Costa Rica with the fam

Our time with my parents in Costa Rica was full of nature hikes, cooking meals in an open-air kitchen, drinking wine around the dinner table each night and writing poetry. We stayed at a VRBO home called “La Granja” (The Farm). It is a small organic farm with a few dwellings that get rented out to tourists. The owners live in the nearby town of Guacimal at a Sustainability Demonstration Center. They do a lot of work toward bettering their community; they’ve started a farmers market, organized the locals against large corporations that are ruining their land, and teach traditional dance to kids (and guests like us). They are an inspiring family that demonstrates how you can live an authentic life according to your values. Their 14 year old son, Stuart, was our tour guide for the week. He is an awesome, super intelligent kid, that speaks perfect Spanish and English and is not afraid of 5 foot long boa snakes and giant tarantulas at night. (He gave us a night tour of all the creepy crawly insects and animals around the farm). 

It was a great week and a half with my parents. And it was their first time traveling abroad together since they went to Africa right after they got married in 1982! They did an awesome job.

And here's a little sampling of the poetry that was written in Costa Rica (by Jenn). We experimented with different styles each night, Haikus and Cinquains were the most popular, but on the final night we tried the Acrostic* style of poetry. 

Please take me back to 
Unlimited
Red wine
And
Venomous snakes
In trees and on fences.
Don't hit those people**
Amen.


*Pura Vida is a common phrase and basically the motto of Costa Rica. It means Pure Life and it is said as a response to just about anything. "How are you? - Pura Vida" "How was the hike? - Pura Vida" "How was lunch? - Pura Vida."
** Inside joke here. There was a lot of back seat driving going on during the trip. We rented a car and I (Tim) drove the entire time along rough gravel roads perilously perched on the sides of mountains. Needless to say, there was a nervous mother in the back seat.

Mom and dad on the trail in the Monteverde Cloud Forest

Salsa dance class at the Sustainability Demonstration Center

Guard dogs taking a break at La Granja

We went star gazing down at the river near the farm one night. This was our view!

Our friends and old roommates from Bozeman, Colin and Jenna, were in the same area near Guacimal while on their own separate Costa Rica vacation! Yet another random international meetup with old friends!

The jungle. 

One of many swims in the river. Very strong, refreshing current.

Rio Guacimal

Horseback riding around the farm property

Jenn tries to stay calm while climbing down a Strangler Fig tree.  A Strangler Fig grows from top down. It starts  growing in the canopy of the forest, then grows as vines down a tree. Once it gets to the ground it develops its own root system and strangles its host. When the host tree dies and rots away a tubular system of climbing rungs remains!