Reminiscing...

Whit and my anniversary is this coming Monday. We are going to celebrate it together in a special way, but I was just thinking back on our wonderful honeymoon....feeling like I could really use another massage these days :):) hee hee. We had such a great honeymoon, we went to the northwestern coast of Costa Rica, close to Tamarindo. It was perfect. Whit did such an amazing job planning it....we are both not really into the big, huge all inclusive hotel types, so we decided to go to a couple smaller, boutique-ish type places. The first place was called, Sueno Del Mar, a precious little bed and breakfast right on the beach. We took long walks on the beach, walked into the town for meals and enjoyed the gorgeous sunsets at night! As I mentioned we weren't really into the planned activity type honeymoon, we wanted something relaxed and laid back with the flexibility to decide if we wanted to do something (other than veg-out) all day. Our one big adventure was taking a "canopy tour" over the Costa Rica Rain Forest.

Now, let me just preface this by saying, the name "canopy tour" does not do justice to what this experience encompasses. Had I reviewed the canopy tour's website and read their "minimum mental requirements" for touring, I would have backed-out all together. (To see minimum mental requirements, click here and then scroll down). I am pretty sure that I could guarantee NONE of these requirements, especially the one about not vomiting or hyperventilating. I am thinking "cool, we'll ride some cute little gondola thing through the rain forest trees, I will be able to take pictures with my new camera and if we're lucky perhaps we will have a little 'wine and cheese' break mid-way through". Um, no. For those of you who don't know what canopy touring is, here is the description from their website, "The tour consists of observation platforms mounted in the trees with horizontal traverse cables between each. There are vertical descents. Guides help participants move from platform to platform using high angle equipment and techniques. Participants need no previous experience." They neglect to mention here that you (the tourer) are responsible for your own braking, thus we were instructed to wear huge leather gloves that you grasp the cable with; when you are about 30 yards from the end of the line you are supposed pull down very hard on the cable and this slows you down.

Apparently, there was some kind of "emergency"stop contraption that snaps up and stops you if you are going so fast that you can't slow down and are about to hit the tree, but I never saw this, and regularly ran into the little Costa Rican men who were operating the line on the other end. In all there were 10 "jumps" in our tour where you had to "jump" off the platform and fly over the rain forest to reach the other side. The very first jump was 1/4 a mile long and you reached a speed of 50 miles per hour. I thought I was going to die.

My favorite moment was when we got to the top of the mountain and prepared to take our first jump, the line operator said that they didn't have enough technicians to start the tour and we were going to have to wait for another one to return from break. Without missing a beat, our little tour guide (the man that had picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the canopy tour) said, "oh no worries, I will be a guide for you" meaning he would strap me into all the ropes and harnesses and send my out over the canyon on a 1/2 inch cable line. I said, "I'm sorry, but are you TRAINED to do this?" He said, "Oh yes Mary (they called me mary bc they couldn't remember meredith), I lead canopy tours before I drove vans." Perfect, we're so lucky :)

The second place we stayed was called Los Altos De Eros. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. It is situated on the side of a mountain overlooking the bay. They made you fresh home-made lunches everyday with avocados and hearts of palm right off their property! Whit and I enjoyed a romantic dinner and massage for two one night overlooking the beach. I loved Sueno Del Mar, but Altos De Eros was fantastic :)

Sunset at the Whale watching tour...
The beaches are pretty rocky in Costa Rica, but REALLY beautiful

Sunsets like this every night, we saw a wedding take place almost every-evening somewhere at the beach...

This is pretty much my version of heaven (laying out, beautiful view, reading my domino and Real Simple magazines, with a glass of wine) Perrrrrrrrfection!
I like this pic bc you can see whit in my glasses.
Oh to be this tan again...
Just hangin'
Reading by the pool....
...with a little wine :) My favorite quote from the trip: these really nice staff members would come up to you at the pool and say "Mrs. Copley, can I get you a glass of white wine, a diet coke or a fresh fruit smoothie?" My answer: "Yes, yes and yes!"
Sunset

notice my little toes at the bottom of this pic :)
this was our room (there are only 5 rooms in the whole place, very private).


Sueno Del Mar, path to the beach


Canopy tour , looking okay here...
Now, this is a little hard to see, but I was talked into doing the "super man " maneuver on this zip line. One of the Costa Rican guides operated the wire while you hang horizontally, wrapping your legs around his waits (I know weird, right?!) and spread your arms out like superman. I kept thinking I was going to throw up all over the rain forest.
Whit, looking much more at ease and natural than me.After the tour we had mud baths with volcanic mud bubbling up from the earth, our tour guide insisted we take this pic. I am sure Whit loves that I posted this on the blog :)