Pura Vida, Baby.

Costa Rica: a luscious land of adorable long-eared cows, iguanas, and howler monkeys whose cries echo like wild boar-dogs in the night. Right now we're sitting in air-conditioned comfort, a luxurious relief from the sweltering heat outside. The cast: our peeps from Columbus and Chicago, who narrowly escaped the wintry snowstorms of the midwest to reclaim the tans they once had.



With much relief, we crossed out of Nicaragua and entered a realm which we both agreed instantly felt "more safe." Despite the decrepit roads, the dense jungle/beach of Nosara is a place of unique beauty, a place where fireflies dance to the haunting chorus of wild night creatures.




So far, we've experienced the kindness of a local volkswagen kin, whose offering of a safe driveway to park in and dinner kept us happy in Tamarindo. We've crossed small rivers in Gunther, and built shady refuges out of driftwood and a Wuzzles sheet to save us from the brutal sun.




It's so awesome to meet up with friends, who can help us answer important life questions such as: "Which Costa Rican beer really is the best?" and "How do you pick a champion Hermit crab racer?" Our only regret is not all of our friends can be with us.

But there is an important lesson in all of this for the wise. Consider our friends Beth and Theo. Both young, able bodied, kind-spirited people that we don't get to see on this trip because they suffer from a case of bad priorities. Beth spent the entire year in cozy heated comfort, while reading US Weekly in every spare moment. One year and $843 in magazines later, she doesn't have the money to enjoy paradise with her friends.


And then there is Theo. Smart, handsome, with an intensive background in etiquette and ballroom dancing. What on earth could keep him away from a week in paradise with his friends? Thats right. Bad priorities. Apparently Theo thinks starting a new job is more important than try to figure out a 7th way to blend rum with tropical fruit. Obviously he has learned nothing from our example. It's a sad cautionary tale for young people everywhere.