Last Day Included Horseback Riding, Tubing, Zip Lining and Hot Volcano Springs.....

We were all suffering after the marathon the day before.  We had four people who had previously completed certified hundred-mile races and all of us were hurting.  Devin described it as running a marathon in Houston in July or August only with really steep hills.  We all needed a day off to relax but didn't get it on our last full day here.  It started off with horseback riding down to a waterfall.

After wearing this "cowboy" hat all week, when Devin actually got on a horse for the first time in his life, he had to wear a safety helmet.  LMAO.

I wasn't excited about the horseback riding but it turned out to be pretty fun.  We rode down to a waterfall and took a swim.  Of course Devin had to be the first one off the cliff.....

Next we went tubing down a river and I didn't get any photos.  It was the highlight of my day but not something where you would take a camera and certainly not a iPhone.  It lasted about an hour and shot through Class 3-4 rapids almost constantly.  Ten times more exciting and fun than tubing at New Brunfels.  I had the time of my life and didn't flip once.  Got surrounded by Howler Monkeys once in the trees and really had a good time.  After that, we stopped at a restaurant for a really nice Costa Rican lunch before zip lining.

The zip lining was a close second for the highlight of my day.  We had done it before the first time we were here for Devin and Alida's wedding twelve years ago. but this time it was far, far more fun.  

I don't know the total distance we zip lined, but there were seven separate lines we changed onto at different platforms. The first line itself was about 200 yards and got us into the "canyon area" of the park.

There were times we had to rappel and climb across metal steps.  Although we always had a safety line attached, it was a bit of an adrenalin rush.  One place in particular was around a sharp outcrop that was so convoluted that I couldn't get a photo of it, but you were literally on your own, out of sight of everybody else, and attached only with a safety line.  And those metal steps were not dry.....

We ended up with a suspended bridge that actually seemed kind of tame after the zip lining.

We ended up soaking in very hot water springs fed by the volcano in this area.  While it felt good, it couldn't soothe all the aches and pains.

We had a group supper in Tamarindo that evening and the final morning headed back to the airport but not before a few selfies and photos.

I'm heading to Serbia on a solo trip in three weeks.  More photos and posts then.....

Croc Attack and Race Day Arrives.....

Woke up around 5:30 the second day and took a walk on the beach,  Nice early morning views.....

After breakfast we hit the ocean and did some body surfing.  Much nicer than Galveston with 4-foot waves.  After that, we hit one of the resort pools to get the salt off.

After lunch the group booked a river trip to see wildlife.  We booked the SS Minnow and set off for a three-hour trip........

Weeks away and hundreds of miles up a river that snaked through the war like a cable plugged straight into Kurtz. (OK, i borrowed that Apocalypse Now movie line from Devin)

We did see some iguanas and howler monkeys before it just absolutely started pouring down--sending all the animals under cover.  Before returning, we did see one crocodile which was kind of neat............until he decided he wanted to share my seat.........

Next morning was race day.....starting at 5:00 am.  Of course it's daylight at 5:30 here (and much cooler).

It was much harder than I had expected--lots of steep hills.  Alida caught up with me at the 10-mile mark and we walked it in together.

The medal is really nice.  The turtle in the center actually spins inside the medal.  All of our group finished except one, so it was a good race.

Really Nice Resort and A Good Start.....

Six of us arrived together and the other six landed about 30 minutes later.  The resort is about an hour drive from the airport in Liberia and is really nice.

Food is relatively inexpensive--about the same as at home only this is a resort area so overall not breaking the bank.  We checked in and grabbed a quick lunch.

Picked up our race packets--really nice tee-shirts--and looked around the resort some more.  The race starts and finishes where we're staying  which is really nice.

Did a quick visit to the beach.

 And walked over to the Volcano Brewery in the evening.  Off to a good start.

Going to Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica Sept. 18-22 to Celebrate Devin's 40th Birthday and Run a Half-Marathon.....

.....We were last in Costa Rica for Devin and Alida's wedding in 2001 and there are about a dozen of us going on this return trip.

The beach and hotel are five-star and the group includes people we know from Houston, Minnesota, New England and Istanbul.  No work on this trip and looks to be a perfect way to end the summer this year.

I'll be taking a personal trip to Serbia for a week in October.