Every picture of an island paradise that I have seen during my life could not compare to the sun showered sandy beaches of Puerto Viejo. On the Caribbean coast there is a sense of freeness that comes with coconuts on the beach and monkeys napping in the trees above (literally, above our hotel). When our toes first met those Caribbean waters, it was a truly divine 80 degrees. Riding bikes down to the beach was a simple, yet amazing adventure that ended in salted hair and sandy smiles. For a group of 20 somethings, an outdoor club on the beach was absolutely the perfect place to dance the night away, with the calm Costa Rican vibes running through us.
The most incredible thing I have experienced thus far in Costa Rica was so simple, yet happened by pure luck and correct placement in time. As we started our hike along the beach in Cajuita National Park, just inside the jungle’s foliage we came upon something rarely seen up close. Resting at the base of a tree trunk was a three toed sloth! Sitting a mere 4 feet away, it took us all in, ever so slowly, and allowed us to crowd and take pictures. Then, after a few moments of girls squealing and cameras flashing, it made its gradual, but deliberate way up into to canopy of branches above. It felt like a gift to be so close to such a creature, and I am grateful that we were allowed such a generous view. Seeing a sloth is one experience that will live vividly in my memory for the rest of my life.
The most incredible thing I have experienced thus far in Costa Rica was so simple, yet happened by pure luck and correct placement in time. As we started our hike along the beach in Cajuita National Park, just inside the jungle’s foliage we came upon something rarely seen up close. Resting at the base of a tree trunk was a three toed sloth! Sitting a mere 4 feet away, it took us all in, ever so slowly, and allowed us to crowd and take pictures. Then, after a few moments of girls squealing and cameras flashing, it made its gradual, but deliberate way up into to canopy of branches above. It felt like a gift to be so close to such a creature, and I am grateful that we were allowed such a generous view. Seeing a sloth is one experience that will live vividly in my memory for the rest of my life.