through the mangroves. As luck would have it, the last boat tour of the day was happening at 11:00am, and if we hurried we could make it. The man working the front desk drew us a small map of where we needed to go.

It took only about 10 minutes to reach Bula Bula Hotel, where our small boat would be launching. Because we arrived a few minutes early we grabbed a quick snack at the bar while waiting for Ramone, our guide to show up.

The tour through the mangroves was awesome. Other than my dad and I, the only people on the boat were the driver and a naturalist guide. Almost immediately we saw a tiny (less than 1 ft) crocodile swimming through the water. A short while later we saw a much larger croc that came right next to the boat. We also spotted several herons, hawks, and many other species of bird that no one could identify. About half way through the trip we anchored the boat and took a short walk through the mangroves. We quickly came upon a large troop of howler monkeys and spotted countless mangrove crabs (which local fishermen apparently use as bait).

When the mangrove tour was over we returned to our hotel, grabbed a quick bite at the restaurant, and decided to hit the beach just in front of the hotel. I watched the surfers with envy for about 10 minutes before deciding to rent a board. I spent the next 2-3 hours surfing the 3-4 (and occasionally 5) foot waves. Having not surfed on a shortboard in about a year, it took me a while to get adjusted. After numerous wipeouts and several mouthfuls of water, I found my groove. The waves were fast and fun. I surfed until my arms felt like they were going to fall off…

Exhausted I returned to the room with my dad and we showered up for the evening. At about 4:00pm we decided we should check out Playa Tamarindo, one of the more famous towns on the pacific coast of Costa Rica. It was slightly more built-up than other areas I have visited but I still enjoyed the trip.

After dinner on the beach we made our way back to the hotel to chill out, use the internet, and plan tomorrows adventure! Ohh and I think I got about 100 mosquito bites today, I forgot to bring my bug spray to Tamarindo and got eaten alive! Ugh L…

September 3, 2009: La Cruz

Sean: Last night I was in and out of sleep. Monteverde was having another big windstorm and we could hear it quite well in our room. It was very fun to listen to and when I woke up at 5:45, I lay in bed for about 40 minutes just listening to the wind. Eventually I wrestled myself out of bed and made my way down to the hotel breakfast.

At 7:20 we checked out of the hotel and headed back up to Selvatura Park to do their hanging bridges. I was surprised to find that we were the first people to arrive at the park and thus we had the bridges all to ourselves. Even though the cloud forest had not yet been disturbed, we found it very hard to spot wildlife without a guide! We spent about 2 hours walking the 3 kilometer loop and we many butterflies, a few birds, a pair of beetles, and a cuoti.

After the hanging bridges we decided to check out the Selvatura Serpentarium. It was very similar to the other exhibits I have visited. They had the famous species of snakes and frogs in terrariums for public viewing. Though I hate the saying, I think it applies: Once you have seen one Costa Rica Serpentarium you have seem then all. I find it much more rewarding and exciting to find these creatures in the wild!

Done at Selvatura we left the Monteverde area and began the long drive down the mountain. Upon reaching the Pan-American highway we headed north toward Liberia (the city). We got there at about 2:00 and decided to stop for lunch and look for a place to stay for the night.

Less than impressed with the town, we changed our plans and decided to forgo a night in Liberia. I would compare it to a smaller San Jose (those who have been know this is not a compliment). Instead, we kept on driving north toward Santa Rosa National Park, our desired destination for the day.

Sadly, there were no hotels en route and we had to go about 30km past the national park to a town called La Cruz. It is just a few km south of the Nicaraguan border! After finding a midrange hotel in the sleepy town and dropping off our bags we began the drive back to Santa Rosa NP.

We arrived at the park at approximately 4:30 and were ready to do some hiking. After a bit of driving I figured out where we were (I camped here 5 years ago with my CIEE classmates). We took a small trail near the “museum” called the Naked Indian trail, named after a tree common to the area that often sheds its bark.

The trail was filled with life! Almost immediately upon entering the dry forest we heard the crashings of a crested guan overhead. A short while later I found a small snake slithering through the underbrush. We later stumbled upon columns of army ants. They are one of my most favorite creatures to watch, as almost every ant is carrying something. We even found them swarming a nearby log, perhaps to make a nest?

Almost as soon as we were done inspecting the ants we heard more crashing overhead. Initially I thought it was another pair of guans. To my delight, I was wrong. The noise was being made by a troop of Spider Monkeys making their way across the canopy. We watched the monkeys swing from the trees for a good 15 minutes before moving on. Ohh and one of the females was pregnant (I think) or very fat…

About forty minutes after we started we had completed the trail and circled back to the museum. Not ready to leave, we headed toward the old, rundown building. Sitting next to the wall was a massive Ctenosaur (a relative of the iguana). As I explored the perimeter the bats started to come out. Our guidebooks says there are more than 60 different species in the national park.

As the bug spray began to wear off it was time to retreat to the car. After a quick drive down to the campsites we began the journey back to our hotel. On the drive we were lucky enough to spot a few dear, a fox, and dozens of birds alongside the road.

Upon returning to La Cruz we grabbed a quick bite to eat (arroz con pollo) and headed up to our room. It is a small town with not much going on and no internet! Though it is only 8:15 I will be heading to bed soon so that we can get a jump on tomorrow!

September 2, 2009: Monteverde (again)

Sean: This morning I woke up at about 5:45 and could not get back to sleep. Eventually I just got up and started reading for a while. By the time I mustered up enough energy to get out of bed it was close to 7:00 and time to start the day. We packed up our things, ate breakfast, and set out for Monteverde.

To get there we had to drive all the way Lake Arenal. After a bit of confusion and several stops to ask for directions, we found our way. In total the trip took just over 3 hours in the car. It was slightly more painful than the bus-boat-bus option that we used with GAP but it was great to get a new experience.

Once in Monteverde we had to find a room. I knew just the place (since I was here only about a week ago). Once again I decided to take a page from GAP and stay at Hotel Rustic. In a strange twist of fate, we were given the exact same room I had with my brothers. Upon opening the door I half expected to be juggling Liam (it is the very room he learned this fine skill) and Owen to be on the computer.

It was then time for lunch so I made sure we headed for Morphos, a favorite of mine when I was studying in Monteverde 5 years ago. Refueled and ready for some excitement we visited Selvatura to book some tours. I had never used this company before and was excited to see what they had to offer!

After setting our plans we made a quick trip to the supermarket and then headed to the hotel to get ready for a canopy tour. We drove ourselves to Selvatura Park and arrived about 40 minutes before our tour. While waiting, we decided to visit the Education Center, a massive collection of insects (that did not die of natural causes). It was quite interesting to see the collection of creatures from all over Costa Rica, Central America, and the world.

At 2:30 we started our zip line experience. I was shocked to find that the group consisted of only 3 people (a guy from Israel joined my dad and I). It was by far the smallest canopy tour I have ever seen. We had two guides who did not seem that enthusiastic about the adventure and were the exact opposite of our guides at Adventura.

Even though it was my third canopy tour of the summer I still had a great time. Zipping over the trees never gets old, or maybe it does for the guides because they really were very dull. The highlights of the afternoon were getting to do another Tarzan Swing (even though it was only 10 meters or ¼ the size of Adventuras) and the 1 kilometer long zipline.

In fact, the 1km line was so long that the guides asked me to go with a partner in order to increase wait and ensure that we would make it across the canyon. Unfortunately, even this technique did not save us from coming to a halt about 20 meters before the end. I was trying to videotape the experience so im not sure how this occurred. Regardless, it was not much fun pulling myself with one hand (the other was holding the camera) across the line while being attached to another person.

When we were done with the zipline my father and I headed for the Monteverde Frog Pond. The exhibits at the frog pond were quite neat and our guide was very friendly. I believe they had 17 species of frog, each with its own terrarium. It was very interesting to see some of the species I have not yet found in the wild. My favorite, by far, was the red eyed tree frog. It is something of a national symbol of Costa Rica. This is the creature that is on the cover of many guidebooks, featured prominently on shirts, and integrated with many other souvenir items.

By the time we left it was time for dinner. We went to one of my new favorite places in Monteverd, Natasha’s Pizzeria and Pasta (we went here with our GAP group and got some very “heavy” aka fatty and cheesy pasta). This time my dad and I split a pizza.

When we finished eating we made a quick return trip to the frong pond (you get two entrances with the purchase of a ticket) because they told us the creatures were much more active in the dark. Armed with a couple of flashlights we went back through the exhibits and watched a few frogs bounce around.

From there it was back to the room to plan the next days adventure! The day sof reliving the GAP tour are over, we are heading for a few new and exotic places!

September 1, 2009: La Fortuna

Sean: Today was another day where part of my activities felt like a replay of last week. My father and I got up at 6:15 and threw down some breakfast before heading out on Desafio tour MamboCombo 1. This includes a morning of Canyoning and an afternoon of rafting on Rio Bolsa (class 2&3) – my 3^rd rafting experience of the summer!

Coincidentally, we had one of the same canyoning guides that my brothers and I had way back on August 23^rd. Things played out much the same as that tour (If you want more details refer to the August 23^rd post! ) except we were slightly more rushed. That means that we did not get to do the waterfall sit-down or go visit the large waterfall at the bottom of the final repel. Also, I discovered that canyoning is still fun the second time it is just not as much of a thrill. I knew what was coming the entire way and never felt nervous (like I did the first time). From now on I am going to try not to repeat the same activities…

Almost as soon as we finished the end of canyoning meal we were shipped off to go rafting. Unlike my last rafting adventure, this one was packed. There were over 30 people dispersed into 9 different boats. Sadly, on the drive we didn’t get to stop at the iguana place. After going over the mandatory safety info, it wa time to get on the water. We were on a boat with a family from New Jersey. Our guide Mario was one of the more charismatic guides and made sure we had fun.

While on the water I noticed that one of the other boats was being headed by our guide from last time (Daniel?). Also, our former camera man was also a guide for this trip. They both recognized me and I had a good time catching up with them. The rapids were quite fun and more action packed than I had anticipated. Even though it was only class 2 and 3, we managed to lose someone out of the boat and had a few paddles get tossed into the water.

Halfway through the adventure we stopped on a beach for some tasty fruit and swimming. Just as we were getting back into the boats it began to rain extremely hard, as it so often does in Costa Rica. It was very fun to be cruising down the river while the water poured down from the sky.

As with most Desafio tours there was a meal provided at the end of the adventure. The food was exactly the same as a week ago but this time Daniel snuck me a beer from the kitchen because we are friends now J. When we finished eating it was back to the hotel.

Back in the room, my dad was quite tired from the days activities so he decided to take a quick nap while I wandered around town and picked up a cheap dinner. I settled on a La Fortuna classic, Cup o’ Soup and some Pringles…

When we were finished eating we decided to try to go see the lava from the Wulcano. Somehow I remembered the route that our tour bus took last week and got us to the viewpoint. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy this time and there was nothing to see. The guides must have known this as there were no tour busses out there (last week there were tons!!).

It is now 8:45 and I am back in the room and excited to lay down and get some rest.

Ohh and I didn’t buy the canyoning photos this time so I just decided to use the old ones since it was the exact same thing J

August 31, 2009: La Fortuna (again)

Owen: We woke up at an ungodly hour. I didn’t even know that 3:30 in the morning existed! Last night we watched “I Love You, Man” before we went to sleep, and only got about 4 hours. The trip to the airport is kind of a blur, seeing as it was so early, but once we got there we said goodbye to the last two members of our GAP crew, Carl and Catalina. We got all our paperwork done, and said a tearful goodbye to Sean. I miss you already dude! Hope you have fun though, don’t be too sad!! And after a long wait, we boarded the plane to Houston, TX. That was an ordeal. We got past customs, twice, and rechecked our luggage (loogash), and waited for our delayed flight to Portland. I am making this day sound short, but it really, really wasn’t. After sitting next to a nice kid my age from Silverton for the 4 and a half hour flight, we were greeted by Mom and Dad! It was great to finally see them again.

We started driving home, stopped at Starbucks, and talked about the trip for a really long time. We discribed every little detail to them, which made the drive back pretty painless. Upon returning home, Goldie (my dog) freaked out when she saw me. She started to pee on the ground and jump around in excitement. We gave Dad the Hat we got for him, and we gave Mom her shawl (thanks for the recommendation Emilie and Eve-lyn!) and the coffee for them both. They were very happy with the gifts and stories.

I cannot begin to explain how thankful I am to everyone who made this the perfect trip. Grandpa for letting me use his amazing camera, Mom and Dad for funding the whole thing, Sean for leading us around, Danny for being a great guide, and the Group for being way better than could ever have expected! Also, Liam for being a good brother and putting up with my crap, and the people of Costa Rica for being so welcoming and accommodating.

Pura Vida!

Liam: After waking up and going through all security at the airport, we decided not to get breakfast and wait until later. The plane ride to Houston was really long, but I slept for most of the time or read. Then we were in the Houston airport for about 4 hours, it got soooo boring. Owen and I got some food and walked around the airport for a while before boarding the flight that was thirty minutes late. The plane ride took forever, I just wanted to get home. When the plane finally landed it was about 5 o’clock and I was more than ready to stand up for a while. Right when we left the gates Mom and Dad were waiting to meet us. We met up with them and told them all about our adventures. After the drive back from Portland, we were finally home and it felt so good. After we walked in the door I took a long shower and used a ton of shampoo so my hair doesn’t stand up anymore (Emilie and Eve-Lyn). After a dinner with Mom and Dad I just hung out for a while.

Sean (This blog is all mine now...): Today was as long as any of the trip. The boys and I woke up at 3:30 am! That is by far the earliest I have gotten up in years. We all took quick showers and then checked out of our hotel room. A short time later, 4:00am, we jumped into an airport transfer. I was surprised to find that Carl and Laura (Canadian couple on honeymoon) were on the same shuttle as us. It was great to see them one last time!

Our drive to the airport flew threw stop signs and passed anything moving less than fast. We quickly arrived and made our way to the check in counter only to discover we had to pay $26 in airport tax before entering the queue. After paying the duty we quickly proceeded through the line and got the boys checked in for their flight. I then entrusted them with their passports and all the reasonability that comes with flying an international flight.

It was then time for our goodbyes. It was a sad, sad moment. I have had such a great time traveling with my brothers that it is hard to imagine that I will be on my own for another week. We have spent all-day, everyday together for the last three weeks. Surprisingly, I cant remember us getting in any big fights. Of course there were times where we gave each other a hard time (especially Liam) and times when we got frustrated (especially Owen when playing billiards ;) but it went smoother than I ever imagined.

The boys are born travelers. After fighting off some sickness early in the trip Liam opened up to everyone in the group. As expected, Owen was friendly and nice to each and every person he came in contact with. I look forward to the next trip I take with my brothers!!

After watching them pass through security I was on my own and made my way to the street to catch a cab back into downtown San Jose. I flagged down a young cab driver who had no idea where my hotel was. After explaining the general area he told me he could get me there so I got in. It turned out to be a long ride. One in which we had to ask other cab drivers, policemen, and pedestrians for directions. Eventually I asked the cab driver to drop me off on the main street so that I could walk from there.

By the time I got back to the hotel it was 5:30. I went back to the room and, unable to fall asleep, used the internet for a while. At 7:00 I met up with my father and we decided to get out of San Jose. Unfortunately, I was also informed that the car he had rented for his one-week stay was broken into on his first night in Costa Rica. They smashed a window, stole the radio, and trashed the inside of the car. Undeterred we set of for La Fortuna, home of Arenal Volcano (or as I now call it Wolcan).

I expertly navigated the streets of San Jose and got us on the Pan American highway. Once outside of San Jose the drive was fairly easy. We only stopped once to grab a bite to eat and arrived in town at 11ish. From there I decied that we should stay at the same hotel that we did with G.A.P, Hotel Sierra-Arenal. As I made my way to our room I gave a quiet nod to Room 5, where my brothers and I stayed for three nights just a week ago.

Once we were settled in our room, my dad and I went out to grab some water at the Super Christian #2 and on our way stopped at Desafio to book some activities for our stay. I took Dannys advice and decided to try the Venado Cave tour despite the very unexciting photos.

After eating lunch it was time for our tour pickup (1:00pm). We met our tour guide Edgar and were informed that we were the only ones going cave exploring today. Forty-five minutes later we arrived at the mouth of the cave and were given our gear: hardhat, flashlight, and mask (which I only used for a photo op).

Danny was 100% correct. The Cave Tour was amazing. Almost the entire cave had a small stream flowing through it. We wadded through the water and ducked under a small opening to enter the cave. Once inside we were met by some very large spiders, bats, and crickets.

As we proceeded deeper into the cave the passageways became smaller and smaller. At some points I had to crawl through opening with everything but my head submerged underwater. Other times we were forced to dart through waterfalls that served as doors to chambers of the cave. In fact, at times of the 1.5 hour exploration there were periods when my father had to stay behind because he could not fit through some of the cracks. Some of the other highlights included a fossilized shell, a large guava shaped stalactite, a fossilized turtle shell, and a fossilized coral reef.

We were returned to our hotel room at around 5:30 and decided to grab a quick dinner before heading off to Baldi Hot Springs. Avid blog readers will remember this as the location where there are many pools of varying temperature and a large pool with several waterslides. It was the perfect way to end a long, long day. I was excited to revisit all of the pools and get to try all 3 of the slides again.

Still, retracing some old steps made me miss my brothers and our G.A.P group even more.

NOTE: I am probably going to repeat a bunch of things i already did so you dont need to keep reading the blog if you dont want :)