I am the type of woman who sets a goal and allows nothing to stop her from achieving that goal. I am determined, ambitious with life, and persistent with it all. I set a goal to travel more and much to my surprise I visited 5 countries this year. The last country of the year (until next year of course) was Costa Rica. Tropical, rainforest, volcanos, and great times with great people.
My initial thoughts upon arrival was the atmosphere reminded me of a Haiti–it was tropical and humid. We ordered a transfer service provided by the hotel. Though the transfer service was timely in their arrival, we waited for one more couple to join us. As we waited we were directed to a cafe a few steps away and decided to wait there. The food smelled amazing. Rather than fill up on rice and beans and chicken, I ordered a cheese and ham croissant. It was fresh, warm, and flaky! The absolute perfect combination.
The drive from the airport to Jaco City was about an hour and a half. Our driver stopped at local store where we picked up snacks, drinks, and water. (By drinks I mean alcohol..because…vacation). Our driver made a second stop at a bridge where we could see tons of albino gators. 
It was like a fish pond, only it was filled with gators. Yikes. Not the type of water I would suggest falling into.
We got to the hotel, checked in and relaxed. There wasn't much time for adventure, so we decided to find a restaurant and have some drinks. If you've been following me, I'm sure you can guess what I had to eat. 
If you guessed whole fish, then you are absolutely right! At this point, I'm convinced it's impossible make a bad whole fish meal. The fish was amazing, I would have preferred red snapper or a thicker fish, but this was delicious and I would definitely order it again. This restaurant was great except for that fact that they jacked up a $20 bill to almost $100. I guess we got hit with a tourist tax and hidden fees? Is that even a thing? The server wasn't even able to clearly articulate or defend the extra charges.
The next day we geared up for some
Adventure ! We decided to go Zip-lining. I was skeptical at first because of my unrealistic fear of heights. The Zip line was set up throughout the rainforest and there was a total of 10 stations. One station was titled "the big daddy" because it was a mile long and it was the fastest zip-line. After the first Zip-line I realized it wasn't all that bad and was actually fun. Actually, I would zip-line over going on a rollercoaster any day. 
After zip-lining, we took ATV's and things through the rainforest and to the waterfall. At this point, it was pouring rain and the mud was flying everywhere as We sped through the rainforest. 
On the last day, we took a boat out to the Sea so the men could fish. The boat was small and it rained a bit so the waves were violent. Still, it was a great time. 
I would highly recommend visiting Costa Rica if you have the opportunity. It was an amazing trip and I would definitely go back and explore some more.
–esquire in love
