sloths + pura vida: a dose of Costa Rica
from nicaragua i left my crew of new besties to venture into costa rica for 2 reasons:
i needed to get to an airport and i was not going back up to managua nope not happening.
SLOTHS.
i realize i do this thing when i’m travelling where i’m laser focused on checking off my bucket list because at some point i made up in my head that i NEED TO. but it’s not always the most feasible or budget appropriate thing to do and i need to just chill, like all these things will happen in due time and i don’t need to break the bank and rearrange my entire trip to do them.
that’s why i am no longer going to the galapagos on this trip. it’s a tough pill to swallow.
in costa rica, it was sloths. i had it in my head i was going to costa rica to see a sloth and i didnt care what it took. but then i was like kellie chill, you don’t have time on this trip, you’ll come back to do costa rica properly and see your sloth then.
so that was fine.
BUT DON’T FORGET THE UNIVERSE LOVES ME AND I SAW MY SLOTH ANYWAY LOL! 💃🏼💃🏼
okay let me back up. nica-costa rica border is a bit weird, i just exited nica and walked like 500 metres doing a stamp motion asking where the hell i was supposed to go to get admitted into this country. i feel like i could’ve hopped on a bus sans stamp and no one would’ve noticed.
but then i found the border control, and she tells me i need proof of departure. it’s a requirement for entering costa rica.
i did not, friends, have proof of departure.
i also did not have wifi. or a plan or any sort.
so a nice lady gave me her hotspot and i panic-purchased a flight to cartagena and boom hello costa rica!!!
i caught the green bus to la irma ($3 usd) and then another windy 2-hour to monteverde (another $3 ish).
i came to monteverde because i wanted some cool costa rican jungles and the chance to see my sloth. i knew there were amazing beaches like tamarindo but i’ve gotten my beach fixes and i want this trip to be as diverse as possible. (turned out i saw my sloth early and had cabin fever in monteverde so i got to beach it as well!)
stayed at monteverde backpackers which was fine but my room was smelly (everything is damp and never dries, i am such a dirty backpacker rn ugh). met some nice parisian boys with a car and had a great day:
monteverde cloud forest, actually so mystical and cloudy and cool. did the “3 hour” route (actually like 2), saw a waterfall, saw a halloween-coloured tarantula and a bunch of coati, the raccoon’s cousin
went to the ficus tree which is hollowed out like a ladder and you can climb up it to a viewpoint, very very cool.
i did a night walk with Ficus Trails who i DEFINITELY recommend because the guide Olman is awesome and made all my dreams come true.
when we approached the sloth he got us all to back up and said something like (i can’t remember the exact words cause i blacked out): what is the main reason many people come to costa rica?
he points out the mama sloth and her baby and says “it’s okay to cry, sometimes people cry.”
THANK YOU OLMAN. THANK YOU.
it felt like when i saw my bucket list leopard at the masai mara — so much hype, so cool, did not want to leave, just wanted to watch them forever.
on the night walk we also saw more tarantulas, scorpions, a possum, frogs, anoli, snakes that will kill you in 45 mins if you don’t get to the clinic. but did i mention the sloths?
that was my monteverde experience! you can also go ziplining etc there, but i was good and ready for some pura vida on the beach.
bussed to puntarenas, then to jaco, a touristy surf town with a misty beach that i know isn’t costa rica’s prettiest, but it was exactly what i pictured and needed and it was perfect. stayed at the BEAUTIFUL Selina hotel and lived a little surf fairytale for a couple days with pizza, burgers, wine, and more wine. couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect end to my central american leg of #wanderlustandwifi.
a 3:40am wakeup call and off to the airport i went to a place that has been calling me for a looonng time...
keep ya posted! :)
