Escaped Princeton for a bit more than a week and headed with Kolia, Jeff, and Chrissy for Costa Rica for New Year's Eve. Saw little local fireworks from the front deck of Arenal Backpackers Resort (that's a $10/night hostel, not a resort, in case you were wondering). Traded snow and fog for sunburns and tropical fruit shakes.
Hiked around an active volcano (Volcan Arenal) and watched chestnut-mandible toucans soar through the tops of the forest trees.
Soaked all the pumice dust away in the twelve different heated pools at the Baldi Hot Springs afterward.
Took a "jeep-boat-jeep" travel package from La Fortuna to Santa Elena, since the roads across the country are long, winding, full of potholes, and exceedingly slowly traversed via bus. The boat across the (manmade) lake was much more pleasant.
Studied up on poisonous frogs and snakes at the Serpentario in Santa Elena--
then took a tour of the walkways through the Monteverde Cloud Forest, where tiny beautiful white orchids sprouted on the mossy trees.
Next we inched our way via bus-ferry-bus to Montezuma, a beach town on the Nicoya peninsula. Right outside our hotel room door playful Capuchin monkeys were clambering up and down the palm trees.
Near Montezuma two rivers empty into the sea, and by hiking upstream (a wet and slippery path) you come to a series of striking waterfalls.
But Montezuma is better known for just having lovely peaceful beaches.
We sat by the beach in the afternoon, ate watermelon,
and came back in the evening to watch the sun set.
After Montezuma we headed back to San Jose to fly out, and spent an afternoon walking around the downtown:
Our last breakfast in Costa Rica consisted of a great splurge on tropical fruits and pastries--which cost about $10 all together.
And last but not least, Continental even upgraded me to first class for the flight home!
In Princeton it's 45 degrees and foggy, but at least we have hot water and no mosquitoes...it's the best sort of vacation that makes you glad to be home.
