Been a Long Time; I Should'nt Have Left You...

 Costa Rica Chica Part 1

Hola! I’m so happy to be back on the scene. Yes life happened and I had to take a break from blogging. I got back to work as a full time teacher in the Fall season, which is energy draining. On top of that I was cast in an amazing play, In The Red and Brown Water! So working full time and doing rehearsals meant I wasn’t getting home until midnight. However being able to act again was  well worth it. I smiled more doing one of my passions daily. And I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a cool, talented cast. #Ilovemypeople

Along with the New Year in New Orleans, comes Mardi Gras season. This means parades and also for teachers- a WEEK off!! I knew I wanted to get out the city for this holiday because #1- Mardi Gras is not my most favorite thing to be apart of. I grew up in Nola and although it is a treat- I’m over it. #2- Mardi Gras week is right before my birthday. Can we say birthday getaway maybe?? #3- I owe myself a fabulous trip!

#3 resurfaced because I had a milestone birthday the previous year but was in a deep depression and did not do anything special to celebrate it. This is the first time I am publicly admitting this experience of depression. I was so ashamed and thought I was worthless. But I’m grateful I didn’t give up on myself because there were a lot of times I wanted to. I promise to do a post on how I got through depression. I want everyone to know that the light comes and though hard- don’t give up on yourself!

So back to present day; I’m fabulous and deserve ALL the things. I talked to a cool friend who is a travel and food blogger, Melani (FOLLOW her now @alohamelani). We decided to travel to Costa Rica and here are a few of our memorable excursions…

We arrive in San Juan, got a rental car and stayed at a cool Air B and B. The next day we took a three-hour drive to La Fortuna! A blooper moment during this ride has to be the ride up the mountain. Our accommodation was at a cottage on an organic farm . However it was at the top of a mountain! Thank God for Melani’s driving skills with a stick shift. She drove like a pro up that mountain. I took one look down the side of the mountain and was scared straight to tunnel vision. We later laughed because we both were a little afraid but didn’t want to discourage each other by actually admitting it.

The drive was worth it. The farm was a beautiful escape with fresh herbs such as oregano, basil, and turmeric at our disposal. Also I tasted fresh cacao for the first time and it was amazing. The farm was in perfect placement for us to see the amazing La Fortuna Volcano. We were also able to get a perfect view of the volcano without the clouds covering it. Something that a lot of travel bloggers have noted they have yet to experience. #blessings

While in La Fortuna we visited two hot springs, a gorgeous waterfall and did zip lining. All three attractions were a first for both of us. I was down for 2 out of the three. Can you guess which one Melani had to talk me into??? Yep- you guessed it, zip lining.

In La Fortuna two fitness highlights has to be the waterfall and zip lining! We had to walk down a stairwell of 480 steps to get to the La Fortuna waterfall. Once there you can swim, eat and enjoy the picturesque environment. But you got to take the same 480 back to your car! It was a great challenge and I loved it.

Now zip lining was something I never even thought I would do. I not only did it but also from the prompting of my adventurous travel mate Melani, did the Tarzan swing. Yes I swung from a rope like Tarzan or should I say Jane? Even though my legs felt like Jell-O every time it was my turn to zip or swing, the view was magical and a worthwhile activity. Thanks to EcoGlide and the guides who were funny, fun and kept us all safe zip lining.

Our next stop was Liberia where we stayed at the Hacienda Guachipelin Volcano Ranch Hotel. Here we were able to have a resort like stay with four waterfalls to trek to and one of my top experiences- the MUDBATH! ** If you stay at the Hacienda , the mud bath experience is FREE**

When Melani suggested we go to Costa Rica the first thing that came to mind was a picture I saw of Eniko Hart (comedian, Kevin Hart’s wife) at a mud bath while visiting Costa Rica. I thought at that moment” I want to do that!” And from my lips to God’s hands- it was so.

A blooper moment while at the Ranch was during our wait for the mud bath we decided to take a walk to a nearby waterfall. Well- the direction the attendant pointed us in led us to a desolate path with the most horse droppings I have seen in my life. It smelled and once again the black person in my wanted to run in the opposite direction. But my rider Melani said no lets keep going! Whelp- after about 20 minutes we started to hear the waterfall and Costa Rica doesn’t disappoint in that area. ALL the waterfalls are breathtaking and COLD. We met a security guard at the waterfall who told us there was a direct path for walking that we can take back sans the poop. The hike to the waterfall was about 4 miles in total - which was another unexpected fitness moment I enjoyed.

Next up was the mud bath and it was ALL the things my friends. Yes it was mud. Yes it was from the volcano. Yes it was right next to a hot spring. And Yes I felt like a million bucks. Our tag line the whole trip was a talk show host, Wendy Williams' catch phrase “ Dipping and Doing it.” And we were the black folks that did our mud bath, cleanse, hot spring experience twice! Why not?!

The next day we treated ourselves to a volcanic mud massage and it was heavenly. It was a great reset from all the hiking and site seeing we did so far. Also it was a nice mid trip rejuvenation.

In Part 2 of Costa Rica Chica I will talk about our last city stop and ALL the great food I experienced while in Costa Rica. This trip was EVERYTHING and I’m so excited to share my tour with you!