Saturday, July 22nd, started our trip to Costa Rica. We were up at 230am, car packed and on the road by 3am.
We made it to Park and Fly around 4am.
We made it to the airport and through security in time to board our flight by 6am. Once we got settled, I went and grabbed everyone breakfast sandwiches to eat.
On our flight to Miami!
Once we got to Miami we were in a rush to get to our connecting flight to Liberia.
One step closer! Getting settled into our seats on the plane.
Power nap!
We see land!!!
Once we made it to land, we grabbed our luggage and made our way through customs.
There was a total of 17 people on this trip. Each family booked flights that worked in their budget. Half of us arrived around the same time. The other half flew in a bit later. Once we made it through customs we waited on the Green's to make their way through too. They landed not long after us.
We then walked outside to find our van and driver to take us to the villa. Our drivers name was Oliver.
Ryan taking a cat nap on the way. Getting up at 230am was for the birds!
It took us about 45 minutes to get to Villa De la Luna, the name of the property we were staying at. We were greeted by staff with drinks when we walked in the door.
We wasted no time, got our bathing suits on and waited for the others to get there.
Time for rest, relaxing and good times with friends and family! These shots were called Chili Water.
The gangs all here and time to get the party started! They wasted no time getting their suits on as well.
Checking out what all the villa has to offer. The boys loved taking a look through the telescope at all the boats coming in and out of the bay.
The view was breathtaking. Something out of a magazine!
One of my favorite pictures from the trip!
Enjoying our first sunset!
The villa is all inclusive with their own staff there to take care of us all week. Staff include kitchen, housekeeping and bartending staff. For dinner the chef made a beautiful plate of chicken with some sort of sauce on top and a side salad. And as with every meal there was also rice and beans.
We would eat at the table outside that was big enough for all of us to eat together.
After dinner we all swam for a little bit longer then showered and went to bed. It had been a long day of traveling!
Ryan and I didn’t sleep well and we were up at 4am on Sunday. We went down stairs and made some coffee. I relaxed in the rocking chair while Ryan went for an early morning swim. We soaked in the view and listened to the howler monkeys and birds.
Everyone up and ready for breakfast!
Today was a chill day at the villa. After breakfast Ryan, Maggie, Joann and I decided to take a golf cart trip around the neighborhood. We somehow got lost. I mean it's not like we were in some foreign country and didn't know our way around!
Then we made it to this hill.... There was so much weight on the golf cart that it was STRUGGLIN! I decided to get off and push. I could not keep up and I ended up having to walk up this hill. I thought I was going to die.
The guys spent the majority of the day throwing kids into the pool. The girls spent the majority of the time trying to relax while making sure no one drowned.
Mom's made sure everyone stayed sunscreened up! Especially for this little blondie. Scratch the picture earlier, this may be my favorite picture of the trip! I crack up everytime I see it. She was so tired!
Chema keeping us all hydrated!
Kitchen staff kept the kids (and the adults) full of quesadillas for lunch.
These two goofballs....
Since it was a chill day, Mark & Maggie, Adam & Vanessa and Ryan & I decided to all get couples massages in our rooms. John & Joann watched the kids while we did that then they got pedicures.
Hanging out at the little bar area with Chema, one of the bar staff, learning how he makes his own concoctions.
Relaxing in the rocking chairs.
For dinner we had fresh whole fried fish and plantain chips. It was delicious!
Living that pura vida life!
Monday morning we were all up around 7am with breakfast ready to eat around 730am. They made us french toast, eggs and bacon. Almost every morning we were visited by these white throated magpie. They were so pretty to look at!
The back of the house. You can see all three rooms upstairs. Downstairs has a room on each side and then the doors in the middle lead into the kitchen and living room area.
After breakfast we were picked up by the bus around 8am. It took us 1hr 45min to get to Buena Vista del Rincon where we would spend our day.
Fields and fields of sugarcane. Cultivating and processing sugarcane is a key part of Costa Rican culture
Meemo was our driver/tour guide.
On our way up to the resort we passed these horses. We were told that these horses are used for their horseback riding excursion. Once the excursion is completed, they know to make their way back up the mountain to their stable on their own to do it all over again
First part of our excursion was the water slide. We were fitted for our helmets and inner tubes. It is Costa Rica's longest waterslide at 425 meters long.
Made the hike up to the top and passed by this really cool tree....
I feel like it took forever to get to the top.
The waterslide was cold and rough. There were times when I thought I might fly out of it.
Waiting on the boys to come down. They all wanted to go back up and do it again. All the adults were like - Heck No! Ha!
Next was the zipline. We were all fitted for helmets and harnesses.
Waiting on our turn.
I've never witnessed something so breathtaking. The feeling you get like you are floating through the clouds. When you first start out you feel like you're going so fast and then you hit open air and time kind of stands still and you just try take in every moment.
This zipline, the Las Pavas zipline, has 14 cables crossing the dense forest with views of the Rincon de La Vieja volcano with distances from 125 to 425 meters long and heights ranging from 50 to 150 meters.
After the zipline we had a break for lunch. This was a buffet style meal with lots of Costa Rican cuisine.
Reid being his silly self!
After lunch we all hopped on this tractor carriage to head to the hot springs.
When we made it to Pacayas Hot springs they first had us all go into the natural sauna.
After the sauna we were taken to the area where we covered ourselves in a volcanic mud bath.
After 5 minutes or so of that we then had to wash it all off before we could enjoy the hot springs.
Warm and enriched water flows from mountains, springs, and rivers naturally mixed with volcanic veins, creating 5 hot spring pools of varying temperatures.
The whole crew!
Once we were done we were all standing around waiting on our bus to take us back to the villa when I found this spring off to the side hidden by some trees. The boys decided to play around in it to see if they could find any creatures.
On our drive back we stopped for some fresh fruit on side of the road. We stocked up on some lychee, dragon fruit, bananas and coconut water.
When we got back to the villa we noticed some visitors hanging out above the front door.. .
The dragon fruit there is the pink dragon fruit and it stains everything.
For dinner we had pork chops, scalloped potatoes and Oreo ice cream cake. We all swam for a little bit then went to bed!
Tuesday I was up early again. I went in to check on the kiddos. They were getting that good vacation sleep!
Morning coffee...
...then bloody mary time!
Bed head!
Breakfast was omelets with some potatoes and pancakes.
Spent most of the day hanging out by the pool.
Annalise feeding Ryan lychees ....
... and then taking naps :)
Chema once again keeping us hydrated!
Stephanie was a gem! She loved playing with Annalise!
Lunch was fresh fish tacos and poke bowls. oh.em.gee... they were delicious!
These two towel heads!
Late afternoon we shuttled down to the beach on the golf cart for about an hour for some beach time.
Kids searched for sealife ....
... admired the black shelly sand....
...loved on their mommas ...
... and snorkeled for seashells!
Soaking in the sunset and smooches :)
Once we got back it was time for dinner. Tonight was ceviche and shrimp skewers.
This view truly never gets old!
It was a chill night. Kids had ice cream after dinner. We enjoyed each other's company then off to bed!
Wednesday we decided we wanted to wander the streets of Coco. We waited for everyone to get up on their own and eat breakfast.
This was probably my least favorite breakfast. It was huevos rancheros with a little hotdog sausage octopus lol
Waiting on everyone to get it together to leave.
Once we finally made it to town, we decided to start by the ocean and walk around for a little bit.
The villa overlooks Coco beach
Nana bought ALL the kids these bird whistles >eyeroll<
Really cool looking tree
Stopped for lunch at a place called Coconutz Brewhouse.
We walked around and went into some shops to find souvenirs and trinkets to take home. Before heading back we had to stop and get more lychees and baby bananas.
We were back to the house around 2pm and Chema had some of the best mojitos waiting for us. All the kiddos swam in the pool while the adults, minus nana and papa, got ready for a date night.
Another beautiful sunset!
For dinner we drove back down to Coco to a place that Adam and Vanessa had ate at before and loved called Villa Italia.
You would probably never know it but it doesn't take much to get Adam uncomfortable ...
The bathrooms are located behind this red door and a pair of underwear was hanging on the door to show you which one is male and which one is female. The reason Adam is uncomfortable is because Maggie decided to donate her pair to the women's door :)
She could have at least wore something with a little less coverage. I have not laughed that hard in a long time!!!
Appetizer...
My carbonara
Admiring their plate choices. After dinner we went back up to the villa and made sure everyone was in bed. We had another long excursion day planned for our last day and everyone needed good sleep!
Thursday morning, we woke up to more magpies hanging out on the balcony. They would let us get so close to them. I think Margaret even fed some of them crackers.
Breakfast was eggs benedict Costa Rican style.
Today’s excursion was a sailboat trip to a private island to snorkel and eat lunch. We were picked up at 9am and taken down to the beach. There, we all got on a dinghy that took us out to the boat that we were sailing on.
The view of our villa from the boat.
The transfer from the dinghy to the sailboat
Jack and Rose made their debut
Everyone enjoying the ride
Once we got close to the island, all the boys decided to jump in and swim to the bank.
Once we all made it to the beach, the guys there were set up to cook lunch on an open fire. While they cooked, those that wanted to snorkel, went snorkeling.
The boat, Don Bosco
Snorkel time!
We found starfish, puffer fish and lots of other sea creatures.
Lunch was fresh fruit, guacamole, ribs, chicken, steak, potatoes, corn, zucchini and plantain all cooked over a fire. After eating, we explored a little cave like situation down the beach
Once we were finished we got back on the boat to sail back to our beach. This time we were able to watch them actually put the sail up!
We got to see a sea turtle and a couple dolphins on our ride back.
Beach pics!
Back to the house for another wonderful dinner and spending the last night together. We had butternut squash, corn and bacon wrapped filet.
Tres Leches cake for dessert. Yum!
Before it was time to go to bed we had a little visitor on the back patio.
Friday morning was our last morning waking up to the view with our morning coffee. Annalise fell back asleep in Ryan's arms for a little bit.
Ryan and I took a trip to Coco to get ear drops for his ear that was bothering him at the pharmacy there in town. We stopped at a coffee shop that we came across to get some iced coffee. .
The pharmacy. We just walked in and told them what was going on and they gave him some prescription ear drops
We got back just in time for breakfast at 830am. We had breakfast burritos, pancakes, French toast & fruit.
Once we were done eating we finished packing up, took our last group pictures and hopped in 2 vans to get back to the airport.
Made it to the Costa Rica airport to make our voyage back home.
Grabbing a bite to eat!
Making ourselves comfortable while we wait on our time to board...
Off to Miami!
Then finally back home to Nashville!
When we got back home Mark received a text from Chema our bartender with this picture. Little did I know Reid had gone down to the little bar area one night to chit chat with Chema and took a "shot" of juice together. Oh lordy ... we're in for it!
Costa Rica has to be one of my favorite trips by far. It was beautiful and the place we stayed had 5 star service. Villa de la Luna was exceptional and we can't wait to go back!
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