best of costa rica

The best part of Costa Rica was spending time with Shari. I mean, she rented a car and so we were self-sufficient the entire time. It was fun to maneuver the pot-holed streets, with crazy drivers, taxis and of course, the semi. The road to Manual Antonio was crap which I remembered from my trip in 2004 with Brian.
Shari is a wonderful travel companion since she travels light and enjoys nature. She wasn't demanding or expecting me to wake at the crack of dawn for some crazy adventure. She enjoys life and the experience that is presented each day.
Once we got to Manual Antonio we found our bed and breakfast and I was sick. I think the heat, the drive down and nostalgia made me nauseous. I am sure that the owner couldn't wait to see more of what I could do!
He was a widower and the upkeep wasn't there, but he tried and we understood his situation. He was in shock, still, but trying to keep the business alive for the memory of his wife. The hot tub and pool were handy and in spite of the cold showers the first few days, it was the best place we stayed.
The hotel in Dominical was loud, without a tv/pool/hot tub and no breakfast included. Of course, it was fine, we can fend for ourselves and we found a lady to do our laundry. The roads to Dominical were trying on our little car, but it was an adventure. They are in the process of paving the roads to connect Manual Antonio to Dominical. I loved how rustic Dominical was. There were 5 hostels on the beach and a few hotels. Outside of this, it was mostly surfers, backpackers and no resorts. I could have stayed there the entire time. The beaches were beautiful.
In Cartago, our room was across the street from a famous church. Very beautiful, but I wasn't coaxed in. Plus, after the night I spent tonight at the computer, I feel like I was at a service. There are about 15 Christians on a mission and I had to listen to their meeting since my ipod was stolen. It was weird on several levels. I felt like I was intruding on their meeting and I felt like they were hurting my ears.
We had good food and spent time in the rainforest park in Manual Antonio and Mapiche, near Cartago. It was nice to enjoy the park without disruption since we went early. Around noon, Tico families came with picnic lunches and it was great to see.
The canopy tour was amazing and we have some great shots to prove it. It was uplifting and close to free. I guess, I recovered from my funk and didn't have anything bad to say except for the mosquito bite that wouldn't quit giving and the inconvenience of cold water. Really, Costa Rica is paradise...some of it. I do not enjoy all of the english speakers or the vacationing americans only because, there are so many of them. It felt like we flew into LA or Miami.
Take time to enjoy coffee, which by the way is fantastic in Costa Rica and enjoy the sun. They do have cbs, nbc and abc all tuned into Denver. Ironic, I suppose.
Tomorrow, I depart for another tropical paradise filled with tourists and english. I might get picked up by a cruise ship--who knows?