Monteverde Cloud Forest
My daughter/husband/grandson have joined me for 10 days holidays in Coco. We are off to Monteverde so I can zip line (a Christmas present from them). We take the main highway from Liberia then turn off at Las Juntas. It is gravel road all the way up & over the mountains dotted with houses & farms. Spectacular views...we can see the ocean in the distance. We think maybe we are lost as we are the only ones on the road but we sure can't turn around so keep on going. We pass livestock, makeshift homes, life in the hills.

We finally arrive to the town of Santa Elena and it is bustling. The sun shines thru clouds as they float by you: it is pretty chilly. We check me into the zip line office and then drive up to the site. It is rainy & cold: I am not dressed for this so purchase a rain poncho for $1 and Cheryl gives me the pants she is wearing. The kids leave to walk the skywalk: Chason is only 5 mths. They will pick me up in 2hrs.


There are 8 people in my group aged 13 to 70. They harness us & give us thick gloves. First we do a practice run then take a cable car to the top of the forest. It is scary: we hear howler monkeys but can't see them. There are 10 runs in total. Once off the cable we have to climb a tower to run #1. It is so windy I think I might get blown off. I'm right behind the guide & getting more nervous by the minute as I don't care for heights. I keep telling myself I can do this. I'm clipped on and I push off. Knees up, head down to block out the wind & rain; I'm afraid I'll crash at the end. It is very fast and too cloudy to see anything. Whew! I'm safe. Onto run #2, another high tower climb. For 3 of the runs they double us up as it is too windy: so I'm partnered with a heavier set man. Once we get the hang of it we relax and enjoy the ride. The sun came out for 2 minutes on my 5th run so I got to see the forests below. When we finally get to the last run The wind is so strong & cold I think I might blow right off the tower.  My fingers are numb, my face is covered in mud. But I'm happy to have done this and can check it off my bucket list. The guide hands you a wet facecloth back at the lodge. The kids pick me up and have hot coffee & a snack for me. Once we head down the mountain I can change back into a tank top & shorts.Quite an experience.
ps. I have no pictures of zip lining as I did not want to worry about holding a camera

COSTA RICA - March 2013

Playa del Coco
I rented a small villa from a Canadian owned couple Hope's Paradise. Coco at Sunset Hill is a stacked adobe condo complex 3 blocks from the beach. I had a pool outside my door and there were 4 pools on the roof top that cascaded into each other. It was quiet, clean, well kept. You could hear the ocean waves and see the ocean from the roof pools. Our hosts Vi & Ralph picked me up at the airport. They live onsite, are very friendly & accommodating. After my long flight I settle in for the nite.

I woke at 5:30 am to the sound of birds & howler monkeys. I enjoyed my breakfast on the patio taking in the sights & sounds: then off with my hosts to get some groceries. It is very hot so a sundress is all I need. Vi fills me in on the town, the dos & don't, a bit of history.
I love going to the Marketa in other countries to check out what they have. Fresh pineapple,bananas, roasted chicken, avocados, eggs, spinach: best buy staples of Costa Rica....and of course a couple of Smirnoff Ice.

I make myself a picnic lunch and head to the beach.: it is nestled in a bay with hills thirsty for rain. It's pretty quiet; just the wonderful sound of crashing waves as the tide has comes in.
Later I walk down to the north end of the beach. It is impossible to walk barefoot on the sand: you burn your feet; so I stick to the path with some shade. On the way back I stop to rest in the shade of a big tree next to a beach bar. There are lounge chairs but I am not buying so I lay on my towel. Next thing you know the bar tender is offering me a lounge chair. Okay thanks. 20 minutes later he's back with a banana smoothie. His name is Omar. We chat a bit. Just as I'm nodding off Omar is back with a strawberry smoothie. Tells me he likes me and would I meet him at 6:00 after work.
Funny how these guys are always looking for a sugar mamma.