Best Vacations Ever

One of the fun activities was doing a canopy zip tour, with Sky Trek. This was well worth the price, $60 in Victoria Falls would have bought me one zip line, whereas this one was nine sections long. It gave you time to get into it and experience it more that just one time across.On one of the first runs we also saw a Tragon, cousin of the Quetzal.


Flying high!Coming in for a landing.

Out on a limb, so to speak.
After we were done, we ended up with a dead battery. We loved the billboard behind us, saying, "Welcome to your best vacations ever" Fortunately, the story of my life. The good and the mishaps, you've got to love them both.
And this little guys face shows how much fun we had.

Cheers,

Miel

Santa Elena Reserve, Monteverde, Costa Rica

A true highlight of the trip was a walk through the beautiful cloud forest. I really love forests throughout the world. I'll let the pictures of the Santa Elena Reserve in Monteverde, Costa Rica speak for themselves.
This plant changes to orange just when it needs to have its seeds spread. Got to love nature.







I heart James!



Finally found a frog! Not a fabulous blue jean frog, but it felt like a victory.

Cheers,

Miel

Forest Train Ride Monteverde, Costa Rica

The Forest Train Ride in Monteverde, Costa Rica is bound to be a favorite for kids, and for that matter adults, that are able to take the tour. It is a half sized diesel train that takes you through the cloud forest.
It is a great opportunity to check out the forest in a whole new way. Great for all ages.
A very fun treat!

At the end of the line the train turns around to go the other direction, very cool. They also provide a nice coffee and cake, as well as a short walk around the forest when the train heads back.

Whistle!

Miel

El Trapiche Tour

My dear friend Sarah Joy and her partner Julio run a tour organization, Boyero Tours, that focuses on eco and rural tourism. They focus a great deal on youth exchange and volunteer travel, but also are able to set up personalized tours to take the hassle out of travel and make sure that you get the experience you are looking for.

One of the bonuses on our trip was that we were able to get free lodging and tours to test them out. Luckily all of them could be vouched for fully.
This is a path on the grounds of the Cloud Forest Lodge, beautiful nestled into a large forest just at the edge of Monteverde, Costa Rica. The room was very comfortable, lodge feeling with high ceilings, a king bed, twin and then bunk bed. I think my favorite part of the room was the really nice hot shower. The breakfast was what set the Cloud Forest Lodge apart, literally one of the best breakfasts I've had at all the hotels I've stayed in the world. A perfect way to start the day.
This was one of the many birds we spotted, though not all are easy to get a shot of. This is a cousin of the kingfisher.
As most folks know, Costa Rica is famous for its coffee. One of the tours we took was El Trapiche, teaching about agriculture including coffee, bananas, and sugar cane.
We did the tour with another family from California and it was definitely a good tour to take with kids, though I guarantee adults to learn a great deal as well.
El Trapiche is the traditional machine that presses sugar cane by ox power. It was a family owned and run tour and had an excellent and informative guide. The machine is about 150 years old, and was brought to its current location about fifty years ago, it took two weeks to bring it in from the cost.Costa Rica has plenty of beautiful hydrangeas.

This is a hand painted ox cart wheel, which Boyero Tours is named after.
There motifs on the carts are pretty cool.
At the end of the tour you also enjoy freshly made sugarcane candies, as well as coffee and a wonderful specialty that is served at weddings in Costa Rica.

Very well worth it!

Miel

Thanksgiving in Costa Rica

Thanksgiving abroad often shows little resemblance to the typical American holiday of cooking all day and enjoying some of those classic treats like pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.

My first Thanksgiving overseas was actually spent at McDonald's. The family I was with in Finland thought this would be a special treat. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I boycotted the place for years.
I also spent Thanksgiving in Macedonia, a bit nostalgic not to be spending my first Thanksgiving married not to be with my husband, but otherwise enjoying a nice little spot near a fire place with a pouched pear dessert.
This year, since again I wasn't able to be with my husband, I opted to visit my dear friend Sarah Joy and her family in Costa Rica. She's lived there for the last six years, and her son is nearly two years old, so I figured it was time to get myself down there for the visit.

We enjoyed a full scale Thanksgiving with all the others American and company that could be rustled up. Sarah Joy was responsible for the turkey and it was well pampered with a 24 hour buttermilk bath.

I cooked my famous cranberry sauce with a tropical twist. Cranberries, pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, star fruit, mandarins, and coconut.
It was fabulous to spend time with Sarah Joy and great to meet her son. What a cutie!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Miel