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Pura vida dear Lenin. Gracias desde el fondo de nuestros corozones. ❤️

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Farewell dinner for our group. We had time before to each share a single trip highlight. Tough to pick one because there are many memories that will no doubt last a lifetime. We all could say this though: Our time in Costa Rica exceeded all hopes and expectations. Super tuanis!!

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So special. Saw a Highland Hummingbird nest with two little chicks, likely just a few days old. The nest was about the size of a walnut. Daddy swooped in as soon as we moved away.

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A male Quetzal - score!! 6am birding pays off.

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A trogon - woohoooo!

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A Green Violet-ears Hummingbird nest. See the little beaks poking up?? 🤗

Marino is a "pioneer" of this beautiful place. His life seems so idyllic and the hotel so extraordinary. Now, yes. However his family has had incredibly significant and very long struggles.

His story: Marino's father and uncle were very poor and abandoned by their father as children. They found the land when they were hunting together and got lost for a night. The next morning they discovered they'd found paradise.

The area was a NINE HOUR walk straight UP from their home town, yet they decided to spend 5 YEARS in a cave preparing the area to be a cattle farm. After great hardship, they moved their families there and ended up with 22 children between them.

It's easy to romanticize the story, but it was pretty brutal. Marino's mother didn't even have a pen to teach her children to write their names. They lived with no electricity until 1981 and were 100% self-sufficient. We think in terms of my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather suffered hardship. Not so in Costa Rica.

Marino tells his story today to teach his guests to 1) enjoy the things in life that don't cost money, 2) use only what we need and 3) appreciate how lucky we are. I was moved to (buckets of) tears. Life it's bringing a lot of lessons these days.

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Never thought we'd experience another "best!" The Savegre Hotel Nature Reserve & Spa is out of this world wonderful. It feels like the Garden of Eden. Marino and his family have created magic.

There are artistic pleasures at every turn at this eco-lodge - the gardens, the bar, a stream filled with trout, plus the many outdoor "rooms" that call for sitting and taking it all in. And the food - trout for every meal, osso bucco, fresh vegetables, and desserts to die for (cocoa powder covered chocolate truffles!$&?!)

Bath with candle light. Ahhhhhh

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We've now experienced a rain forest, a cloud forest, a dry forest and a paramo forest in our travels. Amazing. Costa Rica has the highest density of biodiversity of any country worldwide. Although it's roughly only the size of West Virginia, it has 4% of the species estimated to exist on the planet.

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Phenomenal lunch in the Highlands. The restaurant is perched overlooking a beautiful valley and the food was fantastic.

Saw a magnificent Fiery Billed Aracari across the street from where we were having lunch. It doesn't even look real it's so beautiful.

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Lenin let us in on a secret. He writes and performs music as a way to relax...and as it turns out, spread positive messages thru music. He's been recognized as a talented musician in Costa Rica and his music is played in Central and South America. Fingers crossed that this inspiring hombre's songs will land a fanatical following. 🤞🙏

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Swimming and wildlife at the Hotel Punta Leona. Never experienced the Pacific as such a warm, clear body of water. Reminded me of the feeling we had swimming off Jekll Island when I was a girl. One of Mom's favorite memories.

Charlotte talked me into swimming in the pool and a hot tub soak. Was I ever glad she did - it was a macaw sanctuary!! We floated with our noodles and watched pair after mated pair fly not six feet over our heads.

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Took an unbelievable walk thru the Parque Nacional Carara. Nature is so alive, so vivid in Costa Rica. This hike was one of the highlights of the trip.

It's hard to make this out, but it's ever so rare to see an agouti hang out so close to people in the wild. It's the 4th largest rodent in the world - with bright pink ears!

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Leaf-cutting ants!!

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We wear listening devices on all of our hikes so Lenin can talk to us and not disturb the wildlife. Aren't I a picture in my dress and hiking boots? 🙊

These tall buttresses help to stabilize the trees as the roots run quite shallow. Kind of looks like Jaime has been put in time out. 😉

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These are the thorns of the Acacia tree or mimisa. They protect the birds that nest in the tree from climbing predators. And the ants actually live and nest in the thorns as well as eat the nectar inside. The ants also protect the tree from herbivores. Symbiotic relationships abound!

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Just LOVE the White-Faced Capuchin monkeys

A mated Scarlet Macaw pair. WOW!

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Crocodile tour today. The females lay and bury their eggs on the banks. The eggs that are deeper stay cooler and will be females. The shallower eggs will be males.

When one baby begins to hatch, it will make a noise to call the other crocs to hatch as well. Mama will also hear the sound and unbury her eggs. Then, she brings the hatchlings one-by-one in her mouth to the water.

Adult crocs actually eat the cows and horses along the bank. Yikes!