Not long after Coban selected his classes for the first semester of high school, we had a conversation about college. I’d always assumed once he graduated, he’d move far away and I wouldn’t see him much. (Obviously college was the perfect opportunity for him to move out west to a mountain town I knew I’d love to visit.)
He had other ideas. Ohio and Pennsylvania seem pretty cool, he told me, with all the confidence of an eighth-grader.
And this, my friends, is why we went to Costa Rica. I’ll be damned if my kid is going to leave high school thinking Ohio and Pennsylvania are the best the world has to offer.
Waking up to a view of a real-life volcano went a long way toward proving my point.
Our adventure started immediately. On the very long drive from the airport in San Jose to our hotel just outside of La Fortuna, we stopped on the side of a windy mountain road to let Michele stick her cute little face in the largest leaf I’ve ever seen.
We also pulled over to ogle this huge group of coatis like the tourists that we were. And right across the road from those were two toucans talking to each other from the branches of a very tall tree!
The next day we did a hike in Arenal Volcano National Park. The hike was definitely more of a stroll, but we saw some amazing plants and creatures along the way.
The crush of tourists we encountered where the trail ended (you can’t climb the volcano, sadly) reminded me of the band of coatis, so I photographed them too.
Next up was La Fortuna Waterfall, which, despite being overrun with people, was well worth the trip.
Behind the falls was a huge rock face covered in ferns, with long dangly vines reaching for the water. It wasn’t nearly as hot as I expected there, but we got in the water anyway. Because, Costa Rica!
I wasn’t sure about stepping right into a bunch of fish that I could clearly see. But, they kindly swam away so we could enjoy an amazingly refreshing dip before climbing the 520 steps back to the top. (Dad counted.)
And this is where our adventures with our Tour Guide really began. He told us before we arrived that we would lunch at the restaurant near the waterfall. Dad told him that we preferred to eat somewhere local. When he got no where, Coban took a shot. The answer to his direct request was also a subtle but discernible no.
And so we ate the food for tourists and then returned promptly to our hotel to hang out without our guide. The bar by the pool served both drinks and food, and by the time we left, several of us were following Bartender Luis on Instagram.
There was plenty to see just on the grounds. The toucans were there too, as well as this perky fellow. And monkeys swinging from tree to tree! I literally stood staring up at them with my mouth hanging open.
Meanwhile, everywhere you look, the plants are huge and dramatic. I had a camera that is great with close-ups, and I could not stop. If you’re not into plant photos, just keep on scrolling.
The next day we took a safari float on the Peñas Blancas River, which was low key but amazing. We saw monkeys, huge iguanas, toucans, and two caymans. And ate the freshest pineapple I’ve ever tasted.
Maybe the most remarkable thing we did was a night walk through the rain forest on an organic farm. Huber, the owner, had an uncanny ability to spot animals in the dark, even if they were 30 feet up in a very leafy tree. We saw a sloth, a baby ant-eater, several kinds of frogs, and the deadliest snake in the whole country, the fer-de-lance. This made my snake-hunting dad very happy.
After several days of feeling pushed around by our ever-talkative tour guide, we ditched him on our last day and took an Uber into town. He found us, though. As soon as we saw him, dad tucked into a shoe store, and Michele, Coban and I jumped into a clothing shop. I squatted down to hide when I saw his van go by, in a very Seinfeld-like moment.
After he passed, the four of us fast-walked down the street, taking quick turns down alleys to try to lose him. Not a half hour later, he pulled up across the street from where Michele and I stood waiting on a sidewalk, and offered to give us a ride. (We did not give in.)
Our shared irritation led to a lot of discussion and so many laughs. We were a united family front against an opportunistic earner.
Color has always made me happy, and it was everywhere you turned.
Even the trash pile of fruit peals behind the hotel looked beautiful to me.
And who knew a blooming banana could take so many forms?
Our drive back to the airport took us through a different mountain pass. We saw steep hillsides carved into truly impressive angular terraces, filled with coffee plants, grazing cattle, and even soon-to-be Christmas trees.
We stopped briefly in a tiny town whose square was filled with large, sometimes comical, topiary.
The doors to the Catholic Church stood open, so anyone could wonder in. I loved the colors on this elementary school—which made even the wrought-iron fence look inviting.
Our trip was short, but filled with jokes and laughter. And I felt so calm when I got home. The world is large, and I’m so grateful for the chance to go out and see it.