Do I really have to work today?

March 31st was going to be an all day affair.  Up at seven, breakfast by 7:30 and in the car for adventure by 8.  

Our driver, Junior, rocked.  Super fun and friendly he made the 1 hour and 44 minutes in the car fly by.  I was only uncomfortable when he was working the iPad to show use Costa Rica highlights while driving down a road barely wide enough for 1 car.

We eventually arrived at our destination for family fun.

Up first was a horseback ride up the valley.  The ride was beautiful the volcano in the background.  It was amazing.

Grace has developed a new strategy on this vacation by lowering our expectations at the beginning.  That trend continues today as she cried and fretted her way up the hill on horse back. We will revisit this later.

The 5 horseman of the apocalypse?

Katie out for a ride

Ashley is that horse rambunctious?

Katie, Ashley and Gracie

The ride concluded at our zip line experience.  11 zips minimum instructions, self braking zips and a mild language barrier, what could go wrong.

Katie's first zip

Ashley's first zip

Kari's first zip 

Grace, a random 50ish lady and the guide.  Cause 2 out of the 3 were scared.

So on the second zip the guy with the scared 50ish lady forgets how to brake on his approach and smashed into the pad and tree.  He appeared to have injured his ankle.  I sat patiently waiting until Ashley said "Dad, your an orthopedic surgeon."  At which time I arose and examined his ankle.  Hopefully, I gave him better advice than 2 zip line guides.  ABDOK, always be dropping orthopedic knowledge.

My zip check the waterfall to the left 

Kari zipping 

Ashley zipping.  Do you know the WiFi password?

Grace now upside down with the guide.

WTF just happened.

My zip superman style. Check out the flowers, Golden Cortez, only flower at beginning of rainy season.  They are amazing.

Katie going superman.  No one has more fun than KT.  No one!!!

Gracie now rocking some solo style

Ashley like a bullet

Kari finishing the Anseth zip on this line

On the last ride we all went upside down.  Everyone. Crazy.

Katie

Ashley

Grace going upside down. What???

Oohhhh my god Kari is upside down!!!!!

How do you relax after that?  First let's try a traditional Costa Rican lunch with bean, rice, slow cooked chicken and beef.

This will stick to your Rob's.

After lunch a volcanic mud bath was in order

The crazies are out

These girls are getting dirty

"If it bleeds we can kill it"

Ashley and fun

After a rinse, soak in the hot springs and then the cold springs it was time for the pool.

After that it was a car ride home.  Somehow we were detoured into buying 3 bags of Costa Rican coffee and a bunch of bracelets.  At the resort it was diner, relaxation a couple of Pilsen and bed.  Everyone should sleep well tonight.

Jeff Spicoli can't surf with these girls

March 30th started early, mainly due to the fact everyone was in bed by 7:30 PM.

Katie, Gracie, Kari and I all head down to the beach for a kayak.  There is supposedly a Green Sea Turtle that enjoys breakfast near our beach.  We paddle the shoreline for 40 minutes.  Lots of tropical fish, sea urchins but no sea turtle. Apparently the leopards contacted the sea turtles.  Regardless, it was a
great morning exercise.  The bay was beautiful and the water was clear for about 50-60 feet I would guess.

View from the kayak. 

The girls after a paddle. All smiles

Paddle girls.

We had a great breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs and crepes.

Seriously, it is terrifying to watch this girl eat crepes.

We chilled out for a little bit and prepared for our surf lesson.

I watched some of the hotel ground crew work.

Then we meet at the beach for surfing.  A quick boat ride across the bay and we were ready to begin.

Ariel, yes our surfing instructors name was Ariel.  He was very nice.  First beach training on board position and the proper technique to get up after a few tries the Anseths were ready to surf.

Grace was nervous.  She paddled out with Ariel and on the first little wave popped right up.  After the hit the beach the next wave knocked her down and sent the board shooting around pulling on her leg.  She started crying, I was 100 percent convinced she was done.  She sat on the beach with Kari for a little bit but then rallied.  She started surfing again.  By the end of the day she would surf in and paddle out just like Kelly Slater.

Gracie hanging 10

Gracie chilling between sets 

Katie is the natural.  She is the Eddie Aikau.  The phenomenon paddle out caught the first wave and couldn't be stopped.  She also made friends with the other instructor and family surfing and was elected Mayor of the beach.

Hanging 10

Hang Loose

Wipeout

Ashley had a long stare down with her old enemy the Pacific Ocean.  After a draw surfing in Hawaii, she lost badly in San Diego during her near death kayaking experience.  It looked bleak early as the Pacific got salt water in Ashley's mouth.  The Pacific was also teaming with the sun to make it very hot. However Ashley rose like a Phoenix from the ashes of her previous defeat.  She ripped off several great sets and managed some fashionable poses along the way.  All the while surfing goofy foot.

Rip curl lookout

Sisterly love!  The ocean is powerful!

Popping up

Paddling out for another set

Kari was the Gidget for our surfing adventure.  Super fun, cute and short lived.  Kari popped up on her first two rides and looked like a pro but decided she didn't want the pounding so volunteered to be the paparazzi for the rest of the day.

Scott, tried real hard.  I loved every minute out there with the ocean and with the girls.  The results were mixed but good enough to keep going next time we find ourselves on a beach.

Does physics even know this is happening.

At the end everyone was smiles.

Roxy has a new cover girl 

Endless Summer

This is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken of the girls

If this blog ever got popular enough.  I would like to thank

Cannon cameras

Tamron Lens

GoPro Hero4

iPhone 6

If you know anyone at these corporations, encourage them to read and chip in this much fun needs corporate support.

Get on the bus Ash, no need to be coy Katie

March 29th was a transfer day.  We all slept in a little and took down the buffet one last time.  Ashley under performed here given the cost eating only a chocolate muffin, a slice of melon and a slice of pineapple and a slice of watermelon.  Katie and Grace were strong taking down several slice of fruit, at least half a waffle, eggs and bacon.  At this rate Grace may actually get above 50  lbs. and stay there.  We packed to the obligatory Rain forest picture and boarded our bus.

Rain Forest girls

Rain Forest selfie with my girl

Waterfall into the hot mineral springs

Goodbye swim up bar

Rain Forest girls II

Katie on the slide the day before 

Gracie on the slide

I could not get a picture of Ashley searching for WiFi.

On the bus it was 3 hours to Andaz which is on the Papagayo peninsula.  I spent 3 hours as a bobble head.  Katie, Grace and Ashley put on their dad cancelling head phones and enjoyed some Full House, Friends and maybe Jessie.  Kari read most of the way.

We did see a Coati crossing the road.  Actually, I saw it and that was it.  Our driver spoke almost zero English so conversation was a minimum.

When we arrived at Andaz.  We were promptly shown to our room over looking the bay.

Not a bad view 

We settled in checked out the black sand beach and headed for some tapas.

We made it just in time to finish out happy hour.

Costa Rican style.

Happy hour!!  My wife loves this hat.

They turn off the lights in Costa Rica around 6:30 so we head back to the room watched Barca on Telemundo and went to bed.

Tomorrow Ashley meets her old foe,  the Pacific Ocean again.  #neverforgetthebattleinSanDiego.