Costa Rica Part 3

Day 3 was the most fun! All of us except the Martin family took a two hour bus ride up into the mountains. We rode horses to the top of the mountain.

 

 

Once we got to the top it was time to get hooked up for zip lining!

Arek and the zip cam!

Ben and Oli did not want to zip line so I stayed with them.

After zip lining we learned about Costa Rican culture, including growing and roasting coffee and how sugar cane was crushed using bull power.

Next was the water slide! They said we had to wear helmets. Hmm...a water slide where you have to wear helmets???? Let's just say it was pretty intense and we all feared for our lives somewhere during the ride.

The water was cold!!

After the water slide we took a short hike to the mud springs.

We plastered our bodies with mud...at least those that wanted to.

And then it was a short hike to a waterfall where we rinsed off.

We crossed over a bridge and relaxed in a thermal spring.

Brittany and I spent the whole time next to the pipe that pumped the hot spring water in.

The bus ride back started like this...

and ended like this.

Anna always passes out first. But by the end of the trip they were all asleep, even Mia, which never happens.

Can't get enough of the sunsets.

They all stayed up late after napping for two hours on the bus!

And so ends Day 3.

Costa Rica Part 2

For our first full day in Costa Rica we decided to just hang out at the house. Everyone needed to catch up on rest and get to know the new digs. We also had eight kids nine and under so we weren't going to go out everyday!

This is possibly my favorite picture from the trip.

These two love each other and Legos!

I have no pictures of the crazy kayak caper where Dan thought it was okay for Mia to be in a kayak alone on the ocean. I sent Arek out to get her.

The two golf carts we rented showed up on this day and Dan and I took Ben to pick up lunch at a local restaurant. We rarely get to spend one on one time with any of the grandkids so this time was sweet.

And so ends Day 2.

Costa Rica Part 1

Anna has written the introduction to this post...

wow costa rica was a big hit for dads retirement trip !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was so fun I hope every body enjoyed it.

The trip started in our backyard! All the California families flew out to Colorado in the late afternoon. The kids played and we ate pizza. About 10:00 we headed out for our red eye.



The train ride is super fun with five of your best friends!





And then we wait...



We got to Iberia airport very early in the morning. Some kids slept the whole 5 hours, some a lot less. They were all exhausted with a capital E. Becky and Arek's car seats did not arrive. The airport personnel took them into a room with hundreds of unclaimed car seats and told them to pick two.



After an hour long van ride we were so early to the house that the people before us hadn't checked out. Plus they had to clean the whole house before we could get in.  The tour company found a boutique hotel down the beach of which we could buy day passes and hang out until 4:00!


So we ate...

and swam in the pool...

and the ocean...

and we may possibly have had a few drinks...

and when they were just too tired to function we pulled out the iPads.

At 4:30 we finally got into the house only to find out it hadn't been stocked with the food we ordered! And the caretaker was off duty at 5:00 and the next day was his day off.  Luckily he pointed us to s small mercado a short way away. We bought peanut butter, jelly, bread and beer that I remember. But it was food and we were able to feed eight (because Beth and Greg just arrived) very hungry, tired youngsters. 

The catatonic parents watched as the kids swam in the pool.

And so ends Day 1.