Luxury Accommodations: $0. Canyoning, rafting, horseback riding: $0. Gourmet food and wine: $0. Dating a travel writer: Priceless.
One of the first conversations we had the day Brendan and I met, was the whole travel vs. vacation debate. His point, of course, was that I had not truly travelled, but merely vacationed. His criteria for what constituted ‘travel’ were unambiguous: he talked of $2/day hotels; spontaneous experiences; immersing yourself in local culture and random local food.
And so I embarked on this 10-month journey to prove that I too, am able to ‘travel’.
I awake this morning, on day 4 of our adventure, recalling my new ‘travel’ experiences. Our hotel: a luxury 5 star resort set at the base of the third-most active volcano in the world. The price? Less than his hotels in Thailand, at $0 per night. Spontaneous experiences…well let’s see…in the midst of touring the spa facilities, Brendan made the very spur-of-the-moment decision that I should participate in the Tabacon mud massage, provided in an private outdoor setting next to the famous hot springs, while he would take part in the spa-version of the traditional sweat lodge. Spontaneous experiences…check. Next criterion: immersing ourselves in local culture…we’ll be seeing much of the countryside over the next few days as we partake in rafting, canyoning and horseback riding adventures. Random local food? Well we did have a 6-course gourmet meal with the General Manager of the hotel, complete with samplings of his private liquor collection– does that count?
So Brendan…if this is ‘travel’, you’re right. I haven’t experienced it before. But count me in. Travel: 1, Vacation: 0.
For those curious what the magazine article that came out of all this luxury looked like, you can read it here.
Tags: Costa Rica, Travel
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