Mother-Daughter Pura Vida
Most of the travel I do with my two girls consists of soaking up sun. We are beach bums. My husband doesn’t understand how we can go to the beach for 10 days and never get in our car to explore outside of the sand. Our next trip was going to be very different. No beach for us. We were headed to the rain forest in Costa Rica. So close to a beach, but not this time.
Costa Rica is an easy 4-hour non-stop flight from DFW. As soon as we landed, we learned the motto of Costa Rica – Pura Vida, pure life, the way of life in Costa Rica. We found our transfer and loaded the van to begin the 2 ½ hour drive to Nayara Tented Camp. There were no big highways, no tall office buildings, just beautiful natural scenery.
We were greeted with enthusiasm as soon as we arrived at the camp and the staff was ready for us to experience Pura Vida. Our tent (not your typical tent) was complete with air conditioning, a huge bathroom with soaking tub, a king bed surrounded by netting, two built in twin beds, an outside shower, and a deck with an infinity plunge pool, hammock, and a direct view of the Arenal Volcano.
All of that before the excitement really began. We were up early in the morning for our first day of adventure. No lounging by the pool for us.
The entire day was spent on activities in the rain forest. After a long drive and hike, it seemed we were in the middle of nowhere, but that was far from true. Canyoning was first on the schedule where we would jump off rocky cliffs into a pool of cold water then rock climb back up only to rappel back down again. And that was just the beginning. It was physically exhausting, but we were on a natural high and our bodies were functioning at their best.
The next day was just as active. We spent the day at The Springs Resort. Among the many on-sight activities available, we chose to white water tube, rock wall climb, and the epic water slide. The tubing had us all giggling through the great combination of rapids and easy cruising. Determined to go higher than my girls on the rock wall climb, I discovered an internal strength I hadn’t recognized in a long time.
Although sore and tired, more adventure awaited us throughout the week. Hiking, hanging bridges, white water rafting and zip lining were planned for the next day. Traveling 2 ½ miles up and down in the rain forest was challenging, but we saw two vipers, a Coati, the most bizarre looking beetles, a sloth and a breathtaking waterfall.
White water rafting included our guide, me and the girls. It was up to us to work together even though I am sure the guide could maneuver the rapids by himself. At our halfway break, the guide flipped over the raft on the bank and used it as a table to serve fresh watermelon and pineapple. Our last adventure provided the most spectacular views of the rain forest while ziplining hundreds of feet above the beauty.
Each night at Nayara, we completed our days with a delicious meal and a dip in our plunge pool. Pura Vida indeed. The next day was just as active. We spent the day at The Springs Resort. Among the many on-sight activities available, we chose to white water tube, rock wall climb, and the epic water slide. The tubing had us all giggling through the great combination of rapids and easy cruising. Determined to go higher than my girls on the rock wall climb, I discovered an internal strength I hadn’t recognized in a long time.