Costa Rica

In July we flew to Costa Rica for a week's vacation. We flew into Liberia and drove to Playa Flamingo. The country was absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Flamingo Marina Resort and it was really nice. The kids' favorite part was the swim up snack bar in the main pool. There were barstools in the water. Carlie thought she was something else having lunch IN the pool! The view from our balcony looked like a postcard....

The next morning we got up before sunrise to go fishing. Britt usually goes on a two day fishing trip in the Gulf every summer to catch Tuna, Wahoo, Marlin, and Mahi Mahi. In Costa Rica you can catch these types of fish in shore. Britt managed to talk Carlie and me into going with them. Of course we both got sea sick, but it was sooo worth it! We went out to this place called Catalina Island. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen....the water was turquoise. This picture is of a tunnel that goes through the island....

Ronnie (Britt's dad) caught this Wahoo. We had it for dinner that night!We went on an off road Jeep tour through the rainforest. We got out and hiked some. The guide gave everyone (including the kids) a machete! Cam went through the woods hacking away. We drove through the toughest and muddiest trails that you can imagine. Britt managed to get our Jeep stuck in a huge mudhole. He was having the time of his life!Our guide was nice enough to take a picture with my camera. Britt was trying to see how big of a splash he could make. Before we went through it our guide came over the radio and said "make Alabama proud!"

I think we did!!!!

The kids favorite part was riding the zipline through the rainforest canopy. Carlie was very nervous at first, but that quickly wore off!! Before it was all over the child was hanging upside down!

Our little daredevil saw one of the guides hanging upside down from the zip line. So of course she asked if she could do it too! They showed her how to do it. Within seconds of them pushing her off the platform she screamed "TALLY HO" and promptly let go and flipped upside down! I'd like to say I was in shock, but this is just a day in the life of Carlie Coleman!! Cam had absolutely NO desire to hang upside down. Zipping through the treetops at 20 mph and 150ft. off the ground was excitement enough for him!

It was a great vacation! Very adventurous. We enjoyed a week of no television or Sonic! The food was really good and the people were so nice. The country is very poor and the infrastructure is bad or non existent in some places. But it is absolutely gorgeous!

Our last day we drove over to Fortuna to see the Arenal Volcano. It is an active volcano that usually erupts daily. We spent the night with some friends of Britt's dad. The volcano erupted around 2 AM and it shook the ground and woke me up, but I was so tired I didn't even get up and look!!! We hope to go back soon. Britt is ready to move down there right now!

Have a fabulous day!