“Oh my gosh!”
I could hear Tex’s excitement down the path and ran with my camera. Two bright red-bodied, blue-legged poison dart frogs seemed to be chasing each other. No wait, trying to mate. No wait- succeeding! The two half-inch, lively creatures performed their rite of Spring with us “paparazzi,” as our guide Tex called us, hovering and clicking away.
We were in lush, green, second-growth forest between two hanging suspension bridges in Costa Rica. ALA (Austin Lehman Adventures) aims to include surprise “Wow” moments on all their trips, but they are usually more family-geared. When we finally gave the coupling frogs more privacy, we walked across a bridge with howling monkeys in the distance. As we rounded a bend, there was another surprise, this one well-planned:
Andy Austin proffered special chocolates from Montana, and on the rocks nearby, wonderfully cut-up pineapple and watermelon waited to refresh us.
I had enjoyed the “Wow” moments of a new ALA trip to Nicaragua before and written about it for Luxury Travel Mavens. I heard that Costa Rica was one of the most popular destinations for ALA fans for a wide range of ages because of the beauty and variety, so I wanted to see what Nicaragua’s neighbor had to offer.
I am back home, and, well, – Wow!
Other WOWs on the trip included the natural, the culinary, and the cultural:
On our first road trip from the capital to our river rafting departure, we saw two things unusual for tourists to witness: a bold King Vulture atop a tree (a birder’s bonus) and special parades of decorated giant tractors and beautiful painted carts pulled by oxen. It was a Festival for agricultural workers!
That same Sunday morning, we saw two typical Costa Rican passions: Soccer fans in colors waving flags before a big match, and Catholic churches full of families. Our guide, Tex, made the visit to the Cathedral of Los Angeles a “wow” by taking us first to a little shop where you could buy “body part” charms to leave in the church for specific health blessings.
*Our group climbed in kayaks and a large Outrigger Canoe and paddled hard through intermittent warm rain and over large Pacific swells to reach a white sandy beach. The snorkeling didn’t look promising, but it delivered beautifully, including a bright yellow puffer fish — round and cute, looking like Nemo would like to find him.
*After getting through some invigorating class 3 and class 4 rapids of the Pacuare River, we were deliberately tipped out of our raft at a calm section with a brisk current. We all floated through a gorgeous narrow canyon savoring post adrenalin peace and nature highs.
*Before enjoying an all organic homemade soup at the family run Arenal Vida Campesino, eight-year-old Zura Rangine danced into our hearts showing us the “Pura Vida” spirit of Costa Rica.
*I gently swung in a hammock on a warm evening, talking for the first time to someone else in the group as he swayed in his hammock. As we delved into mind-body connections, with him explaining the latest in neuroscience, I saw a little light flash, and then another. There are both fireflies and lightening bugs in Costa Rica.
Wow!
Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens
Photos by (c) Lisa TE Sonne
Click for more on ALA & Kelty in Costa Rica
Recent Comments