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Articles Tagged ‘Costa Rica’

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Tarzan and Jane

Thursday, January 31st, 2008


We knew we couldn’t face any of you back home, if we didn’t participate in Costa Rica’s number one touristy adventure – the canopy zip line. For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about, a zip-line is a series of cables strung over valleys, rivers and above the rainforest canopy (treetops).

Tour operators would have you believe that the canopy tour has something to do with wildlife, and spotting animals, but once they strap you into a climbing harness, clip you into a pulley and push you off a 100 foot platform, trust me – nature is the last thing on your mind.

My internal narrative went something like this: “Wow, this is high. Why am I doing this again? Why do I always feel the need to please Brendan – haven’t I already proven I love him by washing his dirty laundry and putting up with his nagging? Well, the view from here is kinda cool and I’ll probably see some cool stuff. OK, here we go. Expletive. Expletive. Expletive. I’m glad my Mom’s not here to hear these words. Oh god when will this be over? Expletive. If my eyes are closed and I’m zooming so fast, how the heck am I supposed to see anything? OK, almost done. I hope Brendan isn’t taking pictures – this can’t be a flattering angle. Excellent – I can see the platform. Ok, phew, I made it.”

Brendan’s internal narrative: “Cool. Can’t this thing go any faster? I can NOT believe I got Mel to do this. What the hell was THAT bird call? Shrill, squawking, almost shriek-like… Oh god, that was Mel. I’m so embarrassed….”

Mel - aka Jane Brendan - aka Tarzan Rancho Pacifico 236.jpg

“I’m gonna soak up the sun…”

Thursday, January 31st, 2008


We’ve spent the last 3 nights at the very unique and posh Rancho Pacifico, located high on a seaside mountaintop, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We likened spending time at RP to being invited to a friend’s – albeit a very, very rich friend’s – private estate. Our 1,400 square foot 2 bedroom villa, complete with private plunge pool, is also an occasional celebrity hangout – this blog’s title is not a coincidence.

RP’s resident howler monkeys were consistent with their 5:30 a.m. wakeup calls-while this hour was a challenge for the sleepy Mr. Powell, it was the perfect time to continue Operation Bird Discovery. Someone recently accused me of turning ‘birding’ into a corporate project – and I suppose the detailed plans, SMART goals and the Excel spreadsheet, might be evidence of that – I guess I haven’t really separated from my work persona just quite yet…) Nonetheless, we made significant progress on Operation Bird Discovery, with our new friend Jon from New York, and we’re able to spot the much-desired trogon birds, the aricari, and at long, long, last, the toucan. While I’d like to pretend we accomplished all of our early birding via strenuous daily hikes, truth be told, there was at least one morning where we birded from our terrace, in our plush robes, coffee in hand…

We continued our weekly spa treatment ritual, taking part in daily massages, body scrubs – and yes, Brendan even got a facial – see pic below.

Birding At the beach Hot-tubbing More birding

 Our magazine article on Rancho Pacifico has been published! Read the full article here.

Monkeys!

Friday, January 25th, 2008
Titi Monkeys! No matter how many times you see them, they’re still cool. No, they don’t come when called (not for lack of trying by Mel: “…mooooooonos, ven aca monos…” was her second Spanish phrase ... [Continue reading this entry]

Uno, Dos, Tres…

Thursday, January 24th, 2008
Mel Studying Hard…and then it gets really, really hard. I am taking Spanish classes this week in beautiful Manuel Antonio, while Brendan “works” (more on that later). It’s funny how challenging it has suddenly ... [Continue reading this entry]

Mal Pais and Montezuma, with Special Guest Star: Sean Evans

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

The Ugliest Teacher we Could Find

We’re joined this week by SPF 85 guest, Sean “el blanco” Evans, as we take on the surfer paradise of Mal Pais and the hippie-lands of Montezuma.

By surfer-paradise, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Butterflies and other Disgusting Bugs

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
We thought the butterfly garden might be another meet-up spot for our new-found birding friends. Imagine our surprise when I ended up holding a live tarantula (caught in the garden earlier this week). I also had a chance to bond ... [Continue reading this entry]

Canopies, Monkeys and Birds, Oh My!

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
Today we woke up in a cloud – and could literally see about 10 feet in front of us. So much for the view...Typical tourists, we instinctively planned on paying $$ for the heavily promoted Cloud Forest™, but soon realized ... [Continue reading this entry]

Head in the Clouds…

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
Next up…the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Rather than stomach the pot-hole riddled 5-hour drive from La Fortuna, we opted to travel via horseback, again through the Desafio Adventure Co. Nixon, our guide, an authentic vaquero (cowboy) led us along Lake Arenal, ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Brel Honeymoon

Sunday, January 13th, 2008
We are currently on our honeymoon. Ok, so there wasn’t a wedding, and no, Mel still doesn’t have a ring, but we are living every couple’s dream honeymoon. We’re currently staying at Latitude 10 (www.latitude10.com), a luxury resort in ... [Continue reading this entry]

Luxury Accommodations: $0. Canyoning, rafting, horseback riding: $0. Gourmet food and wine: $0. Dating a travel writer: Priceless.

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Tabacon Hot Springs 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 ... [Continue reading this entry]