Saturday, June 17, 2023

Charlotte and I got up way before Mark and Genevieve so we headed to the breakfast buffet. On the way there we saw a large iguana (not that unusual) and a spoonbill (much more unusual). After breakfast, we headed out to the beach for some cute photos of Charlotte. Then we went back to the room and got into our swimsuits for some snorkeling and pooltime. The waves were a little rough for snorkeling and my mask was leaking anyway so we headed to the pool. And then it started to rain. And rain. And really really rain. We waited for a while for it to break so we could make it back to our room but eventually we just headed out anyway. After a while hanging out in the room Charlotte and I went out to find frogs and toads (there were lots) and then to the bar to wait for Mark and Genevieve for our dinner reservations.

Sunday, June 18, 2023

In the morning after breakfast we took around the grounds and booked transport to Tamarindo for Charlotte, Genevieve and me (Mark was feeling the pool calling). We had a fun group in the van but what wasn’t cool was the way it got us first on the way to the resort and then to the other Westin property which added about an hour each way to the trip. I guess they didn’t want the non-all-inclusive people getting off the van at the all-inclusive. Tamarindo was okay, we stopped at the bar we liked last time, did some shopping, got some acai bowls, and enjoyed the beach, then headed back to the Westin. We got a little pool time before it looked like it was going to rain again (and more importantly we got some pool fries) and then headed back to the room. This time we would have been fine staying by the pool because it didn’t rain! Annoying. Found some toads and then went to dinner.

Monday, June 19, 2023

After breakfast Genevieve got a beach massage. She picked the lady she did because she seemed nice and spoke English without an accent. Yeah, the offer for a massage was flawless. Other than that she spoke no English! But gave an awesome massage according to Genevieve so it’s all good. Baby coatis on the property, so cute. We had some beach time and then we all went to the spa and us girls got pedicures and Mark got a massage. Super nice and that polish lasted over a month which is unheard of for me! After that lots and lots of pool time! The time we got a visit from some Halloween crabs. And then out to our final dinner reservation at Spirula.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

In every trip there’s a tricky day and this was ours. First off the Costco transport wanted to get us to the airport ridiculously early, so we arranged for it to be an hour and half later than they wanted (from 8:00 to 9:30). Or so we thought. They started calling our room in increasing panic at 8:30. We did make it to the front a little earlier than 9:30, sorry to keep the driver waiting. Drive to the airport was uneventful, the Liberia airport was crazy crowded just like the last time we flew out of there. Our flight departed on time, along with the irritating guy who wouldn’t stop whistling, and we landed in San Jose at noon. Problem was, our flight home didn’t leave until midnight! To fill the time, I booked a driver who would take us around and watch our luggage while we weren’t at the car. He picked us up at the Sansa terminal and we headed to the Rescate Animal Sanctuary (formerly Zoo Ave).  It’s a very nice little zoo. Mark got some popcorn at the ticket booth which may have been a mistake because in front of one of the bird cages there was a baby bird who apparently wanted that popcorn AND could fit through the fence to get out! Yikes! We ran to tell the staff and they tried to corral the little bird to move it to another enclosure and its mom got really mad and I think they decided to just leave it and hope it kept returning to the cage until it was big enough not to be able to get out. There are lots and lots and lots of photo opportunities at this zoo. And a tapir! After the zoo we went to the mall. I know, I know, who goes to a mall on vacation. But it was hot and we had to kill some time. It was actually a really really good mall. Like Valley Fair good! And then we went to Taj Mahal, a highly rated Indian restaurant that actually was quite good. After dinner we took pity on our driver and let him drop us off at the airport a few hours before our flight. A lot of waiting around, first before security and then after security and finally our Alaska flight took off. We arrived at LAX in the morning and went through customs where Genevieve unexpectedly was able to get her Global Entry interview. Man, was that ever a nice photo for her Global Entry card! And then home to San Jose, California.

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