Feliz Navidad!

Christmas morning

Dad loved his shell sculpture!

And I love One Direction!!!

Christmas in the tropics

Beautiful Christmas sunset at Lagarta Lodge Biological Reserve

Today is Christmas!!!! I ran downstairs and we all opened our stockings. In my stocking I got a bunch of candy! Then we opened presents! Mom and Dad got me a bikini, a shirt that says "Keep calm and surf on", pjs that say "I love One Direction" all over them and this really nice silver charm anklet. Auntie Aimee, Uncle Jeff and Lenox got me a bikini, some candy and a little purse. "Santa" got me a hair straightener and Tobin got me a box of chocolates! All my gifts were so thoughtful and I love all of them! For breakfast we had some really yummy cinnamon buns. Then we went to the hotel I talked about a few blog posts ago (L'acqua Viva Resort) to skype our friends and family (which you know can take a while)! After we went to the Lagarta Lodge, an outdoor restaurant on top of a hill to watch the sunset. It was really pretty but we only stayed for drinks. We ate a huge dinner at our house with mahi-mahi, salad, spinach, lentils and mashed potatoes. Afterwards I was going to bed and I looked out the window and there were seven raccoons all over the outside table! They were eating our candles! Then I really went to bed. Feliz Navidad!

Christmas Eve

Mini-golfing at Cafe de Paris

My shell mobiles for Dad and Uncle Jeff

Ola Christmas tree

This morning I got up and made pancakes for everyone! Then Dad and Uncle Jeff took Lenox, Tobin and I mini golfing. While we were golfing the ground started shaking and rumbling and it was small earthquake! Scary!!! The golf course at Cafe de Paris was so hard. There was one where you had to shoot the ball straight up a tube and then it would balance along a telephone wire high in the air. Uncle Jeff got so frustrated he snapped his club in half! After we came home and I made Uncle Jeff's and Dad's Christmas presents. I'm making them shell mobiles from shells I found on the beach! The rest of the day we hung out at our house. For dinner we ordered pizza from Pepperoni's and it was so good! Afterwards we went to bed. I can't wait until Christmas!

Fording the Rio Bongo

Ciao, Montezuma!

Cliff-jumping into the icy cold water

Beautiful waterfall and crazy Ticos!

Iguana

Under the falls at Florblanca

Florblanca

Driving on the beach...

...and driving through the Rio Bongo!

Today we were heading back to Nosara and La Casa Que Canta. But first we went on this scary hike in Montezuma. You had to climb over these big slippery rocks and go across a river! There was so many times where I almost fell on the rocks!!! When you finally got to the end of the rocks (which took around 20 minutes) there was a long waterfall. We all went swimming in it, but it was freezing cold. Also there were these crazy people who were climbing up the waterfall and jumping off rocks near the top of it! They could have died! After that we drove home. This time we took a different route along the beach. Nobody we asked about it could give us a straight answer about how to do it and Google maps didn't even have it. It had a million rives we had to drive through!!! One was called the Rio Bongo and it was a river that was so deep it came up to the car's window!!!! We also had to drive right on the beach for some of it. On the way home we also stopped at this resort, Florblanca in Santa Teresa, to get some food and they had the best dessert ever! It was chocolate cookies that had come right out of the oven with vanilla ice cream in the middle!!! When we finally did arrive home it was late and altogether our drive was around 5 hours, so only an hour more than the other way, but we did get a little lost. For dinner that night we had rice and beans and after we went to bed.

Boat trip to Isla Tortuga

Montezuma beach

This is our boat?!?!?

Rainbow Rock

Do squirrels like watermelon rind?

Swimming at Isla Tortuga with Leni-Bean

Squirrel

Today we woke up to a million (around 20) capuchin monkeys in our backyard! They are nasty and were fighting each other. They even came down to ground and ran right in front of us! Then we went on this boat. I thought we were going on a big wonderful sailboat with refreshments and food. But no. We got on this tiny engine boat. I couldn't even stand up! There was absolutely no food and the waves kept crashing into the boat and getting me soaked! I asked my mom if this was the boat that was taking us to our catamaran but she just laughed at me!!! When we finally arrived to our snorkeling destination I jumped out of the boat. The snorkeling was pretty good and I saw a few cool looking fish. Also there was this tiny mini island called Isla Tortuga that we drove up to and hung out there. We were served fish and fruits! Right where we were eating there was a squirrel which even let me pet him! After that we went snorkeling again. It was so much better this time because I saw a manta ray!!! Tobin screamed and I went to see why and then there was a huge manta ray below me!!! Its tail was longer than its body! Afterwards the boat people drove us back to Montezuma beach. When we got home we went to the park and I met a girl named Cassidy who was 11 and Tobin met a boy named Sabado who was 10. All of us played tag together. For dinner that night we went to Cocolores restaurant on the beach and after that we went home and went to bed. 

Montezuma

El Jardin pool

Dad was so excited to see this "statue"!

Isla Cabuya...at low tide only

Simple, beautiful, sad

The cemetario at Isla Cabuya

Today we drove around four hours to get to a cute surfer town called Montezuma. When we finally arrived there we went to the Hotel El Jardin and went swimming in the pools. Our hotel is made up of a bunch of rooms and cabins. We are in a cabin at the top of the hill, and it has a hammock where you can swing and see the view of the ocean and the town! After a quick dip in the pool we drove to Cabo Blanco, a national park, to see a statue and go hiking. Too bad it was closed. So we went to this cemetery on a little island that you can only get to at low tide when you can walk along a rocky path. The cemetery had about 30 graves covered in flowers and shells. It was pretty and sad. On the way home we stopped at this souvenir place and Dad bought Mom some earrings. At the house the kids ordered some pizza and the grownups went to a fancy restaurant. As soon as they left Lenox went to sleep and when they got home we all went to sleep! 

L'acqua Viva Resort and Spa

Helping Lenox in the pool

Cool down

Doing one of my favorite things!

Today we went to this resort called L'acqua Viva Resort and Spa to use their pools and wifi. I haven't mentioned yet but we don't really have good wifi at our house because the people we're renting from won't suck it up and pay their wifi bill >:{. At the resort when we first arrived we noticed there was absolutely no people staying at it! We had the resort all to ourselves! There were about seven different pools, almost all of them were shallow though. Also there's a workout room. Tobin and I went in it and turned the treadmill on full blast and tried to run on it! In the pools I played with Lenox and she would jump from out of the pools into my arms. To eat I ordered this huge fruit salad with mango, papaya, pineapple and watermelon topped with vanilla ice cream and granola. Yum! Of course for some of the time I used the wifi too! When we got home to our house it was dinner time. The rest of the night we just hung out our house. 

Tamagringo

Cute town, but way too touristy!

Iguana at the restaurant

Lenox trying to surf at lunch

Turtles outside the Auto Mercado

Today we drove two hours to the most touristy place in Costa Rica: Tamagringo (Tamarindo)! When we got there Mom and Auntie Aimee left us to do their own shopping and Tobin, Uncle Jeff, Dad, Lenox and I waked along the main drag. We got smoothies, looked through all the shops and rented surf boards. All the shops were expensive so I didn't get anything and anyway, Christmas is coming up! The waves for surfing were so super small so I didn't really get to stand up on my board that much! Also the first board I got was too light for my body weight so I kept sinking! So I rented a different one that was better but like I said the waves weren't even good! After that we went to this restaurant that had just opened the day before. It was outside where you had a view of the river and the beach and had a bunch of cool white lights. On the way home we saw an Auto Mercado and stopped at it. I love the Auto Mercado! There was another shop right beside it selling fireworks so we got some too! When we got home we watched the sun set while eating dinner and then went to bed. 

An early morning adventure

Sunrise at Playa Ostional

No turtles, but we did have a very nice walk on the beach

Playa San Juanillo

We tried to buy some fish from the fish guy, but he wouldn't let us!

Today we got up early to see if there were any turtles on the beach in Ostional. Unfortunately there weren't any turtles but we did see a beautiful sunrise! Then we drove down the road to different little beach called Playa San Juanillo. It was still super early for me so I tried to fall asleep on the beach (of course that didn't work). Dad, Uncle Jeff and Tobin went in this little fishing boat to go fishing while Mom, Lenox, Auntie Aimee and I stayed on shore. On shore we swam in the water but I was super hungry because we go up so early and I didn't have time to eat breakfast...bad idea! Finally the boys came back and hadn't caught anything! Everyone was so starving so on the way home we stopped at this little soda. It took so long for the food to come and I was so hungry! When it did come though it was good. After we came home and hung out there for the rest of the day. That night we played this word game called Word on the Street. You have to pick a long word that matches the card you pick up. It's kinda confusing to explain and wasn't that fun! Afterwards we went to bed.

Lost in Nosara!

With Lenox at Playa Guiones

Making sandcastles...on Tobin's head!

Sunset on the beach

I took this picture of the grown-ups

Today we got up and found out two sad things. One: one of the cats, Hazel, from El Verde Misterioso was eaten by a boa constrictor! Ew! Two: Brad Pitt, the monkey from the rescue center, got sick and died! I wasn't to upset about Hazel because she didn't even like me and Brad Pitt I was kinda sad about but I didn't hang out with him a lot at the center. Although one time he fell asleep on my lap! The day become fun when we did another exercise routine! It's fun watching Uncle Jeff struggle. After that Dad dropped Tobin, Lenox, Mom, Auntie Aimee and I at a restaurant where we got fish fingers. While we were eating we realized that we didn't even have a plan for Dad picking us up and we didn't have a phone or a car! We decided to walk around town for a little bit. There were a few good shops but I didn't get anything. It was getting kinda late so we walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. Finally, after we had been there for about an hour and a half Uncle Jeff and Dad found us! Just in time to see the sun go down! All of us were so starving so we drove to a restaurant called Pepperoni's and had pizza. Afterwards we came home and went to bed.

Playa Samara

Beautiful Playa Samara

Smoothies with Lenox

Lookout

Today I got up and Lenox was swimming in the pool.......all by herself!!! She learned how to swim with her life jacket on. I was so happy and proud of her! After the swim, Dad, Uncle Jeff and I did this weird workout thing were you had to do jumping jacks and stuff. After that we went to the beach in Samara. On the way there Uncle Jeff drove through his first river! Playa Samara was so long and hot. There were little tidal pools that we walked to on the other side of the beach. Lenox liked looking for little fish in them. Also we got lunch/dinner sushi on the beach at a little restaurant. It was really good! When we were finished we went for a walk in the small town and there was a lady selling bracelets and Lenox and I got matching ones! When we were waking we also saw a bakery called Princessa and everyone got cupcakes. Yum! After exploring the beach and town we drove home. For dinner we had quesadillas at the house. Right before I was getting ready for bed there was a huge rain storm so I quickly jumped in the pool!

Playa Pelada

Fisherman's boats on Playa Pelada

Boogie boarding

Lamenting the loss of my very best face mask :(

Gorgeous sunset from La Luna beach restaurant

Today we had school in the morning even though it's a Saturday! Lenox even joined us...she's too funny! Afterwards we made Christmas ornaments out of the spiral shells we found on the beach yesterday and hung them on our tree. Our tree goes up to my knees and has big pointy stick out branches and we found it in our backyard! When we were making our ornaments the coati came back for food but we never give him any. Then we went to a different beach in Nosara, Playa Pelada. It had waves that were about 8 feet high! We had a little boogie board and whenever the big wave came we surfed with it. They were the biggest waves I had ever seen! Also when I was surfing, a humongous wave came and I was holding my face mask in my hand and the waves took it away. I was super sad! After we went to this restaurant on the beach, La Luna, and saw a beautiful sunset. The restaurant also had a big family of husky dogs including really cute puppies. When we finished our meal we went home and went to bed.

Playa Guiones

Strange building lurking over the beach in Playa Guiones

Walking on the long, sunny beach with Dad and Tobin

Heading into the waves

Always a danger here in Nosara!

Today we had school in the morning. Ugh. While we we were doing school I looked over and saw vultures drinking from the pool! They are weird black birds with white heads that are kind of ugly. Also this morning we finally got our rental car. We drove it to a restaurant called The Gilded Iguana and I got pancakes for lunch! Then we went to the main beach, Playa Guiones. It was so long and covered with this one kind of spiral shell. Unfortunately it was extremely hot and there was absolutely no shade so we didn't stay long. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store. The rest of the night we hung out at our place.