August 8-14

The beautiful San Juanillo beach! Ocean on both sides, and amazing views all around. It was really stunning.

This beach had many different aspects to it. Each one unique and intriguing and totally explorable. (Is that a word… if not, it should be.) One side was white sand and blue water. Another, full of shells and driftwood. Rocks that extended so far out into the ocean you felt like you were walking on water, not to mention the crashing waves and sunny skies that turned gray right before your eyes.

The road to this beach came with its’ own beauty and challenges. We saw fields of cows roaming under the clouds beneath the mountain tops. We saw monkeys walking across the power lines that paused just long enough for us to take a picture.

We also encountered the bumpiest roads I have driven. The infrastructure here is very poor, very remote and of coarse affected by the weather to the point that you can’t travel to some sites without some sort of 4×4! It took a couple hours just to get to this beach, and as we were making the trek back home, I reflected on this process. Sometimes in my life I feel like all I get are giant pot holes and broken branches blocking my way. It’s raining, I don’t have the right car, and it’s taking forever to get to where I want to go. But then, sometimes, after what seems like a lifetime, the clouds part, the road opens up and I find myself standing in front of a beautiful beach. Was it worth it? Am I even in the state of find now able to appreciate what the challenges have brought me? Life can be tricky. Life can be bumpy and muddy, and wet. Life can seem long and frustrating with no end in sight. But somehow life can also be beautiful, breathtaking, and full of treasures you never knew were there. I have learned that life rarely gives you those treasures without the hunt. The sunset comes after the sunburn. And even if the pot holes seem to never let up, you can always wash the car and get ready to get dirty again.

Look who made it to CR!!! Tanner is here and ready to PARTY! This boy of mine is such an amazing human. He is full of kindness and humility and has more raw talent in his little finger than I ever thought was possible. He is always humming or tapping a tune which I have realized helps everyone stay in a better mood. He is willing to try anything, never complains, and has a huge amount of faith in anything and everyone that is good and decent. I love him so much and am so glad that he gets to spend some time with us and make these memories more full and joyful because he is here.

One thing I haven’t been able to find here in CR is marshmallows. I had Tanner bring a bag so we could do smores on the beach together! Went to buy graham crackers and couldn’t find them either, but settled for these small chips ahoy cookies that were a great substitute.

Have you ever been kayaking in the ocean? It is so much fun! With the constant ride of the waves, it is sure to give you a good workout. We kayaked out to Pelican Island and then went snorkeling to see what we could find.

Starfish!
Just FIsh? (Our tour guide caught it with his bare hands!)
He also caught this puffer fish.
I have never seen one in real life before. Kenn said it was very sharp and scary to touch!

We found out that iguanas really like fruit!
That guy is after Micah’s watermellon!

The prefer pineapple over watermellon. Kenn preferred not to touch them but we made her!

There are so many trails and fun places to explore. We had to take Tanner on a hike and show him the beautiful hills of Potrero.

This is Pelican Island that we explored and snorkeled!
Took Tanner back to Conchal Beach. Can you believe this is what the beach looks like ?
Love exploring the tide pools around the rocks.

We waited for the BIG ONE to come up and drench Tanner. It would have been such a cool picture, but I think it was low tide and this is as big as it got! Personally I am grateful, because the waves are always more powerful than you think. It’s something I have realized gives me slight anxiety every time we go out to the ocean. I watch the kids dive into waves and get pushed down shore and am constantly counting heads like they are 5. I guess some things about being a mom never changes.

Had to take Tanner to the pizzeria down the street. It’s no MY PIE 🙂 but was actually really good. Their pasta is homemade and the Rosa sauce is the family favorite. After dinner we naturally needed some gelato. So many new flavors made with local fruit and combinations we have never tried before. Something about “pizza and ice cream” that seems to be loved world wide I think. Everyone does it just a little different and I love trying new foods and flavors.

Have you caught on that we have a thing for waterfalls? Went to Buena Vista Rincon de la Viaja and packed in as much as we could. We rode horses up to the waterfall and then hiked to some natural hot springs that they have created into a mini spa! We sat in the steam room, covered ourselves with warm, soothing mud, showered (or hosed off) and then soaked in the spring water.
We ended the day with riding the longest waterslide in CR. Helmets? Hold on tight!
Last sunset in Potrero before we move down the coast to Jaco.
Never gets old!
Packed up all our stuff and drove 4 hrs south to a new part of CR. We want to experience as much as we can so we are moving to a little town just outside of Jaco called Playa Hermosa. It was a long drive in the rain, but again… worth it when we arrived at our new home for the next 3 months. It’s not quite as remote here. Roads are better, groceries more accessible and definitely more people live here. But the view is still beautiful and the we are excited to explore a new beach, a new town, get to know the people around us and find our place here. Pura Vida.