Things I learned from (and loved about) Costa Rica

One week after getting home and I’ve finally made some time to make a proper post on my trip to the rich coast. Down below, you’ll find some of my favorite photos from the trip. Honestly, I didn’t take as many as I should have, so I just have to make it a point to go back someday. First I want to start with some of the things I learned from and loved about that place… if you just want to see photos, scroll down. 🙂

• First thing’s first… I can’t surf. I tried. Really hard. I’ll try again one day, but for now I am still not a surfer.

• Time is insignificant in Costa Rica.

Meg and I learned day 1 of our trip that Costa Ricans pay little attention to time and are probably happier for it. When we got into our room at Villa Caletas, Meg needed to call the bride about where to meet up with her. Our phone didn’t work to call out so she called the front desk to inquire about getting it fixed. The lady on the other end was so nice and helpful, as all the staff there were, but she finished the conversation with “I’ll find out and call you back later.” Later. As if she’ll get around to it, but the exact time of response was insignificant. We both thought this was kind of funny and that maybe it was a language barrier thing. We soon realized it wasn’t… it’s just the way things are there. They aren’t consumed with time like we are here in the States. We live and breathe according to the ticking clock… they seem to be more leisurely. Clocks didn’t even exist in either of our hotel rooms we stayed in on our trip. Oh, how I wish that would fly here in LA. 😉

• I can speak Spanish- like actually have real conversations beyond “¿donde estan los baños?”
I spent 4 years in high school and 1 semester in college learning Spanish. That was about 7 years ago, so I knew I would be able to get by with some of the Spanish I remembered, but I didn’t realize I would be able to have full on conversations with native speakers all in Spanish. I decided early on in the trip that I was going to try to speak only Spanish to the people I interacted with there…The first day or two were kind of bumpy, but then I started getting the hang of it and had the confidence to speak more and more. A few Costa Ricans even commented that I spoke Spanish well. Sweet! I got so into speaking Spanish with everyone that I was still saying “hola” and “gracias” for the first few days I was back in LA. A sincere thanks to Senor Peppy and Senora Rocca back in high school for the education. 🙂

• Pura Vida. When I lived in London, I remember hearing the term “Cheers” all over the place.. instead of saying “Thanks” frequently, and “You’re Welcome” (which apparently is so American it annoyed my co-worker at my internship there) they say “Cheers.” I loved it so much and was jealous that the British get such a fun, cheery phrase to insert into any exchange, while in America we really have no equivalent for daily conversation. There was just something about the word that made me instantly a little happier, something about it that felt so positive- a brief moment in an interpersonal exchange that reminded people to appreciate a moment in time and celebrate, minor as it was.

In preparing for my trip to Costa Rica, I had seen the phrase Pura Vida on Websites I visited, but had no clue what it meant. Thanks to my Spanish skills, I knew it translated to “pure life,” but I wasn’t comprehending why people were using it everywhere, and what it actually meant to Costa Rican culture. They use it sometimes to replace “thank you” or to respond to someone who thanks them. They use it to express gratitude for something specific or for something abstract. They use it as a constant reminder that they live in an amazing place and should celebrate that. Probably somewhere between day 2 and day 3 I fully realized the meaning of it, why it’s valuable, and how the phrase completely encapsulates why Costa Rica is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited.

Our second day in Manuel Antonio, we took surf lessons. David was my surf instructor, but Pablo was his buddy and business partner who was hanging out on the beach while I was trying desperately to stand up on my board without success. After a good solid hour of attempts, I finally got too tired and had to go back to shore. Being rocked by wave after wave will take it out of you pretty quickly. Pablo, Meg and Tim were sitting there and all tried to make me feel a little better about my attempts. I was visibly frustrated… I looked toward Pablo as he said: “At least you were out there trying. That’s good. You know, some people don’t have legs and they can’t even try that. Pura vida.” Pablo epitomizes pura vida and the concept of living positively… Because of this statement, I went back a few hours later to try again… still no luck.  But, I will try again sometime. Pura vida.

To celebrate this phrase and to remind myself of the feeling I had on this trip in this amazing place, I bought a cheesy sign from a roadside vendor in Manuel Antonio… it currently hangs in my kitchen and makes me feel happy. Pura vida.  🙂

Now onto the photos! 🙂

Driving from the airport…

View from Villa Caletas. Our first destination and the place where the wedding was held. (This place was fantastic! The staff were the kindest, most helpful people I’ve ever met and truly made our experience there perfect. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for an amazing place to stay. Plus, the views are insane.)

Hanging out at the most amazing pool and so thankful for this experience.

After the wedding, we headed south to a town called Manuel Antonio for a few days of exploring the rain forest and and the white sand beaches. Such a fun place!

We stayed at this place called La Posada, a boutique hotel with a great vibe… I highly recommend it. Mike is the owner and is just a great, fun guy. If you ever go to Manuel Antonio and want to stay in a great place with a lot of character and steps from the National Park, stay there! And go to the weekly dinners at Dos Locos and La Hacienda with the crew from the hotel… so fun. And, please tell Mike hello for me… I’ll be going back one of these days! 🙂

This is Nina. She kind of adopted La Posada as a place to hang out with the tourists…

These Capuchin or white-faced monkeys hang out all over Manuel Antonio. We saw these on the beach inside the park… they’ve got such personality.

Our guide Coco.

I will definitely be visiting this place again… hopefully sooner than later!

¡Pura Vida!