Jared in Alaska: February 2009

Well, I'm back in frigid Alaska safe and sound and I thought I'd warm myself up by sharing some warm pictures with everyone.

Cheri and I spent the 3rd week of January in Costa Rica and had a wonderful time. We flew into San Jose, rented a tiny Suzuki Jimny 4x4, and stayed at a very nice little family-run hotel in the city for a night. We were lucky we didn't have to sleep on the street because I totally forgot to book a place for us beforehand.

The next day we drove about 3.5 hours through really twisty and bumpy unnamed roads to Arenal Volcano. Driving in this country was definitely a 2 person job. Other drivers are crazy, especially in the cities, and there are very few road names or signs to keep you on the right track.

Arenal is an active volcano in the mountains in the middle of Costa Rica, and is a popular tourist destination. There is a sizeable national park surrounding the volcano, and lots of outside things to do. We spent a few days hiking around and checking out the wildlife and scenery, spent an evening at a very cool little hot springs, and zip-lined over the forest canopy. The sounds of the volcano were cool and sometimes startling. We were awoken by a big boom that shook the whole house one night. It sounded and felt like someone drove a car into the wall. There were Howler monkeys in the trees and lots of colorfull birds about to watch while hiking and driving around. It did rain quite a bit (rain forest), but we had a fun time.

From there we had a 5 hour drive to the beach!

The town of Nosara came highly recommended from others I know who have spent time there, mostly because of it's good surfing waves. I've always wanted to try surfing, and this is one of the friendliest places to learn: consistent small to medium waves, small tides, no rocks, warm water, and not crowded. We stayed at a small hotel that is as close to the beach as places can be built, rented a board to share, and got a surf lesson from a great couple that lived down the street. That's about all there is to tell. We surfed, walked the beach, watched sunsets, and layed in the hotel hammocks and soaked up the 89 degree weather for 4 days. It was a relaxing time. All except getting hit in the head with the surfboard flying in the wind. That part sucked.

Pictures, of course:

Arenal from El Castillo. Lava at the top.