After our bubble send off, we hopped in our car and were promptly driven around Washington DC and it's metropolis for two hours- one hour too many from our wedding in Frederick, Maryland. The extra hour consisted of two restroom breaks for our driver and drop off at the WRONG hotel. Luckily, our driver has stopped at the hotel for another bathroom break and we were able to catch him and have him drive us around for another ten minutes to the correct hotel.
And thus begins the Pencils' Pura Vida Costa Rican honeymoon.
Pura Vida is a phrase in Costa Rica that literally means "pure or good life;" however, Ticos (native Costa Ricans) use it to just mean all is well; as in "How are you today?" "Pura vida!"
We were so excited when we finally did arrive at our hotel, with all of our stuff
But really, we were just excited for the very next morning, when we could board the plane to Miami, then San Jose, Costa Rica! We may have been a bit tired as well... but it was the first morning after our wedding night! We're supposed to be tired, right?! I still made Mr. P take the obligatory "we're getting on a plane!" photo.
But we spiced it up with the "we're ON the plane!" picture....
After a really bad movie and a few hours later, we arrived at the San Jose airport. It was a clash of modern and unexplored at the airport itself...
A Scholtzky's, Burger King and Church's Chicken, in the middle of a very beautiful country.
After a brief respite, we boarded another small plane ("puddle jumper," some may call it) for the final half hour of our trip, to Quepos, a small town outside of the Manuel Antonio National Park (gorgeous, protected coast and rainforest). The plane may have been a bit...nerve wracking.
Mainly because we were quite literally strapped in.
Despite zero visibility and a rain storm, we made it safe and sound to our first hotel/resort, the Arenas Del Mar Beach and Nature Resort. I cannot even begin to capture the beauty of this place. It was rainy when we arrived, and yet this still greeted us in the " lower reception area."
Our room wasn't anything to complain at, either. Mr. P sprang for an amazing suite. It was SO worth it.
Yes, that's our bathroom. Open and AMAZING.
Oh, what's that thing in the ground behind Mr. P? Oh, nothing...
...just a personal OUTDOOR JACUZZI. I have never felt so outrageously luxurious and lucky. Thank you Mr. P!
It was a cloudy afternoon, we both had about two hours sleep, so what did we do on our first afternoon in Costa Rica?
Slept until dinnertime.
Ah, but it was so worth it. When we finally arose for dinner at the hotel restaurant, we were rested and refreshed and ready to indulge. That we did.
Traditional fare, called the "marriage" plate. Wives would pack it for their husbands as they went to work in the fields, harvesting bananas (before Costa Rica stopped producing a large amount of them) and now palm oil. Perfect for our first day of marriage!
After our yummy food, we enjoyed some of our jacuzzi. Listening to the sounds of the trees around us and the ocean hitting the shore, it was beyond perfection.
The very next morning, we were anxious to get to the beach. Along the way, what did we see?
MONKEYS!
We spent the morning chillaxing on the beach. Glorious.
After getting all crazy hot, we ventured back up to take a dip in the cool pool.
Then went back to the beach for some frozen drinks and a late lunch. Ah, perfection.
The next morning, we decided to venture out for a sailing and snorkeling trip. We started early in the morning. Doesn't Mr. P look so excited?!
We really were! Our catamaran, Tom Cat, was awesome.
It had netting, which I think was more like a mini trampoline!
Soon, it was time to snorkel!
It was exhausting, fun and so cool we didn't get any photos in the water! Because it had been rainy the day before, the water was also really green- really foggy and we didn't get to see much. Some bright schools of fish found us, but Mr. Pencils, who is braver than I, found a lot more sea life when he dove below where our snorkeling tubes would take us. I took his word for it.
After enjoying some kabobs of fish, we all settled in for some sailing.
I was so excited to get some rays. I was squinty but happy!
I even laid out on the netting for some sun. I'd show you that picture, but Mr. P thought it'd be great to get one of me from the butt side. No need to expose that to the world.
We arrived back to the resort hot, sweaty, relaxed and ready for another frozen drink. We tried to get a timed photo of us and our beautiful backdrop...and sort of failed.
Man, that long hair was getting HOT and STICKY in the tropical humidity of Costa Rica. I asked around if anyone knew of a good salon or barber in town, but was told the best were a four hour bus ride/half hour plane ride away in San Jose.
How did Mr. Pencils' help me get rid of my annoying hair? Come back next time! Oh, ok, here's a teaser!
All photos above by me or Mr. Pencils.
Have you ever been snorkeling? What did you see?
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