Our Costa Rican Christmas (photo album)

Posted on December 26, 2013 by katez

It’s been a whirlwind few days here in Costa Rica! So here is a whole shwack of photo’s for you to enjoy!

Back to our regularly scheduled programs tomorrow!!

learning that “rompope” or costa rican egg nog, comes pre-spiked

Christmas even tuna steaks bought fresh that day.

Christmas even dinner!

Post Christmas morning run dip

Christmas morning massages with a coconut chaser!

Opening Christmas cards on the beach

Carving our little Christmas ham

Christmas Dinner

I hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday!!

much love!

Pura Vida

Kate

Merry Christmas from Hostels and Hot Rollers

Posted on December 25, 2013 by katez

It’s surreal that this day has actually arrived. I can’t wait to give everyone the full run down of what has happened…but until then

Merry Christmas, Pura Vida,

Kate

Christmas is coming to Hostels and Hot Rollers

Posted on December 24, 2013 by katez

Twas the night before the 23rd of December,and both Shaun and Kate

Were so excited that they’d finally arrived at this date.

Their laundry was done, not a stink in the air

In hopes that their friends and family would soon be there

They’d baked many cookies, and eaten some too

okay lets be honest they’d eaten quite a few

They’d cut out their snowflakes, and hung them on thread (or the phone cords they found in a closet)

And then nestled together in their gigantic king sized bed.

They dreamt of their crew, all travelling in time

sleeping in airports should be a crime

They slept barely a wink, as they tossed and they turned

I just hope the planes don’t miss a turn

Kate could be heard mumbling with a yawn

On Smitty, on Cathy, On Natalia, On Sean

On Whitney On Bradley, On Uni, you’ll be here at dawn.

To the airports in Houston, to the final boarding call

Fly in, Fly in , Fly in you all!

Mi Familia has arrived!!!!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Hotel La Aurora- Montezuma, Costa Rica

Posted on December 23, 2013 by katez

I feel like shouting from the hilltops..

“I LOVE MONTEZUMA!”

After 9 days in Santa Teresa, Shaun and I were itching to explore a new area. We hopped in a taxi, and headed off on the 25min drive to Montezuma. I’m consistently amazed at how these gigantic taxi vans can navigate the rough Costa Rican terrain. We crossed rivers, climbed mountains and flew down steep hills, all while the driver was texting. Amazing, isn’t it!

The entrance to La Aurora

We finally arrived at our hostel, which is gorgeous. Hotel La Aurora is perfectly located right in the middle of the little town.

As we explored the hotel, we realized that it is deceivingly large. Everywhere you turn is a new hallway full of rooms.

Our room

Our room has a double, and single bed, and our own bathroom. There is a communal kitchen, but each room has its own fridge. There is coffee every morning in the kitchen, and wifi in the outdoor reception area from 6am-10pm.

Lots of books and hammocks are scattered around, so there are lots of places to lounge around and relax.

The view outside our room.

Our room is located right in the centre of one of the big communal areas, but luckily the shut down at 10pm so noise isn’t an issue.

Shaun was pretty darn excited to see the view from our room. A pool table! Epic. It didn’t take us long after checking in to partake in a game or two. (Although, let’s be honest, I was just in it for the “lessons” from an attractive husband).

So the rooms, and entertainment are great. The kitchen is small with basic amenities. I couldn’t see myself using it long term.

The resident cat. Of course we make furry friends wherever we go!

Despite the small kitchen, this place is fabulous. Apparently this hotel was one of the very first hotels in Montezuma. The owner was an artist, and there is incredible artwork hanging all throughout the building. The onsite staff are wonderful, and you can book all your tours, and shuttles through them for cheap.

We were only in Montezuma for 2 nights, but have already decided that we will be back, and when we do we will be staying at Hotel Aurora.

Have you every stumbled across somewhere and thought, Oh my gosh, this is my place! If so, where?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Wave Trotter Surf Hostel, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Posted on December 22, 2013 by katez

There has been lots of questions about where we’ve been staying here in Santa Teresa, so here we go!

The sign from the road

The apartments in the back..Ours is the bottom on the far right.

For the past 9 days we’ve been staying at the Wave Trotter surf hostel in Santa Teresa. Gone are the cushy days of air conditioning, and pool time. We’re in real hostel country now. That being said, Shaun, and I haven’t gone so far as to get a dorm in any of the places we’ve booked so far. Many hostels offer rooms with a double bed, and an ensuite bathroom for $40-60 dollars a night. This is the set up we have here at Wave Trotter.

Our room is simple, with minimal amenities. We don’t need much, as we tend to spend most of our time in the main house. These private rooms belonged to another property prior to being added to Wave Trotter, so they are older then the dorms in the main house.

Walking up to the main house from our room in the backyard

The reception, kitchen, and dorms are located in the house. An awesome open concept, loft style building about 200m from the main road in Santa Teresa, and very close to the Santa Teresa Surf break. The hostel is owned by an adorable family from Italy. Giovanni, Julietta, and their beautiful baby Cecilia, who is just a little over a year old. They run Wave Trotter in high season, and then shut it down, and head back to Italy for low season. Both the family, and the staff spent so much time and energy making sure the main house and communal areas are clean, and that everyone is taken cared of.

Reception in the main house, and LeeLo the dog with the very tough life.

Wave Trotter has a real family feel to it, and has a tendency to bring people back year over year. Lots of the people we met were repeat visitors which made me feel like we were part of a really neat community. Every day the family can be found puttering around the house cooing to the baby in Italian. It was just such a great atmosphere.

Looking into the house from the backyard…there is Shaun!

Wave Trotter is a really surf centered hostel. They rent boards, do ding repairs, and can arrange for lessons. If you are looking to surf the Santa Teresa break, it is one of the closer hostels to the area. As we walked through the town, and saw all the other hostels we had looked at online, we felt pretty fortunate that we had chosen one that was so close.

The fireman’s pole!

The interior of the main house is really unique, and is truly the selling feature of the entire experience. The interior is loft style, with all the dorms above the communal living space. There is even a fireman’s pole to get down (if you feel so inclined).

The main house at Wave Trotter

The staff, and owners at Wave Trotter really make the experience special. I would highly recommend the dorm set up, as that’s where the action is. The apartments in the back are nice, but fairly rustic, as you are located pretty much in the middle of the jungle. Despite the occasional creepy crawlers, I loved waking up to the sound of howler monkeys in the morning!

Have you ever stayed in a hostel dorm? How was it?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Our Favourite Places in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Posted on December 21, 2013 by katez

During our travels here in Santa Teresa, we’ve come across from pretty cool places.

Today’s post is all about some of our favourites!

A Health Food Store! I think I’m in love!

Green World Store: Oh yes my friends, Santa Teresa has a health food store. Although I’m not sure that Shaun every actually went inside, I think I was there about every other day. In Canada I can spend so much time cruising up and down the aisles of health food stores, looking at all the goodies. Turns out, I can spend even more time cruising them when everything is written in Spanish!

Can you see the hidden Mickey’s??

Cafe Zaza: Air conditioning and coffee..What more could a girl ask for??This cute little cafe is closer to Santa Teresa side of the strip, and is in the same complex as a couple little shops. It’s a pretty hostel central area, and while we were there, there was a lot of talk about things being stolen. Just keep you wits about you as you sip your latte!

Check this place out!

Bajo del Mar: We ended up here for dinner on their opening night. We had planned on going somewhere else for dinner, but after a couple glasses of boxed wine in plastic cups, our fellow hostel mates convinced us to join them here. It turned out that the owner used to work at our hostel, so they were all heading there to support him. We were keeping an open mind, as we knew it was their opening night, and we were a pretty big group, but the meal was amazing! We had a Margarita pizza. Shaun, and I order these all the time, so we are pretty critical of them, but I gotta say, this one was amazing! The crust was so crispy, and the ingredients so fresh. A must visit if you’re in the area!

my view on many days here in Santa Teresa

Zwart Art Cafe: So this place wins the prize. I spent soo many afternoons at Zwart, sketching, and drinking coffee. This place is a coffee shop/ bookstore/diner/art studio. A one stop shop! The owner even offered to have me come use her paints (unfortunately, I ran out of time). If you are looking for a place to relax, eat great food, and feel inspired, I would highly recommend Zwart.

Many days were spent like this!

Banana Beach: This is one of few bars that is right on the beach, but let me tell you, it’s a winner. Hammocks, beds, lounge chairs, tables. However you want to relax, they have it. Shaun and I spent many afternoons buying the occasional cervasa and coke light, just so we could use their beach chairs.We spent most of our time here during the day, and at sunset, but they have something different going on every night, plus some great (but pricey) food.

Such a great atmosphere

So those are just a couple of the many great places we’ve encountered while we were here, and most are pretty close to our hostel. Like I mentioned before, the Mal Pais/Santa Teresa road is 10km long, so there are lots of places we didn’t spend much time at. We will be staying in Mal Pais in the new year, so I’m sure we will have all sorts of new places from this area to share!

What has the been the best place local business you’ve every found while travelling?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Cardio Fit at Casa Zen- Workouts Week 3

Posted on December 20, 2013 by katez

Travel Fitness, how I love thee…

This week I was able to track down another awesome group fitness class here in Costa Rica.

After spending the first several days running my little heart out, I was ready for a little bit of a break in my exercise routine. I thought about doing a Yoga class, especially since there is a yoga studio on every corner. I ended up seeking out something that would get my heart rate up. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a Cardio Fit class at Casa Zen Guesthouse.

This pretty much sums up the mood of Casa Zen

First off, this is a beautiful hostel with, funny enough, a very “zen” like vibe.It’s set back from the street, on a busy beach access road, but it feels private as its nestled in its own little jungle.

There are awesome hand painted signs scattered about their communal living spaces. Sayings like “there is no rush”, and “call your mom”, set the tone of the hostel.

Reception/Kitchen at Casa Zen

I checked in at reception, paid my 5 dollars (score!), and waited patiently for Tico time to roll around. Sure enough, at 8:35 the instructor, and her students all rolled in.

The classroom

We headed upstairs to the classroom. There is one main outdoor classroom used for all the classes offered at Casa Zen. It’s gorgeous. Everything is brightly coloured, and there are stained glass tiles that the sun shines through. It was such a great space.

The class started, and I was instantly caught up in the fabulous energy. The group was all Costa Rican women, who laughed the whole way through. The instructor walked us through several circuits. We did everything from kickboxing, and weights to old school aerobics. It certainly kept me on my toes! I went to two classes in the week and left each one feeling pumped, and full of energy. They were just what I needed to shake up my super chill week of reading, and relaxing.

The instructor only spoke Spanish, but it wasn’t a problem at all. Shaun always watches the sports in Spanish here. He says he can still understand what’s going on because he is so familiar with the content. Well apparently the same goes for me when it comes to group fitness instruction. I learnt so many new words just from listening to the class, but often found myself a beat behind everyone as I worked out the translation in my head.

Have you every tried to watch or listen to something you are really familiar with, but in a different language?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Exploring Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Posted on December 19, 2013 by katez

We’ve been spent the past 10 days exploring all the Santa Teresa has to offer.

Beautiful sunset, with no one else around.

After coming from Tamarindo, it has been quite the culture shock. No more being bombarded on the beach with people trying to sell you things. Or having to dodge all the Tourista’s taking sunset photos. It is way mellower here.

The layout of Santa Teresa has been challenging for us. The main strip is a road that is about 200m back from the beach, and it is 10km long. This road covers both Santa Teresa, and Mal Pais (where we will be staying in the New Year).

Coming from Tamarindo where everything is easily within walking distance, this has been an adjustment. There are many places you can rent bikes or ATV’s, and if you want to make the most of your time here, I would highly suggest investing in one or the other. Unfortunately for us, it’s 10 dollars a day for a bike and 50 dollars for an ATV. Just a little to far outside our budget. Besides, we are walkers, so we’ve been using our feet to get around.

As a result of this, I’ve been spending a lot time in the hostel, and the few businesses that surround us. Early in the morning, or early in the evening the road and beach are great for running. There are also tons and tons of places to do Yoga. The chill vibe has been been nice. I’ve read some great books, taken some great classes, started drawing again, and met some fabulous people in the hostel.

The main surf break in Santa Teresa is about a 7 min walk from our hostel, which is really lucky for Shaun. He heads out there during the day at some point, but says that it is very crowded. The waves are better then when we were in Tamarindo, so the result is a lot more surfers out at all hours of the day. The result is often a surfer traffic jam.

One of the many tidal pools I’ve explored

The beach is amazing. It’s a combination of sandy beach, and amazing rocky tidal pools. I could, and have, spend hours wandering the rocks, peering into each pool to see what’s inside. It reminds me of Botanical Beach back on Vancouver Island.

Some of the pools are so big and deep, that they become like a hot tub during the day. Lots of people spend their time lounging in them.

Santa Teresa was not what we expected, but it’s been an awesome week of relaxation. Probably for the best, since next week everyone arrives for Christmas. I get this feeling that our days of relaxation and quiet will be replaced with celebration and cervasas!!

Have you ever gone somewhere, and have it be completely different then what you expected?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Christmas in Costa Rica

Posted on December 18, 2013 by katez

Finding ways to feel festive while travelling can be challenging. Especially if you are a Christmas fiend like myself.

Enjoying a Christmas Tree in Tamarindo

I did manage to track down a little string of plastic Christmas balls in Tamarindo, and you better believe I was excited about it. The other ways I’ve been focusing on being festive is taking a moment to stop and appreciate any, and all Christmas decorations that I see throughout our travels.

Our trip to Santa Teresa was especially exciting, as we passed through so many towns, and every single house, no matter how small, had something festive outside. One of the coolest things, is that the majority of the houses display their Christmas trees outside on their porch. It certainly made it easy to be a Christmas Creeper!

I LOVE this crafty pop bottle poinsettia that I found in a little town we stopped in en route to Santa Teresa.

As for actual Christmas, I am fortunate that we have a bunch of family and friends joining us in Tamarindo over the holidays. We are staying in a condo with an OVEN! A rarity here in Costa Rica. I have a huge Western/Costa Rican meal planned. Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, Plantains, Rice and Beans, Pico de Gallo, and maybe Ceviche if I can get my hands on some delicious fish.

I guess what I’ve learnt is to not only create ways to feel festive, but also open your eyes to appreciate the ways the country around you is celebrating.

Christmas I have found throughout our travels!

How do you stay festive while travelling over the holidays?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

To Mi Madre, on her Birthday

Posted on December 17, 2013 by katez

You know how they say distance makes the heart grow fonder, well it’s certainly true when it comes to my Mom.

One of our first pictures together

To say I am a “mama’s girl” is an understatement. I knew that one of the biggest challenges I would have would not having my Mom there to talk to whenever I needed her. Sure there is iMessage, and email, but it’s just not the same. Going from talking pretty much everyday to a random text here and there is tough!

Christmas Past

I’ve been thinking a lot lately (lots of time for that kind of thing), and I’ve reflected on my Mom’s outlook on life. Life has thrown us some curveballs over the years, and yet my Mom continues to radiate a level of positivity, and spirit that astounds me.

Last December

Throughout my life, she has coached me, and encouraged me to adopt a positive approach to things. But time after time, I come to here beat down by the smallest things, and rely on her to pull me out of my “funk”.

So here I am, in this beautiful place, with nothing but time to reflect on what I want in life, and who I want to be. I am realizing that I am finally working towards adopting the values she has surrounded me with my entire life.

Mamacita!

So, to my Mother, on her Birthday, thank you. Thank you for staying strong for yourself, and for us. Although I’ve always appreciated your approach to life, but It has always seemed impossible for me to adopt for myself. I’ve come to a point where I want it to. So I’m making it happen. You’ve given me a gift, that’s taken me almost 30 years to unwrap!

Have I mentioned lately how CRAZY excited I am to have you come visit this magical place for Christmas! (probably once or twice).

As for your birthday present, check in the top shelf of the white cupboard in the spare room. There is a little bag in there with a surprise for you!

Love you to infinity and back, bigger then Disneyland’s Tower.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! (this was way harder to pull off then I thought! darn waves lol)

Leave a comment wishing my Mom a Happy Birthday, and then go give someone you love a hug!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

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