Monday Coiba Island This morning’s destination is Coiba Island. One of the biggest islands in the pacific side of the American Continent. It became a National Park in 1991. Since 1919 it has been a presidio where the prisoners work in agricultural labors. Coiba Island has many beaches and little neighbor islands known for outstanding diving and snorkeling, pristine waters, abundant marine life and over 15 species of corals to make this area the best for quality diving in Panama. This is how Mondays should be. Wake up at 6:30, eat breakfast and have someone cute pour you vast amounts of café con leche, wake up the teenager and crawl into a zodiac and transport to a tiny private island in the midst of an arpeggio with not another soul around except the small amount of ship mates and crew. We didn’t get full sun, but enough to illuminate the fish, the golden sand, the turquoise water, the palm trees that were just growing from the coconuts washed ashore. We jumped into the bathtub warm water and floated with snorkels and masks, all the way around the little island ( I took a picture) and viewed all sorts of colorful fish, which I’m sure weren’t terribly unusual, but I didn’t know enough not to be impressed. I liked the fettuccini fish, the school of yellow on top, blue on the bottom fish. Golden fish, yellow and blue puffer fish. Marvelous. The whole family snorkeled together. We then sat on the beach for a minute or two, then Andrew took off in a single kayak and I followed as soon as a kayak became available and we kayaked to the opposite shore, which is another little island, although we couldn’t see around it like we could ours. We kayaked to three different beaches. All deserted and all ours. Thomas kayaked over to join us and we explored one of the beaches together. Again, how fantastic to just be with Andrew and Thomas on a deserted beach in the tropics. I was quite happy. We all were shipped back to the boat and ate lunch, then I kayaked back to the island again with Mom. I snorkeled all by myself and then kayaked around the island all by myself. Then I snorkeled with the kids and Andrew. Then I sat on the gold sand and let the warm turquoise water wash over me and get soft sand on my brown legs just like the models do in Vogue magazine. Although I looked nothing like the brown 19 year olds who were hanging out on the prefect white sand as well. But I looked okay for myself. Michael and I built sandcastles in the surf for a while, just for fun. I stayed in the water for so long my fingers wrinkled. Which is marvelous, I was just like a kid. And isn’t that the point of a vacation? Mom loved the hermit crabs on the little island. The island was covered with little hermit crabs. There were so many that they clicked together making sounds like rain falling on palm fronds. They didn’t crawl up on your feet so much; in fact they tickled your toes then retreated. We thought they were very funny and took pictures. Especially for Uncle Dan. When jellyfish sting you they make a pattern on your skin, almost in the shape of three or four tentacles down the arm or chest or side. If you’re like me and just washed your arm through a bunch of random jellyfish cells that are free floating but still effective, you just get a red rash. We poured meat tenderizer and vinegar on the sting and washed it in the ocean and pretty soon it didn’t hurt so much, but the next day the stings had faded and we couldn’t feel them anymore. But there’s a price for viewing beautiful fish. So far I am enchanted. Now granted, I was pre-disposed to like the country because Andrew did, but I love it even more after spending time on the pristine beaches and blue water.

Our boat in Costa Rica is small, 100 passengers when it's full. And it's not full.The contrast between the air-conditioned rooms and the open hallways creates a great deal of moisture and everything is quickly damp. Even my glasses fogged between the cold room and the warm hall, but it cleared quickly enough. Most people hung their cameras and binoculars out in the hallway so they wouldn’t get too much condensation. There are no keys for our rooms, I suppose even if you did steal something, where would you go? There were no problems of that nature but it took us all a couple of days to get use to the fact the rooms were always open. After our second walk, that wasn’t terribly hot, I jumped into the warm ocean and let the motion of the waves carry me up and down. Andrew and Michael bodysurfed. I love soaking in the warm ocean water with the late afternoon sun illuminating the palms lining golden beach. It was perfect. The locals have a saying, vida pura which literally means pure life, but I think it’s a South American version of “moment of being.” And on Sunday evening, when normally we’re getting ready for the week and finishing homework, and rushing around and lamenting the end of the weekend. I was floating in the ocean with nothing more on my mind than what drink to order at the bar that evening. Oh, this is the way to have a vacation!During happy hour Thomas entertained us by trying to hit his nose with a toothpick clenched between his $4,000 teeth.I like the bar on the boat very much and here’s why – it’s open to the air so the breeze blows through, and after experiencing the sticky, close heat of the jungle, the warm ocean breeze feels wonderful and refreshing, but not too cool. I like the bar because the drinks are included in the price of the trip (there isn’t a whole lot of alcohol, but then again, we don’t drink for the effects so it doesn’t matter to us) and I can sit and order pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris for a long into the evening as I like. The boys order virgin drinks and enjoy the milk shake or juice aspect of the drinks. Not only that, to start your lovely evening, there is an un-ending supply of Dramamine at the bar as well, which we’ve all taken as precautions at one point or another. And I can sit barefoot at the bar. And I can go to dinner bar foot from the bar.

Corcovado National Park From the Temptress (small cruise ship off the Pacific side) hand out: Our exploration today will include two areas of Corcovado National Park: San Pedrillo and Caletas. Sue to its remoteness, Corcavado National Park is one of the least visited areas in Costa Rica’s vast National Park System. Located just 75 miles north of the Panamanian border, this region is known for its old growth forest and outstanding biodiversity. In the afternoon we visit Corcovado Conservation Area (Caletas beach). For the most part, according to the Frommers book we brought, you simply can’t get to Corcovado from anywhere, so we are very privileged to be here at all. I feel like this is the first morning that we’re “on vacation” the last two days have been more traveling. The sun is rising over the Rain forest, or the jungle to be more poetic. The classic view off a coast, the beach, the waves smashing against rough lava rocks the palms lining the beach. The wind here at 6:00 is warm, the season is green although we were told that there isn’t really a rainy and dry season, there is a rainy season and a less rainy season. So now I don’t feel so silly for taking the family down here for the wet season. For his first day of vacation, Thomas is going deep-sea fishing. It cost $200 but I know it cost more at other resorts. So we’re sending him to fish with another gentleman who lives in the East bay and has a fishing boat in Sausalito. When I said to Tom (the older gentleman, that my son wanted to go fishing, he looked a little concerned. When Thomas appeared, Tom broke into a big smile and said, “Oh, I thought your son was 8 and I’d have to bait his hook, this kid is great!” For fishing, Thomas wakes up early and on time. Andrew took a picture of the boat, but we didn’t get any pictures of the fish. Thomas had a wonderful morning on the water. He caught two Wahoos and two Dorados. He had a wonderful time fishing and went on the second hike with us, that by comparison, was pretty boring, but he was patient. We took a zodiac to the coast and landed barefoot, then hopped over the green “grass” and carefully wiped our feet with a blue towel mom was clever enough to bring with her. After wiping our feet, we donned clean socks and hiking boots. Then we proceeded to spend the whole hike stepping into creeks, wading across the river, step into the river and finished the hike with socks squishing, squishing down the rugged trail. Squish, squish, squish. It’s not a happy sound. The first hike did, however, feature swimming into the warm river we had been following, (about 75 degrees) and we sat under the waterfalls. Andrew said “hey honey, weren’t standing under a waterfall in the tropics in Costa Rica” and we’re doing all right. The energy of the forest – healing, milk from the Bano tree that will cure ulcers, needles from the palm tress that natives used. They treaded the needles with cobwebs to suture injuries. Margaret said that some natives hug trees to absorb the tree energy because the tree is so high, the highest thing in the rain forest, it’s closer to heaven. On the hike we saw: Monkey ladder vine – all twisted like ribbon candy up trees or from tree to tree, Michael liked it the best. Garlic tree because the flowers smell like garlic Jesus Christ lizard, but I missed seeing it walk on water. Strangler Fig; Spider monkeys, mom and baby, in the trees Leaf cutting ants; heard a toucan calling. The blue feather of a Motmot, the bird grooms the tail feathers so they look like little pendulums. A cream filled anole (lizards, small ones are now called anoles, which to us, sounds like a dessert) Black vulture hopping on the ground; Balsa trees The sure footed silver headed Duck Doo (my mother) Yellow spotted ants that will sting so don’t put your hand on just any old tree. Fish tail palm The back of a coati Mundi which is a raccoon and the back of a little rabbit creature with no tail. During lunch we saw Howler monkeys. I wanted to see marshmallow bats but I never did.

Marriott Hotel, San Jose Costa Rica So here is a Miss Behaved travel tip: Spend your first night at the Big-American hotel. Big American Hotels have shuttles from the airport, the staff speaks English and the rooms and amenities are very comfortable. Plan on spending the most you will spend the whole trip on the first meal of the trip because you don’t know any better. Get over it and hand over the charge card. Lush is a very good word to describe my initial impression of Costa Rica. The damp air is welcome after the dryness of the airplane I love this kind of moisture. The Marriott is adjacent to a golf course, as I enjoy the view and the mountain that resemble our own Mayacam Range, I see that a small community of homes are being built within sight of the Marriott. I love the style of course, but I imagine these homes are no different than Fountaingrove at home. We watched three weddings during our stay at the Marriott, the evening wedding was attended by elegant people including a stunning young woman in a strapless orange long dress, form fitting to her perfect form, she had dark eyes and long dark hair, after Andrew recovered and decided not to abandon his family so early in the trip, he commented that he already loved this country. Michael loved the Marriott. I’ve trained Michael to love four star hotels as I do myself. We didn’t really have time to do a project between 11:00, when we finally finished breakfast and 2:00 (about the time the bus was to arrive to take us to the dock where the Temptress was anchored) so we just hung out by the hotel pool and felt the warmth and admired all the tropical plants. Thomas slept on a chaise lounge, we have photos. Michael, Andrew and I lined up chaise lounges and read. The gift shop was quite expensive so we didn’t by anything, which is fine; we’ll purchase coffee and stuff and junk in San Jose when we don’t have to cart it around. It rained at 2:00 pouring straight down like the water pouring out of a showerhead that’s wide open because there aren’t drought warnings yet. No one cared or worried about the rain, or even remarked on it. I like tropical rain because it is straight down, no blowing wind and it’s not cold.