Pura Vida

Pura Vida, as they say in Costa Rica means “pure life” and the motto of the nation. We spend the last of our time hanging out by Manuel Antonio Beach. It is a nice break from the hectic driving and activities of the past few days. We have rented a villa atop a hill, overlooking the water and with its own private beach. When we entered, it was literally like the first episode of a new season of Real World, where everyone runs around the house, screaming at its awesomeness, and choosing the best room. There is a large open terrace with a jacuzzi, dining table, and chairs.  I can say we spent a lot of time here, drinking, trying to site spider monkeys, and watching the sunset. As we are in a tropical region, it rains daily, a huge torrential downpour. But this is the first time that I enjoy the rain. It is a nice contrast to the hot and sticky climate and is very cooling. One afternoon I was walking around the beach and got stuck in one of these storms. I basically waited under a palm tree until it stopped. Looking at the ocean during the rain is a nice experience; I’ll just have to show you pictures. The last night, we hire a private chef to cook us dinner on the balcony and invite some friends over for drinks. My new drink after this trip is rum cream; it’s similar to Bailey’s and very refreshing over ice.  I am surprised we were able to rally 8 people every day to get up early and drive around without being late. We definitely had a good group here, and an even better time together. This was the perfect way to end 2 years of school with a final with good friends. If only I had a few more days here..but we have to get back to school as we graduate in a few days.