Costa Rica
- La Fortuna - Monteverde - Manuel Antonio
More monkeys than people!
So, landing in Costa Rica was quite the adventure - total darkness and a massive thunderstorm!! We grab our rental car and type in the GPS for our three-hour journey, after another long travel day, we were questioning if we should have booked in at an airport hotel for the night! But off we go, with not a single straight road in sight, just three hours of endless twists and turns. Good thing we stocked up on extra motion sickness pills at Lima airport!
First stop - La Fortuna
We finally arrived at our Airbnb, and let me tell you, yet again it was an absolute winner. We got two rooms side by side, a quick stroll to the communal kitchen, and the pool was just a hop, skip, and a jump away! On our way, we made a pit stop at the supermarket (they're everywhere again - woohoo!) to stock up on the essentials. After whipping up a light dinner it was almost 10pm, and after starting our day at 5am, we were all ready to crash for the night. Phew, what a day!
The next day we woke up to the most gorgeous sunshine, made ourselves breakfast, and had lovely chats with some of the other people here. Then we all head to the pool with the most incredible volcano backdrop. The three younger ones are having a blast, pretending to be mermaids and putting Dan's new GoPro to good use (the man just couldn't resist the airport shopping temptations). Pheebs is having one of those days, she's gone into full shutdown mode, struggling with the transition to this new place. She's still off her ADHD medication since Rio, which is a little red flag waving at us to pay attention, not that she would ever want to say it is due to that. For now, instead of joining the pool party, she just wants to chill in her room, living her best introvert life.
In an attempt to get everyone back together and on the same page again we look into planning an afternoon adventure. After scrolling through the options, we landed on an ATV side-by-side tour, where a guide will lead us to explore the Arenal volcano and take us to a picturesque river spot and a refreshing lake for a swim. Hopefully this will give everyone a little adrenaline rush and get us all back on track together.
We keep it as a surprise and tell the kids we're off to a volcano museum, hilariously their faces could've set off a thunderstorm! As we hopped onto our ATV, thankfully it was pure chaos and laughter as we tore up the tracks around Arenal National Park. We pause for a quick snap with the volcano and lake as our backdrop, and then as we're heading off back on the ATV, Oscar slows down yelling, "Sloth alert!!". Yep, there's a sloth just hanging out on a tree in it's totally natural habitat. It was great to see. He then guides us off to the river stop and starts slicing up fresh pineapple and handing out water to us all. Off we go again towards the lake, our final destination, when suddenly the skies decide it's time for a tropical shower - and I mean full-on monsoon!! No protection from the elements, sides wide open, and we're all howling with laughter as we get drenched to the bone! And there goes Floss, riding shotgun on Oscar's quad, embracing the rain like it's the best day of her life!
As we reached the lake, Oscar gave us a doubtful glance, questioning whether we were still up for the lake jumping. But, we were already drenched, so why not add a little more fun to it?! With thunder and lightening now adding to the party, it still couldn't stop us from swinging into the lake. And actually, the lake turned out to be much warmer than the freezing driving rain we'd had to sit through! Phoebe and Fin chose to sit this one out, but the rest of us embraced the thrill, taking the plunge multiple times. After several goes each, we realised that without the endorphins, the adrenaline rush and the surprisingly comforting warmth of the lake, Pheebs and Fin were left shivering in the rain, not living the same wet and wild adventure that we were!
We decide to wrap up the day and make our way back to the ATV drop off where Oscar reveals that our tickets come with complimentary access to the Hot Springs across the road. We couldn't believe our luck! We headed over to the luxurious 5-star resort, embarrassingly looking like drowned rats with our clothes clinging to us like second skin. Without wasting a second, we shed our outfits, cossies already underneath and plunged straight into the pools. Talk about perfect timing - it was exactly what the doctor ordered! Unfortunately again Phoebe wasn't up for joining. We tried everything to lure her in, painting a picture of the toasty water, but she was as stubborn as a mule on this one. After a good start to the afternoon, that cold rain had finished her off again.
But hey, Floss, Pops, and Fin were living it up at the Hot Springs like there was no tomorrow! They even went all out and indulged in the volcanic mud spa treatment, feeling like royalty at the fancy resort – a total upgrade from their usual gig! After slurping our milkshakes and cervezas, we waddle out, looking like soggy ducks, not even bothering to squeeze into our damp clothes before scurrying back to the car and Airbnb for warm showers. Time for dinner out tonight and then off to bed for a much-needed reset for everyone!
We have been so lucky during our time here to witness loads of fascinating wildlife already and loads of it right in the vicinity of our Airbnb! When we were just splashing about at the pool, we spotted a toucan and a very busy hummingbird! There was an enormous Iguana casually lounging right at the top of a tree where it's branches split. It was a revelation to see the Iguana climb so effortlessly - we didn't realise they could do that, having only ever seen them in their vivariums in pet shops. It's been really cool just being able to see so many animals in their natural habitats.
For the next couple of days, trying to keep things more low-key while everyone settles, we were wanting to learn about the area, so did a couple of self-tours around La Fortuna and Arenal. One of the reasons we chose this area of Costa Rica was to check out the Arenal Volcano and incorporate some volcano-themed homeschooling into our adventure. We trekked to the spot where the lava had last oozed out back in the 90s (olden days as the kids referred to it!!!) and had to clamber over real volcanic rocks to get to the best viewpoint, truly immersing ourselves in the experience. We were also able to talk about the danger and disruption when volcanic flows reach areas of human activity, affecting crops, pastures and infrastructure. We were pleased to see a well-marked evacuation route in case the volcano suddenly changed from dormant to very active!
With a round trip of 6k through the rainforest to reach the volcano viewpoint, we were in for a treat as we spotted more critters than in The Amazon! We found three different snakes - two of which Poppy, our snake enthusiast, already recognised, leaving one more to discover and learn about. We witnessed various spiders, countless ant crossings and three different lizards along the way. Mother Nature ,as always, offering a bonus round of educational antics.
Sticking to the geography quest, the next day we also decided to explore the local waterfall. Fin's old classmates have been learning about rivers lately, and so we couldn't resist comparing The Amazon to the Rio Fortuna. Off we went on another hike, descending around 500 stairs (we didn't think about the way back up at this point!!) slipping and sliding our way down to the waterfalls base. It was loads of fun, navigating the treacherous rocks and dipping our toes into the river cautiously. Eventually we mustered up the courage to take a plunge into the roaring waters of the waterfalls pool. And WOW! We had an amazing firsthand experience of the incredible power and strength of a river - surely no better way to learn about erosion than here! We made sure everyone stuck to the rocks like glue and avoided getting too close to the powerful waterfall. It was impossible to anyway, the force as it hit the water was just so strong! A great lesson, well worth taking a couple of hours trip out for.
On our final day in this neck of the woods, getting caught out in yet another tropical downpour and being soaked to the bone, we miraculously sneak back into the posh hot springs without paying a penny again. And guess what? We all dive in this time, Pheebs too, all basking in the warm bubbles and savouring that luxurious 5-star pampering one last time!
It definitely feels like we've hit a bit of a roadblock at the minute and are facing some challenges to really test our strength and resilience. It's been a whole month now; the bond that we share is so strong that we haven't spent a single moment apart, with even our sleeping quarters being cosy and everyone mingling together. All six of us are craving our personal space, everyone’s missing their own friends and there's definitely a whirlwind of emotions going on. It is obviously a lot on us all, and I think where this part of the trip was meant to be for downtime, maybe it just hasn’t quite felt like we’ve got the balance right. We’re really trying to embrace the “pura vida” lifestyle of the Costa Ricans, taking it easy and being kind to ourselves but we all seem to find it impossible to completely laze around and reboot - it’s something we need to learn!
There has also been challenges on the AuDHD/ADHD front where Dan and I are mishandling emotions and missing the mark on things. An old family friend once said to us, “perfection has no place in the family home” and we like to remind ourselves of that - especially when you throw some neurodiversity in for an extra twist! As always, even though things haven’t been ideal over the last few days and we’ve had lots of emotional ups and downs, we're in this learning journey together and better days are always ahead.
Alongside this, Dan and I are low-key freaking out about juggling school work for them all too - we are trying to squeeze in study sessions, making sure they have time to brush up on their journals and tackle their English and Maths workbooks. But with our days being jam-packed with adventure and learning, it's been hard fitting that in or seeing the value of it when they've been experiencing so much more with the whole world as their classroom. We just can't shake off the nagging feeling that they aren't getting their fill of traditional learning. But maybe this is time for us to learn the art of unschooling ourselves and just trusting the journey. Definitely lots of questioning - I mean, I don't want them to come back and be like, "What's 2+2 again?!" All a part of this rollercoaster ride I'm sure!!
Second stop - Monteverde Cloud Forest
So off we head next to the Monteverde Cloud Forest region in Costa Rica. Amazingly, everyone survives the journey unscathed with no travel sickness. Which is an absolute marvel as the potholes in Monteverde are no joke - you need a neckbrace to avoid whiplash, honestly! Just one little incident on the way where Dan suddenly hits the brakes and decides to pass driving duties to me for the rest of the journey after a minor disagreement - apparently my backseat driving skills were not the one!!
We arrive safely to our Airbnb for our two night stopover stay and, yet again, it’s an absolute winner. On the top floor of the building, we are right up in the canopy of the trees and clouds. The kids stay put to unpack while Dan and I head out to raid the supermarket for essentials (and stop off at the local for a cheeky cerveza or two), and we all decide to chill for the night, avoiding the rainstorm that’s now surrounding us. The noises swirling around us from the treetops are simply wild, as if we've been transported back to the jungle. And get this - there's a hot tub on the balcony where we can all kick back and then happily collapse into bed.
One thing we have learned is, if you want to enjoy Costa Rica at this time of year, you better be up and at 'em in the mornings! The sun is glorious, the sky is clear and then, like clockwork, the rainstorm crashes the party every day between 1pm and 3pm. We had a look at what we could do to best experience the cloud forest and booked ourselves a hanging bridge and canopy ziplining tour bright and early at 8.30am. Gotta make the most of the day!
Oh my goodness, it was absolutely amazing and without a doubt the best experience we could have chosen! We started by strolling along the hanging bridges, giving you a unique opportunity to wander through the treetops without disrupting the rainforest floor below. The goal being to catch a glimpse of sloths, monkeys and other wildlife in their own environment high up in the trees but, as is always the case with these kinds of things, we ended up spotting not a single creature - oh actually we did see just one solitary dung beetle doing its thing!
After our stroll on the hanging bridges, we were off to transform into fearless zipliners! As we gathered to gear up, Fin suddenly had a dramatic change of heart. He waltzed in confidently after his sisters, only to burst into tears at the sight of all the equipment and ropes! Thanks to the amazing staff there, they worked their magic, and in no time, he was suited up and ready to roll with the rest of us. Typically, just as we were about to ascend the first ladder, the skies opened earlier than usual and decided to join in our fun! Twelve ziplines in the pouring rain - what could we do but embrace the madness! The adrenaline rush was real, and before we knew it, we were soaring through the treetops, too caught up in the moment to entertain cold feet or second thoughts!
The kids were absolutely crushing it - zipping down the lines. Each line varied in length, ranging from 200m to 500m, but the final two were a whopping 800m and then 1000m long!! Unbelievable! We had Poppy and Fin clinging onto us for dear life before plunging down - feeling the rush of adrenaline (and a hint of terror) as we gazed out over the treetops together. We took turns so we could both could have a go with them, while Phoebe and Floss stuck to their own dynamic duo routine. Sharing the moment with them just added a whole new level to the experience!
All of the epic footage was taken on the GoPro, but I'm having a serious tech fail (as always) trying to upload any videos on here. I'm going to put one of the videos on the aroundtheworldwiththedestecroixs Instagram account. So swing by on there and follow us if you aren't already!
And then came the grand finale - a Tarzan swing that left us all in awe! Imagine us all standing on a platform over 20m high, waiting to be sent plummeting down through the trees. One of the guys, who'd built up a great rapport with us throughout the day, did that thing where he pretended Floss wasn't attached properly and yelled, "Wait, wait, wait!!" just as she was released by her guide - sending her swinging and screaming terrified through the trees. (She took it like a champ, laughing it off as she always does!) It was a perfect day, even with the rain, and the ultimate cloud forest experience. I'm bursting with pride. We all returned home, ready for a hot tub session and excited to pack up again for our next adventure in Manuel Antonio tomorrow!
As we were finishing up in the morning, clearing out the fridge etc, we had the most amazing encounter! After spotting a toucan in the trees, we tried to entice it closer by putting out the last remnants of our watermelon and the rejected apple cores on the balcony edge. The kids were sitting out chilling and chatting on the sofas, waiting for it to get closer, while Dan and I were finishing up inside. Suddenly, they all started screaming and stampeded back into the kitchen, shutting the door firmly behind them. Instead of the toucan, we got a surprise visit from a gang of mischevious monkeys! They raided our fruity offerings and left a chaotic mess behind. It was a hilarious way to wrap up our adventures in Monteverde.
Third and final stop - Manuel Antonio
We hadn't quite worked out that the journey to Manuel Antonio was going to last five hours. Pops turned a lovely shade of green within the first thirty minutes and claimed shotgun for the entire drive. Our planned pitstop halfway at the Tarcoles crocodile bridge wasn’t exactly the picture we’d been painted but we did see five crocs and got forced into splurging on some croc tooth necklaces from a sketchy vendor who was practically leaning on our car - a unique shopping experience! Despite the unexpected antics, the journey was surprisingly enjoyable (and we took a cool pic of us all on the bridge).
As we arrived and were checking in, we were a bit unsure at first, as you never know what to expect with Airbnbs, right? The photos online weren't the best, showing two double beds and a bunk bed all crammed into a kitchen, but wow were we in for a surprise! The place was way more spacious than we thought, with even a separate bedroom for some of our own space at last - woohoo! And the view...oh my goodness, our first ever glimpse of the South Pacific was absolutely breathtaking, surrounded by lush jungle beauty. And to top it all off, the Airbnb is attached to a luxurious 4* resort! It's totally exceeding our expectations and we feel glad that, at six nights here, it's the longest place we've booked so far on our travels.
With lightning speed, we unpack and all slip into our cossies to make a beeline for the beach, just a five-minute stroll away. As we arrive, we are all in awe, we toss our stuff on the sand and jump in. The sea temperature feels like we're back in La Fortuna's hot springs! We're all gleefully splashing around, leaping over and diving under the waves, and having an absolute blast like a bunch of happy dolphins! Being by the sea again is like instantly hitting the reset button we all desperately needed.
Here I find myself, basking in the beauty of an incredible sunset, watching them all in the sea, feeling so grateful for whatever fate landed me here on a Friday night in October. Surrounded by my quirky family in this stunning location, my heart is filled with peace. It’s the perfect time for me to remind myself to be so thankful for all of our epic battles with the English school system, and my kids and their beautiful neurodiversities, for getting us to where we are today and making this magic happen.
The next day was all about CHILLING! I mean, if we can't relax at a resort, then where can we?! We went for a casual morning stroll and dip in the sea, with no one else yet on the beach, then headed back up and indulged in a delicious breakfast at one of the resorts restaurants. While sipping our lattes and gazing at the stunning sea view, Floss suddenly stands up and shouts, "Is that a whale?!" Can you believe it, she spots it not just once, but four times during our breakfast! She's now convinced she's found her calling and is going to be a professional whale watcher! What a way to kick off the day!
We decided to check out one of the pools and were having fun swimming, playing, journalling and attempting to read there. I was in the middle of messaging a friend when suddenly chaos erupted. Screams pierced the air and in a flash, all four of them hurriedly evacuated the pool. Picture this now, the kids huddling together, dripping wet all over us, as a group of little white-faced capuchins arrived to dip their toes and tails in and cool off. First one, then two, then three, then four, until a whole gang of about fifteen cheeky monkeys showed up! A mother and baby pause for a little feed, while another cheeky young one tries to snatch some of their Barbie's clothing. And look, another one is attempting to grab a pair of goggles! It's pure mischief in action and we can do nothing but nervously sit back and enjoy the show. What an unexpected and exciting experience!
As the day winds down, we make our way back to the beach for round two. It's that exciting time when the classic Costa Rican thunderstorms roll in. Despite the weather, we all jump back in the water, splashing and jumping around and having a blast again for hours. As a parent, there's nothing better than witnessing the pure happiness of your children. Surrounded by the stormy skies, this moment is simply magical.
The next day we signed up for a day of volunteering at an animal sanctuary called Kids Saving the Rainforest. With no clue what to expect and facing a full day from 9am to 4pm, we were crossing our fingers it wouldn't turn out to be a tourist gimmick. Thankfully, our scepticism was quickly put to rest. As we walked in, we were greeted by an Italian student doing his internship, on the brink of graduating with a master's degree in Natural Sciences. He was bubbling with enthusiasm for his field and was a real natural at sharing his knowledge, especially with the kids who he instantly engaged with.
He led us on a tour of the sanctuary, sharing with us their incredible work, the heartbreaking stories of the sanctuary animals that couldn't be released back into the wild, and fascinating details about species conservation. As we strolled along, his enthusiasm was contagious as he paused to highlight various plants along the paths - from the magical maracas plant with it’s natural bug repellent to a mimosa pudica whose leaves disappear as soon as they are touched.
And, guess what? We also had the opportunity to witness the majestic Banyan Tree for the very first time! As I took in this 'tree of life', I felt the significance of it's representation of growth, strength and self-awareness at this time in our lives. I've locked that feeling deep inside and can only wish that we could all sit under it for seven days like Buddha to truly unlock the enlightenment we need at the moment!!
After our sanctuary tour and bonding with the sanctuary animals, we take a quick break for refreshments with the team. As we're finishing up, a friendly animal caretaker swoops in and invites us to join in making enrichment activities for the animals. Drawing a parallel to the Covid-19 pandemic (remembering those never-ending days of being cooped up indoors for hours on end?) the animals here are going through a similar experience. He enlightens us on the importance of keeping their mental health in check, alongside their physical well-being. These poor animals find themselves stuck behind bars through no fault of their own - blame it on stupid humans - and for various reasons, can't be set free into the wild (one of the capuchin monkeys they have tried several times, but he keeps finding his way back to the sanctuary). The sanctuary boasts an impressive 98% success rate in rehabilitation and release and, understandably, we are unable to access the area where the soon-to-be-released animals are kept in order to minimise human interaction with them.
Sloths are usually solitary animals but these two don't like being apart!
So back to the enrichment activities! We've been split into pairs and assigned different tasks. Dan and Pops are on a mission chopping up fruit and playing hide and seek with it in puzzle trays, mixing it up with leaves to keep the animals guessing. They've created a special jar for the raccoon, who apparently has some serious opposable thumb skills, filled with leaves and fruit for him to find. Meanwhile, the girls are on their own mission, making and filling wooden ladders and old plastic milk bottles with hay and sneakily hiding fruit inside for the furry friends to sniff out.
Fin and I found ourselves on medicine duty. First job was to grind and mix arthritis medicine with peanut butter for a senior spider monkey. Fin then had to carefully craft a banana sandwich (minus the skin because this monkey had outlived her wild counterparts by a decade and had very few teeth left!) and slyly hide the medicated peanut butter surprise inside. He also had to make a second little banana sandwich for her companion to make sure he didn't feel left out - just like being at home with the dogs! There was a kinkajou who also needed the same arthritis medicine - we were preparing it without even knowing at this point what a kinkajou was! Last of all there was a sloth who we needed to prepare hepatitis medicine for.
Off we went to distribute the toys, games, and remedies to our furry friends. We hung out with each one, making sure they got their goodies, only to witness them expertly destroy everything in record time! They were all just so adorable - coaxing the sloth awake and luring it with a carrot to take its medicine was a moment of pure cuteness overload! Even though we couldn't cuddle any of them, it was a fantastic opportunity to bond with the animals up close and personal, and we all felt a special connection to our animal-assisting duties.
We went back for lunch, where we had the opportunity to interact with the staff, interns and long-term volunteers. After a delicious meal, we eagerly head to the animal kitchen to prepare the special lunches for all the animals in the sanctuary. It was so interesting to carefully follow each animal's strict diet, carefully weighing out each item accurately - today's food technology and maths lesson in one! As we have got used to, bang on time the heavens opened up! Undeterred now by the pouring rain, we all joyfully delivered all the animals their lunches, again taking time with them all ensuring they got what they needed. To top it all off, we ended the day in a home from home - the chicken pen! With an extra treat of three goats to feed too - living the absolute dream!
The day volunteer experience was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate to the kids how we can make a difference and give back even during our time travelling. It was also awesome to introduce all these cool role models to them and open their eyes to an example of the endless possibilities and opportunities that are out there for them after they finish school - life is what they make of it!
Learning for life, not for school 2024-2025
The next morning rolls around, and by some miraculous twist of fate, all four of them are actually feeling motivated to tackle some ‘schoolwork’. We head to the local bakery/coffee shop, ready to hit the books and laptops. But our plans are quickly foiled by a gang of mischievous monkeys! One of them jumps on our table, and while I frantically shield my croissant, he snatches a sugar sachet from my coffee instead! The owner claims those sachets are like monkey drugs!! We attempt to focus but with those trouble makers around its impossible! We have to surrender and find a new spot for a fresh attempt at studying!
We managed to dedicate nearly three hours that morning to our books, everyone in the mood for it - milkshakes and amazing views definitely helping the concentration! Pheebs decides she's eager now to resume her online sessions with her tutor from the UK, focusing on English and Maths for her GCSEs. We speak to her tutor and already have two sessions scheduled for the rest of this week. Her tutor is simply amazing - not only has she previously set up a school herself in Cambodia, she has taught Phoebe for the last year at home and has extensive experience teaching children who are home-educated and located in various time zones around the world. She's super flexible and happy to work with us in a way that suits us best. So all feeling really positive about this bit of structure again.
Over the next few days here, we finally feel like we've cracked the code of the perfect "pura vida" balance. The kids are actually willingly diving into their morning study sessions and enjoying the mental workout, Our afternoons are then spent on the beach, riding the waves, playing football and keeping up with Poppy's training. We are all feeling so much more relaxed, finally achieving the downtime we craved after that mad first month. It's been pure bliss.
And to top it all, the girls totally lived their best lives by being whisked away for a magical sundowner horse ride along the beach! How amazing is that? (No hat, shoes or even clothes I should add!!) If that isn't the ultimate sisterly dream, then I'm not sure what is!
The wildlife here, again, all around us, is just incredible. Just sitting out on our balcony is like being in a live educational show. Poppy excitedly pointed out a sloth hanging from the tree right in front of us - now able to tell us if it's a two-toed or three-toed sloth from her 'Animals of Costa Rica' book she bought in a souvenir shop. We have a resident lizard that keeps us company under the balcony, showing off to the other massive lizards and iguanas that show up in the tops of the trees to say hello to her. We've had capybaras and raccoons casually strolling by. We've had white-faced capuchins in abundance - they are everywhere - and some squirrel monkeys passed by the other day as an extra surprise. The sight of four magnificent red macaws soaring past us the other day was simply breathtaking. Oh and Fin spotted a woodpecker - an actual Woody the Woodpecker! All this excitement has happened right within the confines of our eight-metre balcony.
We've encountered monkeys at the pool, monkeys at the coffee shop, and then there was an epic monkey showdown at one of our study sessions! Pheebs, Floss and I headed up to a cafe to get settled for studying before the rest of them caught us up that morning. As I was helping Pheebs get logged-on to her online lesson, Floss was waiting for me at her own table. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a mischievous monkey swooped in and snatched the cherry from her milkshake right in front of her! Her heart was going like the clappers - I'm sure that monkey-induced adrenaline rush probably boosted her ADHD focus to the next level!
Let me tell you this story too. It is a sad one though if you want to skip… We were out for dinner the other night and as we were enjoying our meal, the waiter points up to a tree where there was a sloth just hanging out. We were all gasping and marvelling at the sight - they're just the best thing to see. But then, the waiter went on to share a story with us. The sloth we were looking at was actually a mummy sloth who had a baby. Now here comes the twist.... the day before a group of rowdy howler monkeys passed through, snatched her baby from her and ate it right in front of her eyes! Can you believe it? My heart broke in two and I started crying right then and there. Mother Nature is so beautiful - but sooooo so savage. I can't stop thinking about it and my heart breaks again.
Another sloth story if you can bear it... we were strolling back from the beach the other day when suddenly Poppy points and says, "I thought that was a real sloth!". We all crane our necks to see what she's on about and, we couldn't believe it, there was an actual sloth casually moving along a power line! After waiting for ages and seeing what it would do, we decided to let the sloth be and later, when we went to check on it before heading out for dinner, we found it peacefully snoozing away, looking content in its spot. We guessed that maybe this was a regular occurance and that sloths must take a wrong turn now and again!
That happened the night before our volunteering day and when we shared our news with our intern volunteer, he told us that we should have called the animal sanctuary!! We were gutted. Apparently sloths have a knack for taking wrong turns and accidentally getting onto poorly insulated power lines and electrocuting themselves. We were all so upset! After our day of volunteering efforts, we rushed back to check on our sloth buddy, only to find it missing. The mystery remains unsolved, but we are crossing our fingers and hoping that the sloth was either rescued by somebody else or navigated its way back to the trees, avoiding any more shocking encounters.
As our adventure in Costa Rica sadly comes to a close, we're feeling like we've only just scratched the surface! The place is pure magic - the laid-back vibes, the friendly locals and all the incredible wildlife has made it unforgettable. The prices have been a bit of surprise compared to Brazil and Peru, making it a challenge to stretch our budget to indulge in all the amazing experiences available. However, just being surrounded by the every day wildlife has given us moments we will never forget. We've barely explored a fraction of this country, there's so much more of it we want to see. Hopefully it's a place we can come back to in the future.. PURA VIDA!
Time now to pack our bags and get ready for the next chapter - crazy adventures in L.A!