Costa Rica 2016

A month-long solo adventure traveling through beautiful Costa Rica.

February – March 2016

Alajuela -> San José

San José -> Monteverde

Monteverde -> La Fortuna

La Fortuna -> Puntarenas -> Tambor

Tambor -> Jacó -> Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio -> Uvita

Uvita -> Bahia Drake

Bahia Drake -> Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo -> San José

The photos below highlight bits of my epic adventure and are captioned with corresponding segments of my travel journal entries.

Neya in a waterfall pool in Uvita, CR.

A soul sister I met along the way, Alexis, and I on a speedy back-road bus drinking from our cocos. Half the reason I travel is to meet people like this girl. Life is good!

“Feb. 13th. 2016 Hot Springs! Baldhi – 9 different pools flowing from the top of a massive hill to the bottom, all volcanic, ranging in size and temprature. The place was really clean and the buffet was awesome.” This was written in La Fortuna, CR and I was with my newly made friend Alexis.

“Feb.10.2016 – I have heard nothing but good things about the coffee that resides from Costa Rica, and my first sip just confirmed the rumors.” This was written in Alajuela, CR on my first morning in the country. The above photo, however, is of a fellow traveler’s mug of coffee that I shot one morning at a hostel called Yoses, San Jose.

Celebrating Annie’s birthday at the Lion Fish Hostel, where I worked for 2 weeks.

Lion Fish

Tambor, CR

New friends – when you travel alone, you’re never really alone.

Girl crew at the Lion Fish hostel – ya know, I’m never really surprised to find so many solo female travlers…More power to the ladies that look after one another, no matter what the circumstance. It’s Women who make foreign places feel like home.

Monteverde, Cloud Forest, CR

Arenal Volcano lumes in the distance. La Fortuna, CR.

“(Undated) You’re in the flowers. You’re everywhere.”

“(No date written down, but smetime later on in Feb.) Sitting under the moon with Max & Neya, awakening. On and up, or back to ground zero.” written in Uvita, CR. I happened to be there right before a huge festival, Envision, began. There were tons of interesting and loving souls making the trek to this small city on the southern coast. The hostel I stayed at was awesome, and as you can see in the photo, the whole structure was open air, open to nature, bugs, and mezmorizing sunset views.

Manuel Antonio – where I suffered the worst sunburn of my life. Still, it was one of my favorite location in CR.

Cats of Costa Rica

Bahia Drake, CR

The hostel I worked at for 2 weeks. Must go to Puerto Viejo and MUST stay at the Lion Fish – good vibes, good people.

“Feb 22nd. 2016 – Imperial beer, jungle, beach, pacific, veggies & fruits – I think I landed a job starting the 27th working for a few weeks at a Hostel in Puerto Viejo, so that’s exciting. I’ll be here for a few more nights and then move on up to the Caribbean Coast. Feeling good. It’s actual paradise here.” written in Bahia Drake

My sweet multi-city travel partner enjoying a waterfall and it’s pool in Uvita, CR.

Zip line crew, Monteverde, CR

Lizzie on the streets of Puerto Viejo.

San Jose, CR

Breakfast, yumm.

Perrito Bahia Drake

Bahia Drake

Worked for 2 weeks at this dope hostel, The Lion Fish, along side the two owners. If you’re looking to travel for an extended amount of time, trade working for a clean & safe bed to save a lot of money.

Annie’s “21st” birthday party at the Lion Fish in Puerto Viejo, CR.

“Feb. 12th. 2016 – Zip lining was incredible. I soared through the clouds and rainbows and high above the jungle. Pure euphoria. I kept thinking to myself, is this real? Are my eyes really seeing what I could have never imagined…? ..undescribeable green, mist kissing my cheeks, laughter, rain, mud, more laughter.. I was soaked to the bone with rainwater and my heart was drenched in my fvorite feeling – freedom.”

Dogs of Costa Rica

Bahia Drake, walking through the jungle.

Drooling.

Met Sam in DIA, she approached me and said, “are you going to Costa Rica?” (even though it wasn’t even a direct flight from DIA to CR) and we were friends from that moment on – and got to travel to a few different places together. Meaningful coincidences, people, they are a REAL thing!

Food is EVERYTHING. Food is life insurance. Food is medicine. Food is energy & nourishment and damn, food is delicious! It’s so important to treat your body right and I was reminded of that constantly in Costa Rica, where healthy options are plentiful.