Tamarindo

The set-up of this trip was basically based upon where and when we found home exchanges (5 of them) and for the remaining weeks we booked airbnb. So far we have been really lucky with our home exchanges - amazing homes in brilliant places! 

The week in Domenical we spent in a mansion in the middle of the jungle, where we especially enjoyed the indoor/ outdoor pool, the fantastic view and the wildlife (toucans and monkeys especially). The small place Domenical was about 10 min drive away, a surfers place which was touristy in a good way - meaning great fish tacos and coconut pies, but still a dirt road and not too exploited. Definitely no resorts. We spent our days swimming in waterfalls, checking out the first marine national park in Central America (but no whale spotting season unfortunately) and playing in the pool. One day we also took the 1 hr drive to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica's smallest and most popular national park. This park is like an open zoo with amazing beaches. The monkeys and raccoons are so used to humans that you sometimes need to chase them away as they approach your bag in search for food. And they are quick... Alma got devastated as her sandwich was left alone on a picnic table for a second, and was found in the top of a tree the next.

Yesterday we said goodbye to this corner of paradise and drove about 5 hours north, to Tamarindo - also known as Tamagringo. Here prices are in dolares instead of colones, and even if it is still a surf place (meaning laid back and great hamburgers) it is also the party and tourist Mekka of Costa Rica. Our home exchange apartment is in the middle of all this, and it was strange to fall asleep to the sound of music instead of the jungle noises last night. I quite like the change that it is possible to pop out and buy ice cream in the evening though. Today we bought two 2nd hand boogie boards so I am quite certain that we'll enjoy this week as well... Just need to find some silvertejp.

Our pool in Dominical

In Manuel Antonio

Alma eating a new sandwich - protecting it well 

Manuel Antonio

Climbing a waterfall

Saving a humming bird who landed in the pool

Dominical

After a fantastic week in Monteverde with beautiful hiking (not so much appreciated by Junia and Alma who required endless story telling and candy bribes in order to walk further than 10 minutes) we yesterday drove about 4 hours and 10 degrees warmer. This second home exchange is just as fantastic as the first, we have swopped our garden agoutis to toucans! 

Alma by the way tried the emergency room in Monteverde (the waiting time was maybe a 1/5 of the waiting time of what we are used to in the emergency room in Stockholm....) and is now on antibiotics due to a double ear infection, Kiara has a mild eye infection, Anna's stomache has checked out twice (but was ok one day in between) and Justus' stomache is ... as Justus' stomache. Junia is very well though!

When looking up from the pool in Dominical...

Evening show at our anfi theatre in Monteverde

Afternoon swim in Dominical

Happy hiker

A friend in our garden in Monteverde...

... where we had great view from the balcony. Here one of our 3 agoutis!

Monteverde garden

Bats in Dominical

Highway with leaf cutting ants

Pura vida!

I can't understand that it took me 15 years to come back to this fantastic country, but better late than never. The month here will be quite different than the 6 months I spent here last time, less barra libre and more playgrounds. After three days the jetlag is beginning to feel bearable (good thing that the girls are so easy to put to bed, they even ask for it, not so good that the whole family is awake at 4 at the latest.)

We spent the first night in an Italian owned airbnb close to the airport (where he had a pool with an inflatable unicorn - total happiness.) Then we drove the next morning the approx. 3 hours up to the cloud forest in Monteverde. Here we have an amazing home exchange, a fantasic huge house, with a former bar including dance floor and disco lamp, amfi theatre as well as outdoor hot tub. Not to forget, a lovely garden with so many birds, kolibris and also our possible new favourite animal, agouti (or beaver, as the girls call it.) When the whole family was relaxing in the hot tub today, we also got company from a little scorpion. He was quickly removed with a cyclope though. Outside of our backyard we have also spotted a tarantula, monkeys and an armadillo. Then the camera fingers were not up to Lucky Luke speed unfortunately. But right now, we just heard some noise outside the door, and it turned out that a coati had moved into our compost garbage.

We will stay here one week, and the Swedish summer climate together with some hiking, fantastic cakes and fresh fruit shakes makes us very sure that this is the best way to spend November!

Lovely air Edelweiss - Kiara even got a bassinet! And she is the first of our daughters who also managed to sleep in one!

First batido

Our balcony...

... Our disco...

... Hot tub...

... and backyard neighbour