The wildlife here has been magnificent and so has our luck for being in the right place at the right time. It has been a truly memorable family vacation. As much as we enjoyed Costa Rica, Jeanine and I both appreciated the way the children interacted with each other absent their respective friends and electronic distractions. We count our many blessings this year and wish all of our friends and family a very healthy, happy, and prosperous new year.
This encounter was a good reminder that you need to exercise caution when exploring areas that are new to you. We could not help but wonder what kept so many crocodiles so well nourished. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to remain and discover the answer.
We literally stumbled on this group of crocodiles as we headed for the airport. Click the photo to make it larger and see how many you can find in the photo.
It is the last day of the year and also our last day in Costa Rica. We say good by to the Pacific Ocean and gather sand to remind us of our adventures here.
It was a most enjoyable day for me with the kids. Maya had a marvelous first experience on white water and the boys showed some real skill in their paddling responsibilities. After a quick change into dry clothing we enjoyed a delicious meal at the take out point.
Nico switched places with Kyle at the front of the raft for the final third of the trip. Both boys did a great job of propelling the boat allowing our guide at the rear to set us up nicely for each rapid. Maya and Nico both opted to jump into the river on the flat water but no one fell out of the raft during the rough water.
The river was a nice combination of Class II and III rapids with interspersed flat water affording an opportunity to enjoy the surrounding jungle. Initially, Maya opted to take a low position in the raft and not to paddle. By the end of the 13km run she was paddling like a pro and asking for more white water.
As bad as the roads are, the bridges are another story all together. We crossed this last one on foot and got a good look at the Savegre River which at this point seems quite well behaved.
During our transit to the put in point the guide described the day as Class V roads leading to Class III rapids. We traversed what can loosely be called roads that would terrify most mountain goats. When the white truck pictured here attempted to pass us on the single lane road, it lost traction, slid backwards, and nearly went over the cliff which is obscured in the photo by vegetation. We off-loaded our bus which then pulled the disabled vehicle off the ledge with a chain. It became very clear to me that our driver and equipment was superior to other operators and was thankful we had chosen well.
Today I took the kids white water rafting while Jeanine enjoyed the day on her own. You may recall that our last such adventure included a capsized raft that left Jeanine convinced she had no future interest in this type of adventure.
After returning from the canopy tour we spent some time shopping by the beach in Manuel Antonio. In addition to the standard tourist fare, we discovered many beautiful objects fashioned by local artists.
The tour ended with a snack and time to relax. Maya made friends with Andreas, the little girl on her left, and we had a chance to get to know her family from Mexico City.
It is difficult to describe the feeling of flying through the air above and through the tree tops. It is absolutely exhilirating. Click on this photo and try and find Kyle at the beginning of this nearly quarter mile run.
Maya was her usual fearless self. By squeezing the line with her gloved right hand Maya controls her speed. If you fail to apply the brakes carefully you can hit the end of the line with enough speed to do a flip, a theory I validated myself.
Nicolai used a chest harness in addition to the regular one and travelled through the air with his crutches strapped to his side allowing him to get around when he reached the landing platform.
I don’t know what these are, but I have a pretty good idea of what they are doing. Their complete distraction afforded me an opportunity to get a nice close up. I found them while walking through the garden surrounding our condo.
The combination of lush vegetation, massive rock out crops, luxurious sand and turquoise water made this an idylic place to spend the afternoon. Kyle has announced his intention to move to Cota Rica. I may go with him.
I spent several hours photographing a troop of white-faced Capuchin monkeys and have dozens of great images capturing their very human like behaviors. The alpha male kept a watchful eye over his family and defended it against other monkeys. The mother tended to her baby and was constantly on the lookout for food. The teenagers scampered through the trees, jumping on and wrestling with each other with little apparent regard for their own safety. Hmmm, sounds a little like the Calabria clan.
Jeanine captures me photographing the wildlife. I used only this tiny tripod and a small point and shoot style camera for the entire vacation. I debated bringing my higher end gear but favored mobility over image quality. It was a difficult choice but ensured that the camera went everywhere I did.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
