Category Archives: Travel

Without further ado…Paris, part deux.

I’ll admit that it took us a few days to get over the “culture shock” of being in Paris. Although I guess if I’m being honest, it was more a combination of exhaustion and confusion than it was straight up culture shock. There are differences in culture obviously, but not many. Paris functions similarly to any large American city, just in a different language and with MUCH better dressed people. But when you spend your first few days in a foreign country, after traveling all day and night to get there, and are up at the crack of dawn to be on foot until the late, late night…things can get weird.

The biggest struggle for Jon and I was food. The finding it and the eating it. You make a plan for the day and it’s full of grand things to see and the energy to see them all. You depart the apartment with zest, take the metro to successfully arrive at your destination (nailed it), walk your ‘American in Paris’ self all up and down the museum and then…you nearly collapse of starvation. It’s suddenly 2:00 and you’ve consumed nothin’ but culture. You and your travel companion begin glaring at each other as you peer down the streets for something to eat. The problem is, you don’t speak French and you’re both ‘Minnesota Nice’ and are so afraid of upsetting some snotty Parisian waiter that you’re paralyzed with indecisiveness.

It’s a real bitch of a cycle.

The other problem is that, as a tourist, the areas you frequent are ‘tourist areas’ and the restaurants, service and food in those areas are total crap. Even by American standards. The first three days we were there I was so let down by the French food that I thought my heart would break. Where was the exquisite cheese? The decadent wine for lunch? The chocolate and pastries and bread?

Finally, the last straw had arrived.

Our third night, we used the magic of the internet to look up a nice place for dinner in our neighborhood. Jon made me call for reservations because I was able to bullshit French a fraction more than he could. Whew. Exhale. We have a reservation. They know we only speak English. They hate us for it, but at least they won’t be surprised.

We arrived cloaked in nice clothes and great attitudes. Nothing could break our spirits. LET’S EAT! We were starved after two and a half days of pieced together nonsense. Right inside the front door we found ourselves smack in the middle of a baseball analogy…

Strike one: confusion over reservation and therefore sat at a communal table with real live French people.

Strike two: Ali reads the menu and slightly panics when she realizes it’s all red meat (which she can’t, won’t, and doesn’t eat).

But wait! The waitress points out the prawn entree. Whew. We’re saved.

NOPE!

Strike three: chef says they’re sold out. It’s all bloody, chewy steaks from here on out!

YOU’RE OUT!

Ali’s out. Ali is SO out.

I’m ashamed to admit this but I was so hungry, so trying to be in love with Paris, and so disappointed that I welled up with tears and quickly excused myself to the bathroom where I had about a three day overdo sob-fest. It felt fantastic.

I gathered myself, went back to the giant farm table, and got a GD grip. The waitress waved her arms around in such a beautiful and elegantly Parisian way while suggesting some vegetable dish for the train-wreck American and I just nodded my head. Jon’s meal was incredible, mine was mushy, and we carried on. It’s why wine was invented.

One point during the meal a new guest was seated at our table next to me. At this point I was so deprived of the English language that I noticed her book right away. IT WAS IN ENGLISH! I decided to say hello.

“Hi my name is Ali and we’re visiting Paris and are eating here at the same table as you and you’re reading a book and it’s in English and will you please talk to us and can it please be in English and it’s so nice to meet you!!!”

Or something. Something like that.

She was downright LOVELY with a Scottish accent so thick I could barely understand her. But I didn’t care. Her voice was that of an angel. An English speaking angel. The evening ended on a good note (because of the wine) and we walked home with our arms around each other (wine) and decided that tomorrow would be even better (wine).

Let me wrap this up.

The next evening (after a day full of more food disasters) we found our way to Montmartre where a wine a cheese class that I’d signed us up for was being held. Finding this place was a stressful nightmare. Map-quest didn’t understand French any more than we did. It also didn’t help that the streets in Paris are just like the people, they’re really difficult just for the sheer fun of it. This class was the ONLY event of the entire vacation that was ‘scheduled’ and time sensitive. Thankfully we arrived just in time and ready for a cocktail.

We are greeted in English. Thank God.

The woman is so kind and lovely and directs us downstairs to the wine cellar where the class will be held. Our host speaks English. Double thanks be to God. How could this get any better?

Wine Human: Hey guys, where are you visiting Paris from?

Sad Humans: We’re from Denver. You know where that is because you’re clearly American! Where are you from?

Wine Human: Well I’ve lived in Paris for 9 years, but originally I’m from Minnesota. Minneapolis actually.

…

I LITERALLY had to stop myself from crying of relief.

No Longer Sad Humans: NO WAY!!!!!!!!! WE LIED ABOUT DENVER! SCREW DENVER! WE’RE TOTALLY AND ORIGINALLY FROM MINNESOTA! LET’S TALK ABOUT THE COLD AND BE BEST FRIENDS!

It was so bizarre and so amazing and so necessary. That night was obviously one of our favorite nights. If you ever visit Paris, please look this company up. The Minnesota part aside, it was spectacularly informative and wonderful. It’s called Cook’n with Class and Preston was our host. He was marvelous. When we ate every single thing he put in front of us with animalistic vigor, he asked us what the hell was going on and we told him our sad, sad story. He explained everything and made the whole debacle so simple for us. In American culture, dining out is about the experience. The decor, the ambiance, being entertained by the waiter, the whole show of it. In Paris, it’s all about the food. The end. The waiters are working, not entertaining, and they stay out of your way. It’s ALL about the food and the interaction of who you’re dining with.

It all clicked.

After that, Jon and I adapted a ‘we don’t give a rats’ attitude and it was the best decision we made. We stopped being self conscious and started having fun. We just acted how we wanted, ordered what we wanted, dressed how we wanted and ate INCREDIBLE meals. Getting out of the tourist areas helped, but being selfish and self involved helped even more. It was the turning point for us and the trip was pretty smooth sailing after that.

Anyway, enough tourist trauma.

Let’s start with the day we went to Montmartre. What a different animal this place was than where we’d previously been. Classic Paris up on a hill. If you’ve seen Moulin Rouge than you can imagine this neighborhood. We hopped off a metro stop and wandered up the winding streets to the Basilica of the Sacrè Coeur. It’s perched upon the highest point in the city and provides spectacular views.

From below, on the blissfully sunny day were there, it looked like a white castle in the clouds. No cameras were allowed inside, so the stunning exterior will have to do. The neighborhood was visibly older than others and so full of charm. I wish we had spent more time there, but we had to rush off to the above noted wine and cheese class. Farewell Montmartre!

Hello Louvre.

Listen. I know I’ve said ‘I just can’t describe this that or the other’ over and over. But this? THIS! I can’t describe this at all. Except with this one word: GARGANTUAN. Overwhelmingly gargantuan. Paris-42 Paris-45 Paris-78 Paris-114 The exterior and courtyard are so iconic that it was bizarre to even stand there. I kept having to remind myself that yes, you’re actually here. Soak it up girl.

If I had taken photos of every beautiful thing inside, I’d still be there. Instead I tried to pull my camera out sporadically. When inspired or when I wanted to remember a specific piece of art.

ParisMashup9(louvre) Paris-103 I mean….

Do you know how old that is?!?!?!?! It’s MESSED UP! Awesome. Mostly the ‘awe’ part. Paris-82 We walked at a clipping pace throughout quite a bit of the Louvre. It was a long morning and afternoon. I kept feeling panicked to see everything we could while there. I had this need to lay my eyes on it all because it might be my only shot and it’s certainly my only life. It sounds silly, but it’s a hard feeling to shake. It’s all so marvelous and inspiring and I just didn’t want to take my being there for granted. I kept trying to slow my roll and just enjoy what I was looking at. It worked out pretty well in the end. We saw all the major exhibits and didn’t leave feeling like we had to return. The truth is, a lot of the smaller museums were just as good if not better. Certainly less crowded and with equally incredible works.

One of our last days in Paris didn’t actually take place in Paris. We jumped on an early morning train to Versailles with very low expectations and a readiness to bail if it seemed too touristy and lame. Instead, I was provided with my favorite day of shooting photos that I have EVER had. As you can see, our arrival at the estate was cloaked with a thick and beautiful fog. It added such a cool and otherworldly feeling to the property, which was the definition of otherworldly. Paris-132 Shortly after our arrival, the fog began to lift and I was gifted with the most beautiful and soft overcast light. It took away any garish quality the palace could have (and typically does have) and instead it gave it a romantic and mysterious quality. It was so cool. Paris-136 Paris-139 Forget the “house”. Just forget it. It’s ostentatious, mindbogglingly huge and totally worth going inside to see, but…the real reason to visit Versailles is the grounds.

Be still my heart.

It was magic.

Paris-143 Paris-163 Paris-164 Paris-145 Paris-151 Paris-175 Paris-171 They just went on, and on, and on. I could have gone back ten times and not seen it all. You are completely transported to a different world. I couldn’t get enough. We ended up roaming around like 5 year olds goofing off and taking photos. Most of the tourists stayed inside the house so we felt totally alone while wandering the same paths as Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. It was a photographers dream. Shooting an engagement, family or wedding there would be absurd. I can’t even tell you. ParisMashup18(versailles) We left Versailles feeling so refreshed and under the spell of France. We had a day or two left that we spent being in love, shopping for Christmas gifts, and relaxing into the city. Just in time to leave of course. : )

I said it at the beginning of my first post, but I’ll say it again…it still doesn’t feel real.

It’s tricky with places like Paris I think. Maybe only Paris actually. There is all this lore and mystique about it. You hear about it your whole life, or thanks to my parents, I did. Whenever anybody asks where you want to go before you die, typically Paris is at the top of the list. It’s just one of those places. It’s THE place for a lot of people. So when you get there, it’s a jumble of expectations, movie scenes, dreams coming true, and pinch me moments. It’s taken me a really long time to let it sink in and wrap my brain around. But the truth is, Paris is pretty damn spellbinding. It’s certainly not perfect, but It didn’t disappoint nor exceed my expectations. My expectations weren’t even in the ballpark of what the experience was really like. It was totally different than I could have imagined, and I’m so tearfully grateful to my husband for taking me. It was pretty remarkable to spend a week living out a dream so big I never thought it would happen with my favorite person on earth.

The end. : )

(kinda)

Several people have asked about these photos that were CLEARLY not taken by me. Lend me your tired ears and I’ll explain. Without going into too much detail, our wedding photographers didn’t show up at our wedding. Thankfully, my baby cousin Nicholas was geared up and ready for his first wedding gig. He did a great job being given about an hours notice, but I was pretty heartbroken about the whole situation. That fact combined with the other unfortunate truth that I am the photographer on these trips and therefore always behind the complicated camera. Give it to Jon and bless him he tries, but I’m usually a blurry mess.

I just wanted some beautiful photos of us. Both of us together. That’s all.

So I hired Rhianne Jones, we met her bright and early on a freezing morning, and I got my one souvenir from the trip. I’d say it was worth it. They have already proven to be such a beautiful keepsake and I am so thankful that Jon understood my desire to have them taken and was a total non-complaining trooper.

I will treasure them.

If you haven’t had enough yet, I’ve thrown up (interesting choice of words) the rest of our iPhone photos if you’re interested. Thank you so much for recapping this trip with me. It’s been really fun and I hope you enjoyed my reminiscing. : ) Thanks as usual for reading!!

I found it! I found the exquisite cheese!!! Sadly, the only photo I have of our Minneapolis savior, Preston. Jon’s favorite souvenir from the trip, his favorite wine of all time. No wonder Marie Antoinette had a bee in her bonnet, sleeping in this anxiety room. I did forget to say how bomb dot com it was to be in Paris with all the Christmas decorations. Paris version of a shopping mall. We’re doing it wrong. No filter, no nothing. This place was insane. We watched the Eiffel Tower come to life with sparkles three different nights and it was teary eyed and goosebumpy ever single time.

Go go go go go go go to Paris.

Go.

Let’s go to Paris…

4 Replies

Settle on in people, this is a big one. Jon and I have been back from our “we have no kids, we can still do whatever we want, we better do it now” trip to Paris for over a month and it still feels like a dream. I’m sure part of that is because I was given 13 days to plan the trip and it was all a bit of a whirlwind.

We had talked and talked all late summer about taking a trip to Europe before Christmas, but as everyone knows, time flies and before we knew it we felt out of time. We decided we would wait and so I put it out of my mind.

One day Jon suggested we walk up the street to my favorite Denver spot, Z Cuisine. The fact that he was suggesting a glass of wine instead of myself should have been my first hint. The second hint should have been that Z Cuisine is a French restaurant. We ordered our wine and before I knew it Jon dropped two tickets to Paris in my lap. Surprise! We leave in less than two weeks! After a day or two the shock wore off and then I was left with little more than 10 days to find us a place to stay and plan a 10 day itinerary. Boohoo right? I know, I know.

Well we I pulled off all of the planning and a few days before Thanksgiving we were flying into Paris!

Pinch me.

Since our return, friends and family have been asking how it was, and I never know quite what to say.

What can I say?

Yes it was amazing. Of course we had fun. Obviously it was beautiful.

It’s PARIS!!

It’s just that I can’t find a way to describe the experience of it all.

People we spoke to before our trip about what to expect were correct when they told us that Paris just feels different. “There’s just something about it”, they’d say, and they were right. I thought it felt like a dreamworld that couldn’t possibly be real. But then we would run into a modern convenience or a current movie poster and realize that…oh yeah, this is a real, modern and BUSY city and we are in fact not starring in a romantic comedy from a different century.

I wish I could find the words to tell you what it feels like to be in Paris, but it’s been a struggle. It’s like I either have to tell every single thing in my brain with incredible and annoying detail, or just let the photos speak for themselves. I’m not really happy with those options, so I’m going to do my regular routine of lots of photos (probably too many) with sporadic blips of storytelling here and there. I will be including some photos from our phones as well. Hopefully they stand out as obvious iPhone photos, but if not, don’t tell my expensive camera.

Ahh…Paris. A photo-op at every turn.

We arrived very early in the morning on a Monday. So early that it was still dark when we landed. We retrieved our luggage, bought metro passes and found our way to the train that was going to take us into Paris. We thought we were being adventurous by navigating our way there without help, but in retrospect, we should have hired a driver as we were the only people on the train with luggage. Regardless, we made it to our little flat, took a nap, and then headed out to see the sights. Paris-117 Paris-118 ParisMashup22(aroundtown) The city of Paris is like an enormous interactive museum. Everything around you is a work of art worth admiring. What’s great about that is you don’t have to ‘seek out’ any of these photo opportunities. It’s literally all around you at all times. For a photographer it can be overwhelming, the temptation to try and capture it all, but I was pretty good about shooting in spurts and then putting my camera away for a bit.
Paris-203

If you run out of things to admire in any given room you enter, simply look up. There’s a good chance the ceiling will end up being the most beautiful thing in the room.

This is a photograph of a busy Sunday in the wonderful neighborhood we stayed in. I’d love to take credit for choosing the Marais but it was quite a bit of chance. From the minimal research we did on the different neighborhoods of Paris we were able to eliminate those in which we did NOT want to stay. Out of the remaining areas, the Marais became our choice mainly because I fell in love with the apartment we rented, which I found using Haven in Paris. As luck would have it, the perfect choice. I simply cannot recommend this area enough. The boutiques, the restaurants, the markets, the location…we just loved it.

Here are some iPhone shots from our apartment and neighborhood…with notes:

-Living Room View-
-First Macaron- -First Baguette- -Cafe Creme--Pellegrino-
-Rest Stop-
-Marais Boutiques- -Window Shopping--Simpleton on the Metro-

-Window Shopping-

-Winding Apartment Staircase- -Stalking Jon from Living Room- –Best Falafel in Paris. The sign said so.- -Nightly Ritual-

-French Pour- -Dinner Cooking- -Thanksgiving Date Night- -Local Salad….I die-

–Best Gelato in Paris. Again…the sign said so.-

Finishing the tour of our neighborhood, below is a photo of our go to breakfast spot which was right down the street from our apartment. Cafe Creme and a chocolate croissant to start every day, as God (should have) intended.

Paris-229

That’s just me in chocolate croissant bliss. : )

We won the lottery with a metro stop right outside our front door and if instead we chose to walk anywhere, the path usually brought us right up the street past the Seine and the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

Speaking of……talk about being transported to another world. I challenge anyone to walk into that building and not be completely overwhelmed both visually and emotionally. It instantly feels magical and there is absolutely NO WAY to capture its enormity nor beauty with a camera. Forgive my feeble attempts.First of all, the building is stunning from the outside. Very gothic and almost ominous, especially on the gloomy day we went. It also pays to keep in mind that construction on this behemoth was started in 1163. Mind boggling.

Paris-15 You walk out of the chaotic streets of Paris, in through the massive doors, and an immediate hush and cool falls around you. Then slowly your senses begin to take it all in, your eyes rise up and up and up and then your jaw drops and you stand there frozen for about 10 minutes. It’s such a cool moment, possibly worth the trip to Paris in itself.

After getting our fill inside, we put on our extra big tourist caps and climbed the twisting stone stairs up one of the towers and got some of the best views of Paris we got all week.

Sigh. It was so beautiful. THAT VIEW. That’s why you feel like you’re on a movie set.

Paris-26 We could never get our fill of that view, but we had to make room for other tourists, so we headed down. On the way down I ran into the infamous ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ so that was pretty cool. : )Notre Dame was one of our fist stops and was definitely one of many trip highlights.

We’ll never forget it.

Another thing I’ll never forget are the macarons from the famous Laudureè.

It was DUMB how delicious these things were. Yet another thing I can only describe with photos.

The beautiful pale pink one in the bottom corner was called Rose and it was my favorite. These macarons don’t simply taste like the flavor they are, they smell like it too, and when you put them in your mouth they do some weird ‘invade your brain’ thing where it’s as if you’re eating the exact thing they’re supposed to taste like. Bizarre. In a delicious way. I would have bought out the entire store but they’re were about $5 a piece and only stayed fresh for a couple days. Paris-208 Paris-209 Paris-47 Paris-49 Paris-200 Now that we’re back and I’ve had time to reflect, it’s impossible for me to choose a ‘favorite’ thing we did. However, before we went, I was definetely looking forward to Palais Garnier the most. Jon had to drag me out of there before I photographed every square foot of the building. It was exquisite. Again…not a museum. People still get to attend ballet and opera there! I would love to experience that. It’s perhaps the most famous opera house in the world, partly due to its use as the setting for the 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. It was also used in the 1986 Phantom of the Opera film. It’s ridiculously beautiful.
Paris-62 As usual, the ceilings were absurd. I had a neck ache by the time we left. Also, I didn’t have the right lens with me to capture the enormous ~~ceilings~~ works of art on my camera, so we used our iPhones to try and get them all in one frame.

More iPhone photos from Opera Garnier… As far as I’m concerned this is a can’t miss in Paris. If you want an incredible demonstration of opulence and detail, this is your stop.

Well, this is where I’ll bid you adieu for now. I’ve got part two coming soon.

Yes, I have more photos! Don’t act so shocked. I’ll be taking you through the Louvre, to Versailles and down more Parisian streets. Thanks for reading!

Pine to Palm

1 Reply

It’s my party and I’ll blog when I want to.

Hello everyone. Is the holiday season crazy or WHAT?!? I even started early this year! I don’t know what happens. Whew. I think I’m done though. I mailed Christmas cards and shipped my last bundle of packages today, baked cookies and finished shopping yesterday and have now moved on to cleaning our place before we leave for 8 days.

My mom seems to blame some mythical ‘missing week’ between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I feel like it’s the same every year. There’s always one more gift to get, one more errand to run, one more christmas party to attend…blah blah blah. Regardless of the mayhem lately, I’m very excited to be going back to Ada for Christmas as we’ve missed the last two. I know everybody says this about their childhood home, but Christmas is magical at my house. Especially since we still have a little Livi around. I credit my parents for having a beautiful snow covered cozy yard, a beautifully decorated cozy house, and deliciously prepared cozy meals.

Also because my family is awesome. Except for that Livi. She’s a real jerk. : )

The biggest downside (maybe the only one) about going back to MN for Christmas is the flipping weather. More so than ever, Jon and I have realized what huge wimps we are about the cold. It seems to get worse every year. I feel that we are in NO WAY prepared for what we’ll be encountering when we arrive in the tundra. Here is some perspective on why we have such wimpy attitudes. I was wearing a light long sleeve t-shirt and jeans two days ago and actually rolled down my window for some air because it was so warm out. It creeped right up on 70 degrees. Beautiful December day in Denver. People were wearing skirts!

Do you know how cold it’s been in Ada!!??? Barely creeping up on ZERO degrees. Most days it’s so cold that the thermometers just give up. Last night the high was 0 degrees and the low was -1. It’s like make believe of the worst kind. Today Jon and I played hooky and snuck up to Keystone for our first ski day of the year. I was bundled head to toe in my usual layered masterpiece and at one point declared I was ‘a bit chilly’. He should have slapped me because it was around 40 degrees and sunny. I’m shivering just thinking about getting off the plane in Fargo.

Back to the blogging.

I think that due to all this talk about winter, and the fact that I don’t declare it being winter in Denver until I’m on a ski slope (which happened today) I will welcome in my official first day of winter with my official last post about summer. Things have gotten very official around Midwest Mountainess lately.

This should warm my thoughts up nicely.

Every year the same question hangs on the lips of the entire world:

“When will Ali and Jon be at the cabin this summer?”

Every year the same answer comes from our mouths.

“We have no idea.”

We end up picking and choosing different dates due to work schedules, deals closing, weddings happening, babies being born, etc.

Somehow those dates almost never fall on Jon’s favorite week of them all…

…Pine to Palm week. (golf claps)

It comes and it goes and he’s usually in Denver moping that he didn’t get to play AGAIN THIS YEAR! THE INJUSTICE!

Well…things changed this past summer and we made it happen. It was a highlight of our entire year and we had such a blast.

Gotta admit, I love a man in golf gear.
As you can see it’s a fairly relaxed tournament. : ) Which is also why it’s SO AWESOME! Don’t let anyone holding a styrofoam cup fool you…it’s full of a bloody mary. Every time. Part of what made the week so special is that all the ‘cabin boys’ made it up there as well to watch the golfers play. Even Max made it back from Dubai. Jon had never gotten to play with his cousin Tyler and they organized it so that the first day they all were in the same flight. 2013Lake-79 2013Lake-62 Cuties. The golfers may not have won any hardware for the mantle at the cabin, but the rest of us won big time getting to sip on Bloody Mary’s and bask in the Minnesota sunshine with our favorites. All in all and as usual, it was a fabulous week spent with even more fabulous people. Jon and I always leave weeks at the cabin with such warm fuzzies that we start to contemplate maybe moving back to Minnesota. That is until it snows in September, hits -50 with windchill in November and remains dark from then on until May.

Happy Holidays! Hope you’re warm wherever you are. Paris posts coming soon. : )

Farewell Summer.

Costa Rica – Monteverde and Tabacon

5 Replies

Part two of our vacation recap beings now…part one can be found here.

Heading into the weekend, we left the cushy resort and hopped in our rental car to explore some more of the country. With Jon behind the wheel (thank god) we headed South toward central Costa Rica and eventually began the treacherous climb up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We had read the drive was going to be difficult but it didn’t prepare us for exactly how difficult. We’re talking miles of hairpin turns up the mountains on a single lane road covered with golf ball, softball, and grapefruit sized rocks. It was crazy, took forever, but was totally worth it (although it may have aged Jon and the car a few years).

I did all of the planning for the second leg of our trip and have to say I was pretty nervous to see how it turned out, particularly the accommodations. The hotels in the more rural areas of Costa Rica barely give a glance of things at all on their websites (one has been significantly updated since we booked), and the glances they DO give are pretty average. We were so pleasantly surprised with what we found when we arrived at our first stop – Hotel Belmar. This place was beautiful. It’s set atop the Monteverde Cloud Forest and has view for miles and miles. The hotel has been run by the same family for many years and they truly care about their guests and property, which shows. The grounds were stunning, filled with flowers, and quiet with a welcomed serenity.I had never seen such unique woodwork before. The rooms and attention to detail were great, not to mention incredibly environmentally friendly. The family prides themselves on ‘being green’ and protecting the country and its natural environment and beauty.

The photo above shows the view of our bathroom from the outside. It seems a bit revealing, but the hotel grounds were so secluded and well thought out that you can enjoy the privacy of your room while enjoying wall to wall windows offering views of the countryside.

The view from our room stretched all the way to the coast. We enjoyed breathtaking sunrises and sunsets every day. It’s probably obvious but the photos do no justice.

“Set atop the spine of Costa Rica’s continental divide, Monteverde is a world above the coastal towns that dot the country’s famous shoreline. Due to it’s altitude, Monteverde is privileged to receive a steady supply of clouds and the life giving moisture that they contain. This helps to support a complex and far-reaching ecosystem, one that harbors over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, tens of thousands of insect species, and over 2,500 varieties of plants, 420 of which are orchids alone.”

CostaRica-95 Our first morning at Hotel Belmar we headed out for a guided tour of the trails and wildlife. I wasn’t sure how exciting it would be, but it was so nice to slow down the pace a bit and I was really glad we did it. There was so much to see and so many different species of plants and birds – it was overwhelming. The eagle eyes of our guide (along with his amazing telescope) allowed us to see some fantastic wildlife, mostly beautiful birds, that we would NEVER have spotted otherwise.
Is it just me that finds those tiny (and yet proportionally huge) eyeballs hilarious?

That right there is the world’s tiniest species of orchids. They were about the size of a pencil eraser.

EVERYTHING was covered in green, and we were there in the dry season. I can’t even imagine the wet season. We’re talking legitimate rain forest here people.

I took hundreds of photos, and I’m sure I annoyed the rest of the group with my constant stopping, but chose only these few for you all. You can thank me later for not drowning you in floral photos.

CostaRica-127

On one of the mornings in Monteverde, Jon and I decided we ~~had a death wish~~ needed some adventure in our lives. We chose zip lining.

Ahhhhh zip lining. Where you safely and securely clip onto a thick cable in a sitting position and leisurely glide through forests reminiscent of my backyard.

That is so NOT what happened. I was bamboozled.
Oh yes they started me off how I imagined (maybe a little higher) just to lull me into a false sense of security. Even so, you can already see a little fear in my eyes. I could tell something was up.
After about 4 or 5 ‘runs’ like the ones above, they told us to start the hike up the trails to where the next line began. When we got to the top we were so tired from the hike we barely had time to react to what we were met with.Look at those idiot ignorant tourists with their silly smiles. This could have been our last photo together…ever.

Now, I know a lot of people will say “hey I’ve zip lined before“.

I’m here to tell you that no. No you have not.

I’m not even sure what WE did should be called zip lining. It should be called flying. We went flying that day. Over a valley of death. My life flashed before me at least twice and it was very, very green.

I was already scared just knowing we were going to be whizzing that far, alone, down a zip line. Scared does not even BEGIN to describe how I felt when they told me what we’d actually be doing.

Guide: Alright, go ahead and lie down on your stomach.

Ali: I’m sorry…what?

Guide: It’s no big deal. We strap you in by the back, take away all controls of the breaking mechanism you became accustomed to, you lie down on your stomach and we push you off a cliff. Be prepared though because this is over 300ft above the tree line and you will reach very fast speeds. It’s called “The Superman”.

Ali: Mmmmmmk no.

Jon: You’re doing it.

Ali :

(that’s me giving him the silent treatment)

As Jon did the ‘Superman’ hundreds of feet over the tops of the trees, he chose to be all cool and pose like superman. I went with barbie hands.
That look is not joy. Do not be fooled. THAT, my friends, is apparently what my face does when I’m terrified, paralyzed with barbie arms, and about to throw up into my dirty man gloves. JUST KIDDING!! It was so much fun (afterwards) and the adrenaline rush was the best I’ve ever had.

…or so I thought. JUST when I thought I was in the clear.

I had been wondering where all the screams echoing throughout the jungle had been coming from. They really had a penchant for the dramatic around that place. They send you out one at a time to walk down a very long and very unstable plank. This allows plenty of time to think of all the things you would have done with your life had you just said no to the guide/husband with the crazy eyes.

Jon went first and as I watched him walk the plank I was repeating ‘please don’t die please don’t die’ over and over again in my head. I was SERIOUSLY asking myself questions like, how does a devastated widow get home from Costa Rica by herself, and was getting mad at Jon for even making me have those thoughts. They threw him off the platform. A few seconds ticked by and I heard a huge “WHOOO”!

Alas, we were there for adventure and I wasn’t about to wuss out now. My shaking legs walked that plank like they owned it and I allowed two Costa Rican men to strap me into a harness and push me off a platform hanging almost 200ft in the air.

Easily the coolest thing I’ve ever done.

The adrenaline rush lasted about an hour, but five minutes after being on the ground I was wishing I could go do it again and again. I was hooked. The superman zip-line could go to hell, but the Tarzan swing was awesome.

Our stay in Santa Elena at the Hotel Belmar was a big highlight of the trip for me. We were completely cut off from the world and surrounded by people who didn’t speak our language. There were no TV’s, no internet, and everywhere we looked there was beauty. It was by far the most relaxing and peaceful few days of the vacation. Except for the almost dying part. Otherwise, totally relaxing. : )

Our last stop in Costa Rica was set to be the Tabacon Hot Springs, near the volcano Arenal. I have to admit, we were pretty ready to get home by this point. What had been a week was feeling like several and I think all the adrenaline from our death defying stunts had worn us out.

Lucky for us the several hour drive from Hotel Belmar to Arenal was so much better than the treacherous trip up to Monteverde. The definition of ‘rolling countryside’. Who knew? We drove all the way around Lake Arenal and stopped a few times for coffee and also at Costa Rica’s only brewery, Volcano Brewing Company. We could not recommend stopping there more. After a week of a foreign country this place brought us a little bit of the homeland (it’s owned and run by a former Californian). Sitting at the restaurant inside the brewery, eating one of the best meals we’d had all vacation while listening to reggae, it felt almost like we were at the Minnesota Lakes…almost. Feeling refreshed and ready for the last leg of our trip, we jumped back in the car, turned a few corners, and BAM……volcano Arenal.

SO COOL!

I thought so anyway. I had never seen an active volcano and I kept suspiciously peering at it out the window and thinking you’re one ominous piece of earth.

Shortly thereafter we arrived at the hot springs, which are heated from the volcano (obviously) and set directly in Arenal’s lava path should there be a massive eruption.

Comforting eh?

They actually had safety warnings on the website of the resort and we had to park our car nose out so we had a quick escape route. Livin’ on the edge.

We did one afternoon of exploring the extensive grounds of the resort and all the many many hot springs. Before too long, however, we decided it felt incredibly touristy and almost like a water park, which was disappointing (unreal people watching), but we found some other activities in Arenal to do. Pretty sweet/scary view from our balcony. That thing was mesmerizing.

On an overcast day we decided to get in a little hike up and around the volcano. It was pretty funny how used to tourists this area was. The ‘hike’ as they called it was said to take around two hours and could be strenuous (warning the tourists). Maybe it’s since we’re Coloradans, but it took us roundtrip about 30 minutes and was more like a tough walk rather than a hike. We were pretty ego boosted when we were done. : )After the ‘hike’ we went in search of a tough to find spot that supposedly housed a spectacular waterfall. The hike down to the water and back up was the hike we’d been looking for that morning, not for the faint of heart. Once we got down and were nice and sweaty, a dip in the very cool water was just what we needed.It was during this trip to the waterfall where Jon and I both agreed what an amazing trip it had been. Swimming at the base of that enormous waterfall was such a treat and something we’ll probably never do again, and certainly will never forget. We just sat there staring and soaked it all in.

Speaking of a soak……our final afternoon in Costa Rica was spent lazing by the pool in the sun, getting the last bits of relaxation we could before heading home. I know I’ve said it already, but we had such a great time. Experiencing Costa Rica was strange in a way. I think since the majority of the trip was a pseudo work thing, paid for, and organized for us, we didn’t really give it a lot of thought beforehand. In fact, I was making last minute and final reservations for our leg of the trip down to a few weeks before we left. I usually do a TON of research before our vacations to make sure we see everything we want to see, but this time we just kind of went in blind, having no idea what to expect.

It could have gone very poorly, but instead it was one pleasant surprise after the other. Costa Rica was FULL of surprises. It really was like an adventure. The multitude of different landscapes, the differences between the resort areas, the beach towns, the valleys and the mountains, it was all so beautiful in such different and unexpected ways. I am a fan, is what I’m saying, and I finally understand why people go back over and over again.

Happy Tuesday and thanks so much for reading!

*sorry for the updates for those of you who follow by e-mail, I found some spelling mistakes.

Costa Rica – Papagayo Peninsula

3 Replies

Costa Rica. What can I say? We had an absolute blast. It was easily the best vacation we’ve ever been on together, and given the chance, we would love to go back. It’s a wonderful place and if you ever have the chance to visit…do it!

I’ve split the trip into two parts, the first being our arrival in Costa Rica (we flew into Liberia) and stay at Papagayo Peninsula, which is located in Northwestern Costa Rica. We had the privilege to experience the exceptional Four Seasons resort for five glorious days thanks to Jon and his being a rockstar at work. Marcus and Millichap brokers gathered from all over the country for a week of getting spoiled, rewarded, wined and dined. It was amazing. The yearly trip is called The National Achievement Awards and they took such over the top great care of us. Also, it was pretty special for me to watch Jon get acknowledged for his hard work and accomplishments. The resort itself was unbelievable. The property where the resort is located is so unique and so spectacular. The staff was absurdly nice (which is a well known fact about Costa Rican people) and that truly is what made our stay at the resort as fabulous as it was. Most of the brokers were lucky enough to get their own private bungalow located in the hills and bluffs surrounding the property. This made it necessary to take a chauffeured golf cart back and forth (boo hoo), but the beauty and views from the bungalows was way worth it. This is right off our balcony. Monkeys. Monkeys for everyone! One of the great features since the resort is located on a peninsula is the access to the ocean on both sides, mere steps away from the several pools. So spoiled.
CostaRica-47 What? You’re tired of the sand and need to cool off? Walk up some stairs and take a dip.

Enough of all that pesky rest and relaxation.

Let the ~~activities~~ drinking begin!

The first big evening event was the welcome reception on the beach. There was dancing, tequila, great food all while listening to the ocean roll in right beside us. It was a pretty clear picture of what the rest of the week would look like. More food and drink than any group (even our large group) of brokers could possible consume. Although we did try.

Just like the photo above, things got a little blurry after that. : ) The next morning there was a first time attendee reception/brunch where we hobnobbed with other newbies, took prom-esque photos and looked like we were standing in front of a green screen. Weird. After we busted outta there we signed up for a tour of the beautiful golf course and it’s wildlife. It ended up being the place where one of the strangest things of all time happened to me (I’ll explain in a minute).

Jon had the choice to golf while we were there, but he chose not to because he wanted to spend all of his time with me. Awwwwwwwwww…………. : ) As a reward I caught him this monkey.

In case you were wondering, yes those are monkey nuts and yes we find them hilarious around here.

So on this day this happened…

…lend me your ears while I explain how INSANE that photo is.

Jon and I signed up last minute for a tour of the beautiful golf course, so last minute in fact that they almost didn’t let us do it. We got the OK so we climbed into an empty resort van that was going to take us over and we began to pull away. Suddenly (it’s very exciting) a couple comes running out of the hotel and jumps in the van to head over with us, for they too had signed up for the tour. We get to chatting in the van, Jon asks if they’re with Marcus and Millichap and they sigh heavily and say no, but that it’s kind of frustrating being two of only 13 other people at the resort that aren’t with the company (there were 300 of us overwhelming a mere 15 others). I totally get their frustration because we were an obnoxious partying group. Anyway, we start talking about the Superbowl game that was taking place later that day and ask if they’re a fan of the teams. The man says no, I say we aren’t either and that we’re actually Vikings fans. The man exclaims that he is as well, being from Minnesota and all. Jon and I are in shock that the people that hopped in our van just happen to be from Minnesota just like us(just. you. wait.)! They explain that they currently live outside of the Twin Cities, but then the man explains that he’s from a very small town that we’ve never heard of.

Jon: Oh really? Where?

Man: Trust me, you’ve never heard of it.

Jon: Just try her (referencing me) she knows a lot of small towns.

Man: Alright. Well I’m from a small town called Ada.

…

Ali (after her head spun around three times): SHUT UP! (I think I almost slapped him out of shock) I’m from Ada!

Man: Haha very funny. (I think he called me a liar)

Ali: No, seriously you aren’t from Ada. That’s not possible because I’M from Ada and I don’t know you and I know everybody from Ada.

Man: I grew up there! Name somebody you know.

Ali: Uhhh Dr. Kinkade? Bob Kinkade? Mindy Kinkade?

Man: You know Mindy?

Ali: Ummm yes only so much as she’s my mom.

Man: What? Mindy is your MOM?! I went to high school with her. I know your mom. We both know your mom. And your Dad, and your relatives, and everybody else you can possibly list.

This went on and on and on and nobody could believe it. I couldn’t stop looking at Jon and saying can you f#$*ing believe this??? Pardon my french.

Let me drive this home for you (bewilderingly nobody is as stunned by this as we all were).

We are in a different country. On the same days out of the entire year. We are at a remote resort. We are with 300 other people. They happen to be TWO of the only FIFTEEN other people at this resort. They jumped in OUR van that we almost didn’t get on, we get to talking only to find that they and I ALL grew up in a tiny tiny town in Northern Minnesota of 1,700 people and we met each other for the FIRST time in Costa Rica.

W. T. F.

It was easily the strangest thing to ever happen to me and I’m still in complete shock when I think about it. We had a few rounds of drinks and necessary Ada gossip with them, saw them again for breakfast before they left, and it was such a great addition to an already great vacation.

So bizarre. SUCH a small world.

We wrapped up with our insane run in and proceeded with the evening, which happened to be Super Bowl Sunday! The company threw another great party for everyone, Jon gambled (weird) and won some money, and we all had a blast…again. Bright and early the following morning we headed out for our group activity of choice…we chose SURFING!! This was our third time trying it out and it’s pretty safe to say that neither of us have progressed much in our skill level. Still, surfing is so fun and a great workout.
We went with our little group of 20 or so M & M people to Tamarindo, a bohemian little beach town south of the resort, for a full day of fun in the sun. I’m actually not horrible at surfing. I feel no shame in bragging just a little because it’s the ONE athletic activity that I’m better than Jon at. Maybe just barely, but it counts. Jon will tell you it’s because I was teachers pet with our instructor, my side of the story is that I was willing to ask for help…unlike some people. A lot of people quit early, but he and I were out there all afternoon. We had so much fun. It just wouldn’t be fair if I forgot to point out my incredible instructor and his great ~~abs~~ smile front and center. A little lunch on the beach and then back to the Four Seasons.

Oh…you think our day ends after surfing for 10 hours?

Nay.

We had the big awards dinner that night. Heels to stuff our swollen feet into, dresses to cover up our sunburn with, and yet more food and alcohol to consume. Hey, somebody’s gotta do it. We cleaned up pretty nicely (Jon’s face was a little rosy) and spent the evening listening to some great speeches and watching some deserving people get big fat awards. It was way more than I imagined it would be (production wise) and I was pretty proud of Jon for being part of such a great and successful company.

I wanted to make sure I took no attention away from him that night, so I went with a bright neon fluorescent pink flowing dress. NICE and subtle. If you can’t wear it in Costa Rica, than really where can you. After all the hoopla, applauding, music and dancing we ended up a little tipsy on the beach with some friends and champagne to celebrate. This next one is for my critics that say I only post flattering photos of myself…

…WOOF!

I didn’t feel like giving an intro for the above photo. Just wanted shock and awe. Hahahaha.

Yep. That happened.

I’ll admit, when I found out we were expected to show up at a costume party (for which I’d been told people go ALL out – and I mean all out hire makeup artists, fly in costumes etc.) I was NOT happy. That meant packing MORE stuff that seemed unnecessary, plus I don’t like dressing up, especially not by force. Long story short, I made Jon dress like a fool and I slapped on some wings and antenna. The night ended up being really fun, again – way way way over the top as far as overall production – and Jon got up on stage for having one of the best costumes. It was cool.
After a long night of partying, we prepared to say goodbye to new friends, everything being free, and the incredible resort.

We got as much sleep as we could, packed up our suitcases and loaded ourselves into our rental car for the next leg of our adventure. Little did we know, the adventure had barely begun.