Costa Ricanos and Ricanas

After sleeping 17 minutes, everyone got up and going at 9 and it’s over to the buffet for the final breakfast of the trip.  It’s raining today and this place is packed, everyone lingering over their food instead of jockeying for chairs at the pool.   After breakfast it’s back to the room to pack up and Addison is back to feeding the monkeys again.   It’s a somehow shorter ride to the airport and we are through security by 1pm and have a couple hours till our flight leaves.  Stacie and Addie are off finding souvenirs and perusing the duty free store while I finish this up. Overall, Costa Rica and a great.  Great weather, lots to see, the resort was nice, the food was just meh, glad we did some activities, but I think it was a little too low key for Addison and we didn’t have as much fun after Bridget and Andy left.  I think we underestimated how much we like having all the Christmas traditions at home and probably won’t do a trip like this over the holidays ...

Yes the title of the blog today is paying homage to the song by Disturbed.  It's appropriate because the song opens with the guy making sounds like a monkey and it's about sickness, so it seemed on point.  Woke up at 8 and tried to get out of the room quietly to let everyone else sleep but of course Addison woke up and wants to get on my ipad, so much for best intentions. Got back an hour later and it’s off to the breakfast buffet for the usual fare.  After breakfast we’re going back to the room to change into swimsuits and hop in the pool. Stacie and Addison watched a squirrel devour a coconut while they chatted up this family from California. We split up for lunch and apparently there was some kind of bird drama that Addison witnessed at lunch with a bird that was on the back of some ladies chair.   I migrated back to the room to power read and take a nap, which was wishful thinking on my part.  Met the same monkey that threw a fit at us yesterday and he did m...

Slept in today and pretty sure I have a cold and have a scratchy throat, boo.  Roused the rest of the fam and off to breakfast around 9 after a brief stop to talk with the monkeys (there is like 15 of them here this morning). Typical breakfast despite Stacie spitting up her water everywhere after choking on her vitamin.  We talked out our fitness plans for 2025 and what the difference between protein, fats, and carbs are.  Mom is always having fun when she can be teaching. Back to the room after getting coffee and ensuring a sales pitch from one of the resort dudes offering free stuff “if we will just come to a breakfast”.  Watched the monkeys for a bit and then relaxed in the room, then Stacie appeared with her “coupons” that she wanted to figure out how to use. I’m off to the gym and Addie is heads down in the iPad, and Stacie is working on something.  Post workout we packed up for the beach and I grabbed us a spot, secured our gear, and went to the lunch spot...

Slept in with everyone till 9 and then off to the buffet, and was greeted by a little monkey outside our door, who proceeded to catch a katydid and bit its head off.  It’s the circle of life out here in the jungle.  Addie read the blog from yesterday and we talked about all the fun last night.  Bridget and Andy made it to their flight and everything went smoothly.  Back to the room (with bananas for the monkeys in tow) to put on swim suits and went to the pool.   Kind of low key today so far as everyone is reading books and monitoring the amount of sun that they get.  Addison takes every opportunity to chase a lizard everywhere we go.  We sat down at lunch and there is a lizard of course, so that dominated the conversation over the horrible beach jazz rock music blaring.  He did however enjoy some of my civeche before he departed.  Stacie got a dirty money in honor to John Henke (Addison had to do all the stirring) After lunch we got in the p...

Up at 8 and off to the gym.  The crew rallied for breakfast a bit after 9 and avoided the monkey barrage on the way here.  I brought a coffee cake (which was smuggled past Costa Rican customs) which was a nice addition to the buffet.  Stacie had “carne nachos” which I’m pretty sure were made out of monkey.  FaceTimed with Kathy and the family to see them get their present from us and to wish everyone merry kathymas.  Saw a lizard and fed a monkey on the way back to the room. Next stop is the horseback riding tour, and we are paired with another family.  It’s a 20 minute van ride ride and then we all got acquainted with our horses.  Stacie was on breakfast, Addie was on cheese, and I was on mojito.  Stacie’s horse kept stopping for snacks, Addie’s horse was pretty slow, and my horse hated everyone, tried to bite several other horses, and tried once to buck me off but was unsuccessful.  It started to rain a bit, which was actually nice and cool...

Up at 7 and somehow Addison is in the bed with us, and her and Stacie are going blow for blow in a snoring cage match.  I conceded the high ground and went to the gym, then everyone met up at 9 for breakfast.  We recapped yesterday, read the blog, ate, and then headed off for the atv tour. The tour was a blast, everyone had fun, we saw lots of beaches, lots of animals, lots of locals living in shacks along the road, a pig being butchered for a feast tonight, and crabs.  It’s very nice weather, the beaches are super pretty, and the sand is dark but sugar consistency.  None of them was very crowded, but each seemed to have some locals that were gathered together having a good time.  It appears that all the beaches are natural and they all seem to have a big rock protecting them.  I’m still amazed nobody crashed. Back at the resort and we are heading to the pool, but stopped for lunch first.  Lunch was pretty good, the best part was the Pina colada. ...