Coming to an end... Costa Rica

We are spending our final night in Bahia Ballena. Tomorrow we are squeezing in one last surf - well attempt at surfing at our spot in Bahia Ballena.

It has been a great vacation. Since my last post, we did some ATVing where I thought that I would drive myself off of the mountain! I had never been on an ATV, and honestly the instruction could have been a little better. Our guides were great though. Initially, we got to do a little test run, where drove around this little dirt road to get a feel for it. For whatever reason, I panicked and drove myself into a ditch. It was pretty funny, but it wasn't so funny when I almost drove off the road again when we were drive through the mountains. I guess I just had a hard time avoiding all of the rocks and stuff, but then I guess you are suppose to drive over them. I rode most of the way in a jeep while one of the guides drove my ATV because I wanted to stay alive for the rest of my trip. I definitely want to do it again, but probably not up and down steep mountain roads!




If you need to make a call when you are in the middle of the mountains, there are telephone booths!



We also did some ziplining in the Osa Mountain Village. I had done this before, but the few first runs totally freaked me out. I quickly got over it and happily zipped through the next 9 lines.




At the end of the zipline, they have a a rope they call the "Tarzan rope." They clip you onto the rope and shove you off the platform. I was a little afraid at first, but then I saw a 5 year old girl do it. If she could do it and survive --I certainly can! It was pretty cool, you are swinging up pretty high, and you just hope the rope doesn't break. Luckily, it didn't and I am still alive...


That's me swinging around!






Today, we went to Dominical,which is approximately 19 kilometers from our house. It is a little surf town, where people who can actually surf go. Nate from our group could actually surf, so he wanted to check it out. Four of us made it down the mountain and 3 of us rented some fiberglass boards. Unfortunately, they did not have soft boards, and the board I ended up renting was too small and not stable for me because I am a beginner. The waves are much more powerful and well harder.

It reminded me something that Nate had told me the first day I took my surf class. He said that the waves are like life. You have to be patient and wait for the right wave. Sometimes you have to pass on a lot of waves until you find the right one. Sometimes you think you found the right one and then it ends up being wrong or just fizzling out right in the middle of it all. Sometimes the waves pound on you and offering little relief, but when you finally catch the right wave, the ride is incredible.

Today the waves of Dominical really just pounded on me and offer very little relief. Let's hope tomorrow the surf at Bahia Ballena National Park with its gentler and longer waves will provide me with some great rides :)

Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica

I am sitting on the porch of the house we rented and listening to the sounds of the jungle. The group is out kayaking and snorkeling, but I stayed behind to do a little work and to recover from my 2 days of surfing lessons.

If you get a chance, I highly suggest heading out to Bahia Ballena. It is super relaxing and beautiful. I am one of 8 people on this trip. It has worked out pretty well except that 3 people missed connecting flights and arrived a day later, but they made it.

I arrived the night of the 28th and met up with Kerry, the sister of a childhood friend, in San Jose. We stayed a pretty swanky hotel the first night and then set out the next morning for Bahia Ballena. Along the way we stopped off to see the location crocodile attraction - actually it is just a bunch of crocodiles hanging out by a river. It was pretty cool though. If you look closely, you can see a pair of shoes next to the crocodile -
I hope it was just coincidental :)



Most of the group arrived a few hours before the new years. Since no one brought speakers for our ipods, we had to improvise. We put my laptop in a bowl and others put their ipods in cups and it really works :)



The last few days, I did a surf clinic through Bodhi Surf - in Bahia Ballena National Park. It was pretty cool. I loved my instructors, Gibran and Adriana. I managed to ride the white water several times my first two days and even rode a small green wave at the end of my instruction yesterday. After the first day, I was sunburned and extremely sore. I thought there was no way I was going to make it through another class. I was wrong - once I got into the water, I couldn't help but attempt surfing again. My body is still sore, my face is a bit sunburned as well as my arms, and my knees are a little scraped up. But in two days, I am going to do it again :) I only wish the waters of San Francisco were as warm and gentle as the waves in Bahia Ballena.

My knees:


It is a bite strange to just be hanging out after living and working in Africa last year. I haven't had much contact with the local people except at the grocery store. I definitely miss that part of traveling, but I can't complain. I am fortunate enough to be able to come to beautiful place like Bahia Ballena, surf and just chill out. Anyways - I hope everyone is doing well and that they had a great New Year. Obviously - mine has been fantastic in Costa Rica.

Take care and if anything else exciting happens or I finally get around to taking some photos - I will update you all.

Hasta luego amigos,

Michelle

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