Arenal, Costa Rica

This was a rough day, I had to drive for four hours after little sleep. We stopped somewhere over the mountains so that I could take a 30min power nap as a migraine had set in. It took everything in me to concentrate getting through the extreme fog. We arrived to our Airbnb, which by the way was in the middle of no where, that you really needed a 4x4 to get to & we were all alone on a mountain. We were in El Castillo, close to the lava fields, the adventure parks & at the other side of the volcano. The town of La Fortuna was a 40min drive away, solely because the roads were so bad. I spent the rest of the day in bed to play catch up. I was wrecked but the wifi let me watch copious amounts of netflix.

Day 2: Still feeling like shit but managed to do a 3hr hike today around the hanging bridges. It was difficult at times, especially haven not eaten in 36hrs but it was truly beautiful. That afternoon we spent the day hiding from a thunderstorm in the butterfly conservatory where we saw a Gold Owl Eye & a Blue Morpho. Although butterflies are beautiful creatures they actually can be really evil. They practice necrophilia, cannibalism & they stalk the females & eventually rape them. Who knew? We saw the Costa Rican Red Eye Tree frog hiding under a leaf. He is bright green & camouflages during the day while sleeping. He tucks in his orange & blue legs. They are nocturnal, they come & go as the please from the conservatory. While this guy is not poisonous, his friends nearby are lethal. There was the red dart frog & then the bright green & black fella. This guy is supposed to put you into respiratory failure with his poison. Note to self: Don't touch anything that is bright, usually it means danger. FINALLY, I saw my Toucan, he had a black body and a big bright yellow beak. I would never have found him except some locals pointed him out in the tree to us. My sickness caused me to feel cold, so we headed to the famous Tobacan hot springs, unfortunately I don't have photos from here. It included a buffet dinner which was useless to me but Farah had a great time. It feels like a resort & manicured but the place is put together really well & there are plenty of hidden private spots. The flowing river ranges in heat, some areas are hotter which wasn't so good for my dehydration.

Day 3: We hiked the 1968 volcano trail & over lava & lava fields. It was like something from another world, it wouldn't be us if we didn't get lost. Luckily all roads lead to the car park. I was really looking forward to our adventure afternoon with Sky Limit. We spent 2 hrs ziplining, hiking, climbing, tree dropping, running across ladders, swinging & rappelling down waterfalls. It was incredible to see the jungle from such heights. We definitely went through some clouds on our zipline. I have attached a video of our zipline tour below. We ended our day soaked, tired & cold so we made another trip to the hot springs except this time we found the free springs across the road from Tobacan. This is where you will usually find Coati lining the road. People please don't feed the wildlife. They are packed with people & if you plan on going at night be sure to bring a flash light. I was looking forward to eating a little at Lava Lounge in La Fortuna, unfortunately my nachos were burned which is an almost impossible task to be honest. I mean the entire three layers of nachos were no more good. That was $10 wasted. If you would rather cook, there is a supermarket in La Fortuna, other than that about a 100 restaurants have your back. If I was going there again, I would rather stay in La Fortuna to walk around at night. It gets dark quite early & there was nothing to do on the mountain once the sun went down.

I am learning that I am more of a beach person that a mountain person. It is much cooler in the heights of Costa Rica & I prefer being sun soaked by the shores. Farah on the other hand prefers the cooler weather. Our next stop is Monteverde. If you want to see our last trip, press here for San Jose.

Mareme & Hamady

- Venue//Auberge De Vieux-Port - Photography// Alison Slattery - Flowers// A Timeless Celebration - Dress// Pronuptia - Suit// Tm Lewin - Shoes// Chaussures Tania - Make Up// Simone - Hair// Simone from Inhairitance Salon - Food// Auberge Du Vieux Port - Rings// Custom Made by a family jeweller.

San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design)

Up at 6am & out the door onto another Hola Shuttle for San Jose. As you pass Limon, you will notice that it is like container nation. There are trucks everywhere, crashes everywhere, containers everywhere. It is a sight for sore eyes.

We stayed at Casamar Airbnb in San Jose. It was in a great area, close to all the markets, the museums & Avenida Central which is the main shopping street. We went to Mercado Central & The Annex for some presents to bring home, it is filled with trinkets & coffee. In the afternoon we stopped by the Gold Museum, which is interesting & you'll learn about Costa Rican money & if you are into coins, this is your spot. The weather is alot chillier in San Jose, situated in the mountains & filled with hills.

Walking around San Jose at night is eventful, you will see transvestites on almost every street corner in one particular neighbourhood. Now I know why our Airbnb says no escorts whatsoever. It is completely legal here & there are hotels that cater for this business, to make it a safe haven. However if you are a foreigner, you should be wary of your wallet & things, as they are known for stealing your stuff at these hotels.
We had two amazing meals while in San Jose. The coffee shop Kalu is a must. The brunch was amazing & they have insane coffee & pastries. Also it is just a beautiful space. The place for dinner is Alma de Amon, it is absolutely delicious. We had polenta, motongo, funce, chorizo & potatoes, dayum, it was so tasty. Another mention although it was closed while we were there is CafeMaza, that is a definite place to try. We met the chef & he is a sound guy & super passionate about great food.

Ok, now for the most amazing part of Costa Rica. The secret Clandestinos. They are unlicensed restaurants, usually in someones home. It is the perfect place for old school Costa Rican food but the twist is only locals can guide you there. We are literally in the mountain somewhere, walking down the side of someones house, when a small restaurant appears. Inside we are welcomed, fussed over & served some of their finest. A hearty beef stew with yucca, rice, pumpkin & potatoes followed by chicharrónes with patacones and beans & finally the Costa Rican version of smoked meat, my favourite. It's soft, tender & incredibly flavourful. This I could eat for days, it was different to every soda we had eaten at which all offered the same menu.

Follow us as we continue our journey to Arenal, Costa Rica or check out our last trip here to Puerto Viejo
Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design) Bananas Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design)
Beef Stew Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design)
The Clandestino owner Maggie, Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design) Chicarrónes Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design) Smoked Meat, Costa Rican style Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design) locals bbqing on the side of the road. Photo by Farah Khan (House9Design)