Last weekend, my friends and I took our second excursion to the number 1 must-see spot in Lonely Planet's Cost Rica guidebook, Manuel Antonio.
Thankfully, our school is very good about making travel arrangements for students, so all we had to do was talk to the secretary and the next day, she had our hotel booked and our bus tickets purchased. One of the most difficult things about traveling abroad is setting up the arrangements, so it was a huge relief to have it all done for us.
We finished classes on Friday and then headed out for the bus station. After a four hour drive through the most beautiful country I've ever seen, we arrived at the most beautiful beach that I've ever seen. Our hotel was the very last building on the road before Manuel Antonio National Park, and our room looked out onto the beach. We could not have asked for a better set-up.
Throwing our bags down, we headed out for the beach. There's something to be said for having the jungle at your back and the ocean at your feet. It makes for an incredible experience. That night, we boarded a shuttle bus for a near city called Quepos. We ate dinner and then walked around to explore. My friend, a huge Arkansas fan, was very concerned that we see the game that night, but none of us thought it was a possibility. We stumbled upon a place that had televisions and he, craning his neck to see around the walls of the restaurant, found his hogs. Needless to say, we settled in for the game.
Amidst all of the camaraderie of the game, we met a man who happened to be from same town as my friend. What a small world. The guy was incredible. He was so interesting and appeared to run the restaurant we were in. For example, we asked for a dessert, and they didn't have what we wanted. Noticing the dilemma, the man waltzed into the kitchen and brought us out not one but two free desserts. Incredible. Toward the end of the game, two American girls sat next to us and, naturally, we asked them to take our picture, which began a conversation. We went out with them the rest of the night - ending us being the only people dancing at a particular location and myself dancing alone on stage, normal.
The next day, I sat on the beach taking in the sun all day, while my friends did other beach things. During a beach soccer match, they met a Costa Rican reggae band who was having a concert that night. That evening, we headed back to Quepos for dinner and then went to the concert. It was definitely an interesting experience. During the break we spent time talking to the band, no big deal. VIP. Normal.
On our last day, Sarah and I headed into the park where we heard there were better beaches. After a five or ten minute hike, we happened upon the place at which I wouldn't mind living forever. La Tercera Playa in Manuel Antonio National Park is my favorite place on earth, the most tranquil beach with the bluest water and the jungle in the background. It couldn't have been any better. Monkeys and raccoons passed among the beach goers looking for things to steal, and, most importantly, the large group of elderly British people were insane.
Sadly, we were forced to return back to San José where there is no sand, no water, and no monkeys. Being completely honest, I teared up a little when we got on the bus to leave. No shame.
Thankfully, our school is very good about making travel arrangements for students, so all we had to do was talk to the secretary and the next day, she had our hotel booked and our bus tickets purchased. One of the most difficult things about traveling abroad is setting up the arrangements, so it was a huge relief to have it all done for us. We finished classes on Friday and then headed out for the bus station. After a four hour drive through the most beautiful country I've ever seen, we arrived at the most beautiful beach that I've ever seen. Our hotel was the very last building on the road before Manuel Antonio National Park, and our room looked out onto the beach. We could not have asked for a better set-up.
Throwing our bags down, we headed out for the beach. There's something to be said for having the jungle at your back and the ocean at your feet. It makes for an incredible experience. That night, we boarded a shuttle bus for a near city called Quepos. We ate dinner and then walked around to explore. My friend, a huge Arkansas fan, was very concerned that we see the game that night, but none of us thought it was a possibility. We stumbled upon a place that had televisions and he, craning his neck to see around the walls of the restaurant, found his hogs. Needless to say, we settled in for the game.
Amidst all of the camaraderie of the game, we met a man who happened to be from same town as my friend. What a small world. The guy was incredible. He was so interesting and appeared to run the restaurant we were in. For example, we asked for a dessert, and they didn't have what we wanted. Noticing the dilemma, the man waltzed into the kitchen and brought us out not one but two free desserts. Incredible. Toward the end of the game, two American girls sat next to us and, naturally, we asked them to take our picture, which began a conversation. We went out with them the rest of the night - ending us being the only people dancing at a particular location and myself dancing alone on stage, normal. The next day, I sat on the beach taking in the sun all day, while my friends did other beach things. During a beach soccer match, they met a Costa Rican reggae band who was having a concert that night. That evening, we headed back to Quepos for dinner and then went to the concert. It was definitely an interesting experience. During the break we spent time talking to the band, no big deal. VIP. Normal.
On our last day, Sarah and I headed into the park where we heard there were better beaches. After a five or ten minute hike, we happened upon the place at which I wouldn't mind living forever. La Tercera Playa in Manuel Antonio National Park is my favorite place on earth, the most tranquil beach with the bluest water and the jungle in the background. It couldn't have been any better. Monkeys and raccoons passed among the beach goers looking for things to steal, and, most importantly, the large group of elderly British people were insane. Sadly, we were forced to return back to San José where there is no sand, no water, and no monkeys. Being completely honest, I teared up a little when we got on the bus to leave. No shame.
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