That's In My Book

costa rica: through my iPhone lens

I was trying really hard to relax on this trip. Which translates into: I didn't drag my big camera around very much. Plus it rained almost everyday so I never knew when I might get stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no place to keep my camera dry. Instead, I relied on my iPhone to take many of my shots. I apologize to those that follow me on Instagram, some of these photos are repeats.

As we made our approach to the Liberia airport in Costa Rica, I couldn't believe what I saw out of the window. One lush green beautiful island after another. Each one surrounded by crystal blue ocean and golden sandy beaches. I had never seen that before. It was surreal.

 

 

 

Our waiter called these Peach Palms and told us they are used in traditional Costa Rican cooking all the time. After we asked a bunch of questions about them, he brought us some to taste. They are an interesting mixture of salty and starchy and creamy. Nothing like a peach.

 

 

I was crazy about the fruity drinks, more specifically, the virgin Pina Coladas. They were so yummy, and I was on vacation, so I threw caution to the wind and kept them coming. When I can order them poolside and beachside whenever I wanted, it was too difficult to resist. As soon as I got home I started working on perfecting the recipe for these creamy drinks. I will post it soon. 

 

When we first arrived at the resort, Helmut and I saw these yellow bowls everywhere. We soon figured out that the yellow bowls were full of food being delivered poolside. I loved ordering lunch by the pool and getting a yellow bowl of my own.

 

These interesting flowers were growing near the golf course. I have no idea what they are called but they remind me of something from a Dr. Seuss book.

 

This is another shot of the clubhouse. I couldn't get enough of the architecture. 

 

This is a shot of my new Keen hiking boots. They were super comfortable. I will admit they probably weren't necessary with the level of hiking we did (it is hard to find time for serious hiking when you are spending so much time by the pool), but I don't pass on a new pair of shoes often. 

 

One afternoon we took a cooking class given by the Executive Chef of the resort. He also gave us a tour of the kitchens. They have a 24-hour bakery that makes all the bread and sweets for the resort (and believe me, they were GOOD). 

 

I think those two beach chairs are calling my name right now! 

 

 

costa rica: its all in the details

The resort we stayed at (Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo) sits on the private and gated Peninsula Papagayo. The architectural details on the peninsula and at the resort where so beautiful. Some I noticed right away and others were so subtle that they just blended into the overall beauty of the resort. I enjoyed the fresh squeezed juices in all variety almost everyday and they never once came in the same glass. This was a sour papaya drink of some sort, tasty.

 

These light fixtures hung in the Papagayo restaurant. I love how they were inspired by the jelly fish in the nearby ocean.

 

The clubhouse at the golf course was amazing. The architecture and lines on the building were so interesting and beautiful. Here is a shot of the entrance.

 

I caught a quick shot of Helmut cheating and checking his Blackberry during breakfast.

 

costa rica: creatures

We hadn't been in Costa Rica for more than 30 minutes before we saw our first creature. As we pulled onto the Papagayo Peninsula, we saw a huge iguana just standing on the side of the road. It was easily four feet long from head to tail. We also saw a family of white face monkeys before we reached the hotel. One night as Helmut and I were finishing our dinner on the veranda, a raccoon walked right up to our table. I have never seen one so close and to be honest with you, his oppossable thumbs were creeping me out. Each morning, the road to the resort was covered with hundreds of crabs with black bodies and red legs. Many nights after as the sun went down, we could hear the howler monkeys.

Costa Rica also introduced us to some new creatures we hadn't seen before. I have no idea what this guy is called (cause each time I asked, someone would respond in very fast Spanish), so we just started calling it "long nose". It looks a bit like a raccoon, but has a long snout and very long tail.

 

This guy lived right outside our balcony and greeted us each morning. He seemed a bit vicious.

 

costa rica: the flora and fauna

The natural beauty of Costa Rica was unlike any I had seen before. We spent most of our time outdoors which gave us many opportunities to take it in. We took a sunset nature hike deep into the dry forest (okay, not really that deep) and got up close and personal with the trees, flowers, etc. The rainy season of Costa Rica started just prior to our arrival which I think makes it the perfect time to visit. The landscape had an opportunity to green up and it was a bit cooler. The morning were scorching hot starting around 5 AM when the sun came up. Around 2 PM, the clouds would roll in and cool things off. This made the evenings of eating dinner on the veranda just perfect. Helmut finally got to enjoy the "outdoor living" he is always dreaming about

 

 

I can't remember what this is called, but I know it is the national flower of Nicaragua.

 

The locals call this tree the "naked tree" or the "tourist tree", because its peeling bark resembles all the tourists that come and get sunburned and then peel.

One evening we took a tour of the resort's golf course and grounds. It is a beautiful course designed by Jack Nicklaus with great views of the peninsula.

 

 

 

costa rica: the resort

Helmut and I recently traveled to Costa Rica to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We chose Costa Rica because it is just a short 3.5 hour direct flight from Houston. We splurged and booked the Four Season Resort on the Peninsula Papagayo on the Pacific Ocean side of the country (you only have a 20th anniversary once, right?!). The resort did not disappoint. We spent hours and hours laying by the pool or the beach napping or reading and just soaking up the sun. Okay, I didn't soak up any sun. I was vigilant about slathering on the SPF 45 and staying in the shade. I was heck bent on not getting a horrible sunburn and ruining the rest of the trip. Helmut and I have never taken a vacation like this before and the amount of down time we enjoyed was amazing. We will definitley be taking a trip like this again for our 25th. 

This is our view from the open terrace of our hotel room. I loved listening to the waves crashing up on the beach.

This is the view of part of the resort seen from one of the restaurants. It was totally open to the outside.

This is a view from the top of a nearby hill. You can see some of the villas and buildings of the resort.

This is a shot of the sunset on one of the beaches (the peninsula was so narrow that the resort had a beach on each side). Each night, the resort had a party on the beach at sunset, complete with a Costa Rican singer, pillows on the sand and all the fruity drinks you could drink. I was obsessed with the fruity drinks!