When Matthew and I got engaged in Jamaica, we had a great time relaxing and lounging around. But after about two days of lounging, we were ready to get out and do things. So when we were choosing a location for our honeymoon, we knew that, yes, we wanted some romantic destination, but romantic only gets you so far - we wanted some adventure!
After lots of browsing of the internets, we decided to go to Costa Rica.
We picked a small bed & breakfast in Manuel Antonio, Mango Moon. It was actually recommended to us by a friend, and the couple who owned it actually moved to Costa Rica from a town about 15 minutes from our house. (I've heard that since then they've sold it to the lead singer of the band Creed. Weird.)
It was set in the mountains, just a short hike to the beach. This was the view from our balcony:
We spent tons of time on the balcony, listening to the rain and even getting couples massages there. Matthew usually hogged the hammock:
We went in October, which just happens to be rainy season. Lots of people choose not to go during that time because it literally rains EVERY DAY for hours on end. But do you know what that means? Naps. Lots of them. Also - great service at restaurants because you are the only one there. It also means hideously curly hair. Try to ignore that.
The service was so good at the restaurants that they did things like make little roses and grasshoppers out of plants:
We opted for an adventure package rather than a honeymoon package, which sent us on a different excursion daily, like ziplining (is that a verb?) through the forest canopy:
Yep, that's me making quite the fashion statement in the red helmet.
There was also horseback riding to some waterfalls:
Side note: riding a horse in the rain while wearing wet pants for three hours can equal major chafing. Just saying.
There was also a kayaking adventure through the mangroves (don't have a picture of that one) and lots of walking around, including a couple of trips down to the beach to check out the black sand and the loads and loads of hermit crabs.
(Please don't think that I would ever wear something like this on a normal occasion. First of all, I don't wear tennis shoes. Second of all, I was cold and wet and we bought this shirt because it was dry. This is what a medium t-shirt looks like on me. So instead, please direct your attention to the black sand.)
We also spent lots of night sipping on rum and talking to the B&B owners and staff. Jeff, one of the owners, was in a band and would make up impromptu (funny) songs. We were the only guests who stayed the whole week, but we met lots of people who stopped for one night and each had fun stories to share.
But our favorite adventures by far were those involving the Costa Rican wildlife. Each morning, we woke up to the sounds of howler monkeys calling one another. Capuchin monkeys (like Marcel on Friends!) passed over the roof of our balcony in the mornings and evenings, peeking over to see what we were having for breakfast (and by the way, the banana pancakes were to. die. for. I ate them every morning. It's no surprise the monkeys were jealous.)
The coolest creatures were in Manual Antonio National Park. We toured with an awesome guide who could spot a bird the size of my fist 200 feet away. No joke. We saw lots of sloths (which pretty much just look like giant moldy fur balls in photos, so I'll spare you), cute little squirrel monkeys and ton of birds.
Disregard this furry bald guy and check out that monkey (wow, that's a sentence I never thought I'd utter):
Considering that we're photographers, we really didn't take that many photos. But rain, humidity and cameras really don't mix. Most shots taken with a Canon point-and-shoot, Canon 10D or Canon 20D (we're Canon people, can you tell?).
I'd definitely suggest taking a trip to Costa Rica (we want to go back one day) if you're looking for a vacation spot. There are lots of places to visit, but Manual Antonio really was awesome. Other areas of Costa Rica are known for great surfing, scuba diving and lots of other fun activities. And if you're not too opposed to rain, I'd suggest going during rainy season to avoid crowds and touristy-tourists. Unless, of course, you're looking to lay poolside all day. That wouldn't work.
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