Exploring Playa Grande, Costa Rica

Posted on December 6, 2013 by katez

Have you ever noticed that the length of a beach can be deceiving?

It looks like you are so close to the end of it, but it somehow magically keep going.

Well we certainly noticed that during our adventure to the other side of Playa Grande! (had we clued in to the name, we might have known what we were getting in to!)

Playa Grande is right next to Playa Tamarindo, just on the other side of an estuary. Shaun heads there most mornings, because it’s often where the good surf is. During our last trip, we even stayed there for a week. Our goal was to not only get to Playa Grande, but hike all the way to the other side of the beach.

That is where we were heading!

So, we packed up Titty Tonka with water and some energy bars, and headed off. First things first, get to the estuary, and find a boat to take us across.

There they are!

For 500 Colones, or 1 dollar each they’ll take you across. When Shaun surfs in Grande, he usually just paddles over on his board. Sometimes when the tide is right you can wade across as well. But with a high tide, a backpack and no board, the boats were our only option.

Boat rides are fun, so are photobombs!

We got to the other side and started our trek.

The view from the Grande side of the estuary

The first thing I wanted to see was the house we stayed in last time we were here. Shaun had just proposed to me, the week prior, so I spent the majority of my time there reading Costa Rican bridal magazines!

There it is nestled in the trees, didn’t want to go to paparazzi on the people staying there!

So then we walked…and walked…and walked. I’m not gonna lie, I may have been afflicted with a little bit of hot hanger mid way through. Despite my grumps, 6.5 km later, we got to the other end.

That’s where we came from!

We found a log to sit down on to take a much deserved rest. Shaun drank his warm beer while I ate my energy bar and played around with the panorama settings on my phone.

Looks shorter in panoramavision!

took this one while standing in the ocean!

So, after quenching our thirst, resolving the hangry’s and reapplying suncreen, we started on the long trek back. Lucky for us we had a bit of cloud cover and a breeze on the way back so it wasn’t quite so hot. We made it back to the hostel safe and sound. Needless to say, we both slept very well that night!

Have you ever embarked on a journey that ended up as way more of an adventure then you thought?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Healthy Hostel Meals Part 2

Posted on December 5, 2013 by katez

Today in the Healthy Hostel Meal series, I’m going to run down our very first hostel meal of the trip! It’s evident we have a little bit of learning to do, but regardless, it turned out pretty darn good!

Master Chef Shaun!

If you’ve read the first post in the Healthy Hostel Meals series, you are already familiar with what we picked up at the store.

Our very simple ingredient list!

Tonight’s menu was stir fried vegetables with rice and beans. We started the meal early, since we figured the brown rice would take forever. Shaun was on rice duty, because I am forever lacking in that area. I was on veggie duty!

Angry little gaffer isn’t he.

There were so many cool looking veggies in the little pack we got. First off, let’s take a moment to appreciate how angry this little sourpuss of a squash looks. I’ve seen these in the store before, but have never cooked with one before. There were also teeny tiny patty-pan squash as well. I chopped a bunch of them up, as well as some mini carrots, cabbage and mini zucchini. (side note, it’s telling me that zucchini is spelled incorrectly, I beg to differ)

Curious??

Next up were these little corn husks. This picture doesn’t do it justice because that is actually a really small cutting board. These things were probably the size of an iphone, and super duper light. I could’t imagine there being anything inside.

Ta da!

Well who’da thunk it. Inside teeny tiny corn is teeny tiny corn cobs! These are like those corn bits you get in deli salads, but so much tastier because they are fresh, and aren’t covered in oil. Shaun agreed that they were tasty, but didn’t share the same level of excitement regarding the discovery lol

Once the rice was boiled, beans added, and veggies stir-fried. We were done, and voila!

Our first hostel cooked meal!T

Again, my food photography skills are lacking, and it didn’t help that it was night time in our outdoor kitchen! This meal was great. We made a full cup of rice, which not only lasted us for another full dinner, but we also were able to add it a couple lunches as well. Tonight we’re tackling chicken tacos!

What else should we make for hostel meals? Send us your ideas/recipes!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Date Night at Kahiki, Tamarindo Costa Rica

Posted on December 4, 2013 by katez

After two nights of rice and beans, Shaun and I were ready for an evening out. So we dubbed it a date night, and hit the town!

Date Night!

Please note that I actually blew dry my hair and bangs! It was a big big step, and likely one of the only times it will be mild enough for me to pull it off without being a grease ball by the end of the night!

We started date night with a cervasa on the beach. The sunsets are just to good to miss. Afterwards, we headed to Kahiki, Sports Bar and Restaurant. Shaun and I had been to Kahiki on our previous trip, and really enjoyed it. Kahiki is on the road to Playa Langosta, so it’s sort of out of the way a bit, but it really is worth the jaunt.

We arrived shortly after 6, and we had the place to ourselves (aside from the cows that were roaming the streets out front). We scanned the menu looking for delicious items that we wouldn’t be able to make ourselves. It didn’t take us long to decide what we wanted.

He’s smiling cause he knows he has a burger coming!

Shaun knew before he even left the hostel that there was a burger and fries in his future, and he was pretty darn excited about (well as excited as Shaun gets!). I opted for the seared tuna and avocado salad. I love all the fresh seafood here, and since Shaun’s not a fan, I want to indulge anytime I have the chance!

So excited not to be eating rice and beans tonight!

We soon realized that the benefit of fending for ourselves with hostel food, is that when you do get the opportunity to go out, everything tastes AMAZING! I feel like I’ve never had seared tuna like that before. I don’t think we spoke one word during the meal, except for the occasional moan of deliciousness.

If you are travelling in Tamarindo, I would highly suggest Kahiki. The chef is amazing, and they often have games playing for those who are into the whole sports things. If you can’t make it for dinner, they have amazing breakfasts too!

After dinner we realized that we still had time to hit up another happy hour before 7. We headed back to the place we went to on night one, Wild Panda. I don’t think there is a night that we’ve been out that we haven’t stopped in there. Their focus is on healthy food and drinks, so of course I’m all over it. Their rum and pineapple is literally just that. Rum, Pineapple and ice…maybe with a dash of amazingness!

we opted to try the vodka watermelon

As tempting as it was to polish off another one of Junior’s delicious cocktails, the budget beckoned us back to the hostel. Bearly Bear met us a the door. The three of us shared a beverage on the balcony before turning in.

Water for her, Imperial for us

She was pretty thankful not to be drinking pool water!

I cropped out her nether regions for your viewing pleasure!

After a quick snuggle, we called it a night. It was so nice to get out and about! Back to, hostel food, beach walks and netflix for the next few days though. Gotta stick to the budget!

How do you budget when you travelling?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Travel Workouts- Week 1

Posted on December 3, 2013 by katez

So the big question is, how does one create a workout routine, when living a lifestyle without a routine??

A thought provoking question indeed!

Coming off my Wholly Fit Challenge, my body was tiiiiiired. So I took two full rest days, and let me tell you, they were glorious! But, by Wednesday, I was itching to get back at it. Ok, actually that’s a lie. On Wednesday I had 5 naps, so working out wasn’t actually seeming all that appealing. But regardless, I tackled this simple workout (after my first nap of the day of course!)

I kept it arms, cause then it seemed easier, and I was more likely to get out of bed!

Big learning lesson the first day. No shoes, jump squats, tile floors, no good on Kate’s feet. I actually pulled something in my foot, that made it pretty challenging to get around for the rest of the day (and also required Shaun to lovingly but hesitantly rub my foot for the first time ever). I had planned to attempt a run the following day, but opted to create this workout for Thursday instead.

Despite my injury, I wanted to pick up the pace a little bit (no surprise for those who know me). Wearing shoes made a huge difference! Fueled by thoughts of wearing a bikini for 5 mos, I finished this off with an attempt at 1000 ab exercises (pick 10 different ab moves and do them 100 times each) I got to 800 and decided I had had enough. Perhaps a goal to strive towards. By Friday my foot was feeling awesome, so I knew it was time for a run. I figured if I ate breakfast when Shaun went Surfing at 630, I could leave at 730, and it would still be cool enough for a run. It was!

First Costa Rican Beach Run

The conditions were amazing, it was actually a little drizzly and super mild. The perfect running weather. I ran all along Tamarindo beach. The sand is nice and compact, so it makes for great running. When I got in, I had planned to do some legs, but hadn’t written anything down. After a couple of lame donkey kicks while beads of sweat fell all over my candy crush game I called it. Just more proof that writing down your workout before starting is always more effective! I had such a great time, that I thought I would do a repeat performance the next day.

Well what a difference a day makes! I did the same routine, probably leaving the hostel around 7:45, but it was already hot hot hot. I sweated my through the same route, but ended it differently. I found this low concrete wall and did 100 step ups alternating legs and 100 wall push ups. I was spent after this, and cut the run short!

The following day Shaun was taking a day off from surf to nurse a sun burnt face, so we rocked a hotel room Centurion. He modified a couple moves, because although he loves me enough to workout in a tiny hostel with me…100 burpees is another story!

Later that day Shaun and I went on a 13km walk (kinda by accident) so needless to say the following morning I was pooped. I did this workout, but honestly my heart wasn’t in it.

So that brings us to today! Rest day this morning. I’m planning a 3km walk to the supercompro in hopes of finding oatmeal! I’ll keep you posted!!

How do you stay active while travelling? Should I keep doing these workout recaps?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Barely Bear- The Hostel Cat

Posted on December 2, 2013 by katez

Most of you know that we have left our fabulous BearCat at home in Victoria. We are what you would refer to as “cat suck bags”. Well apparently we had that written all over our face when we checked into Villas Macondo, as a new friend appeared on our stoop right after we checked in.

Our very first meeting with Barely Bear

Yup, that’s her (or him as Shaun would later discover during a rather exposing grooming session). Bashed up nose, scruffy, and huge! Just a big ole Tom Cat. Her rough looking exterior, and our history with unpredictable cats made us a little wary of her. For the first few days, we gave her some space.

Guard Cat

That certainly didn’t stop her from making herself right at home.

No matter where we are in the hostel, she wasn’t far behind. Then, one fateful evening Shaun and I were enjoying some pineapple by the pool when.

Barely Bear really making herself at home

It was decided that our feline friend needed a name. “Bearly Bear” came to me pretty quickly. We’ve even translated it, although Shaun and I are debating the direct translation. Barely Bear translates to apenas oso, and although Shaun thinks that hilarious, I find the pronunciation leaves something to be desired. I deviated the wording a bit and dubbed her escasamente oso (slightly bear).

Now that she has a name, she is a permanent fixture for us.

Bearly Bear helps write the blog too!

Snuggle Session

She certainly has been a fabulous companion this week, and has helped ease us into our bearcat withdrawals. She certainly doesn’t compare to Bear but..maybe… if you see Bear… don’t mention our new friend, she is sort of the jealous type.

See the jealous look in her eye??

Have you ever encountered a “travel pet”?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Healthy Hostel Meals Part 1

Posted on December 1, 2013 by katez

I’ve decided to start a series of posts dedicated to healthy hostel meals, because let me tell you, it’s going to be a work in progress. I look forward to looking back on this post months from now, and laughing at how ridiculous some of my meals have been. It’s going to be an awesome learning process.

As soon as Shaun and I checked in, we decided are best bet was to do a grocery shop. The fact that I was borderline hangry, and he needed a beer may have helped drive us to the store. Luckily, there is a SuperCompro right next store to our hostel, so off we went! Here is what we ended up with.

Our first grocery run!

Rice- brown, much to my insistence, and Shaun’s dismay. Not a time saver in the least, but so much better for you. I kept telling Shaun, we’ve got no where to be!
Instant Noodles- You can guess who those are for!
A pineapple-You can bet this will be the first of many!
Cervasa- Of course
Laundry Soap
Can of black beans
Head of cabbage
Salad Dressing
Eggs
Bananas
Mixed Veggies (more on those in a later post!)
Tortillas
Apples

I had a couple strategies for our shopping. First, find things that had protein that would have some staying power, but that won’t go bad right away (eggs, beans). Second- look for ingredients that we could make mass amounts of and keep in the fridge, (rice, beans, boiled eggs). Third, keep in cheap! Getting cereal and milk would be easy, but its expensive, goes quickly and doesn’t have staying power. Fourth and the most challenging is fresh veggies. We have made a pact that every dinner will include veggies (and in my case lunches too!). I can tell already this will be challenging, but it’s so worth it. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you’ve got veggies in your system!

As soon as we got home with our grocery goodies this happened:

Let me tell you, with my hangry hovering at a dangerous level, this meal was amazing. Banana, almond butter (brought from home) on a mini tortilla. A quick protein burst to get us through to the evening. A perfect start to our Costa Rican hostel dining experience!

Any tips for eating healthy while living in a hostel?

Pura Vida

Kate

Our first night in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Posted on November 30, 2013 by katez

We were greeted at the airport by our very friendly shuttle driver from Guanacaste Viajes Transfer and Tours. He was wonderful, but spoke no English, so Shaun and I tested out some of our newly acquired Spanish. It would appear we have a lot of work to do! Regardless, I would highly recommend their services.

After an hour long drive, he dropped us off at our hostel, Villas Macondo. Thank you Trip Advisor, this one is a winner. I will write a full review later, but essentially its a little slice of paradise right in the middle of bustling Tamarindo.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, a snack, and a cervasa (or two), we headed out for a beach walk and happy hour. We figure we would head to Eat at Joes, which is part of the Witches Rock Surf Camp. We’d eaten there many times, knew they had a happy hour, and knew that we could get some good beach walking in to get there.

We stopped along the way to take some obligatory sunset photos

Our first Costa Rican sunset.

We arrived at Joe’s, took advantage of their happy hour beer special, and ordered dinner. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a traditional Costa Rican Casado.

Casado is Costa Rican for “Married Man” and is a meal consisting of rice, beans, plantains, salad, sometimes a tortilla, and a protein (fish, beef, chicken, pork). Simplicity at its best! Add some Lizano Salsa, and you my friend are in business!

After our meal, we were feeling pretty good, and were thinking about calling it a night, until we realized it was 6:30. So we grabbed a couple road pops (totally legit here by the way), and poked around Tamardino. So much has changed, and yet so much is the same.

During our walk about, we happened across a little bar that we had visted on our last trip. By bar, I mean a stand in the street with stools, but still. We were there on the day they opened over three years ago. They had plastic chairs, a putting green, two kinds of drinks and no customers. We certainly didn’t expect for it to still be standing. Well boy were we surprised. It was not only standing, but decked out with flat screen TV’s and a full kitchen. We had gotten to know the owner during our last visit, so had a great time catching up, and imbibing in his deadly rum and pineapple drink special. I’m going to write a whole post about the bar, as soon as I can track down the old pictures we took on opening day!

At Wild Panda!

After a couple more cocktails, it was time to call it a night. With fuzzy heads, and tired bodies, we headed back to the hostel for a very good night sleep. The adventure of a lifetime has begun!

What kind of local food have you tried while travelling? Anything wild and exciting??

Pura Vida!

Kate

Our Travel Day

Posted on November 28, 2013 by katez

Well, it’s hard to believe it, but we’re actually here, living the dream we’ve been planning for years! Before I dive into what we’re doing, I thought I would go over how we got here!

For those of you who have travelled to Costa Rica from Canada before, you know it is a little bit of a milk run. There certainly are flights that can get you here in a more direct way, but they’ve always been WAY to much for our budget. When Shaun and I were looking for flights, it was all about price for us. It didn’t matter how long it took us to get down here, because we’re going to be here for so long! So, we ended up flying Victoria-Seattle-Chicago-Miami-Liberia. Sounds crazy I know, but out of all the times we’ve been down here, it was actually the best flights we’d ever had! I’m getting ahead of myself though, lets start from the beginning.

My mom picked us up at 5:30 (although we may have still been in bed when she arrived). After pulling together our last minute items, and saying goodbye to the Bear cat, we were off.

The Victoria airport was a riot. I had read the previous night that President Obama was going to be in the Seattle airport right around the time we were set to arrive. This meant that all flights would be grounded until Air Force One took off. As a result, we were expecting delays. We were surprised when we checked in, and everything was fine. I took a deep breath, took one last look around at my home town, and boarded the plane. We both looked out the window and said goodbye when the Captain came on:

“Ladies and Gentleman, President Obama is in Seattle airport, so they won’t let us leave. It’s going to be at least an hour. We’re going to ask that everyone get off the plane and go back to the terminal”

We had a pretty good giggle about that one! An hour later we were on our way! We had a bit of time in Seattle, and knowing we had a super tight connection in Chicago, picked up some food to eat on the plane.

Chicken Caeser Salad for Shaun, Oatmeal and a Fruit and Veggie Plate for myself. Oh, and my final Peppermint Mocha!! It was delish!

Despite there being a medical emergency on the flight from Seattle to Chicago, the flight actually arrived early. This made our connection a little less tight. Our flight to Miami was uneventful, and we arrived around 11 pm there time. We wandered the Miami airport for ever until we finally tracked down the airport hotel. Since we had an 11 hour layover, I figured booking a room would be a good idea. I feel I have never been so right about anything in my life! This, is what made this trip so easy. Instead of spending our 11 hours curled up in a corner of the airport, we had a king sized bed and a hot shower in the morning. I’ll never be able to go back to airport sleeping again!

We checked in, and Shaun made a quick trip to Subway for a late night snack, (not that late since it was only 9pm our time) we watched some bad TV and fell asleep. Not that I did much sleeping, I was way to excited!

We got up bright an early, and headed to our gate. Security was right outside the hotel lobby so getting back in the airport was a breeze.

Breakfast was in order. I rocked a fruit plate with a side of scrambled eggs. This is definite foreshadowing of meals to come! I would like to say that my food pictures will improve, but not likely lol

And with that, we headed to our gate, got on the flight and a short 2.5 hours later, we landed.

The eagle has landed

Getting here was such a surreal, joyful, scary, thought provoking moment for me. I have so much to say about it, but for now, I will have to leave you in suspense.

We’ve had so many adventures already, I can’t wait to share them all with you guys!

How do you tackle long travel days? Gravol and Wine? Let me know!

Pura Vida,

Kate

And We’re Off!!!

Posted on November 26, 2013 by katez

Well yesterday the adventure began! It’s 4 in the morning here in Miami, and I’m laying wide awake waiting for my alarm to go off so we can get on our last flight to Liberia!!

This past weekend was amazing. Santa parades, glow stick bootcamp runs, dinners out, lunches with fabulous friends and countless peppermint mochas later, I truly felt I got to say goodbye to everyone.

Thank you to everyone who made our send off truly special. We left feeling very full of love. So for today’s post, enjoy a smattering of pictures from our past days in Victoria.

A special thank you to my Wholly Fitters for an epic final challenge of an hour long glow stick lit, Disney themed, fun run. I was so touched by the amount of people who have up their Sunday Night to run around in the dark with me!!

What would you want to do before a big trip? Did you celebrate with us? Write us a comment!

Next post will be from the beach!

Pura Vida
Kate

Packing List Part 2

Posted on November 22, 2013 by katez

Hello!!

Things are getting serious here on the packing front. With 3 days to go, I’m feeling fairly organized. Although I am still unsure of how things are going to go once I actually attempt to put all these glorious items into Tatonka! For those of you who know me well, it will come as no surprise that I’ve been Youtubing “packing techniques“. This link is likely how it will go down.

Lots of stuff to cover, so lets dive right in. First, let’s take a gander at my toiletry bag, and all the goodies that are inside.

This is my fabulous Roots travel bag that folds out into a toiletry case that you can hang on the back of a door. It makes it so much easier when you are staying in places with small bathrooms, as it clears up the counter space. Wanna see what’s inside??

Toiletry Case Goodies

So starting from the top left:

Makeup Case, for those of you who missed it, check out my post Makeup for Travellingl to see what’s inside!
Hairbrush
Toothpaste
Diva Cup and Diva Cup Wash. Won’t go into to much detail, but seriously a travelling girls best friend!
Shampoo, Conditioner, Facewash. The facewash has an exfolliant in it to help me scrub off all the suncreen, salt and sweat!
Body Glide- I use this when I’m running races in hot climates, and thought it might come in handy here. It basically makes sure you don’t end up chaffing during long sweaty workouts/hikes.
Next Row: Two pairs of earrings. Cheap, easily replaceable
Q-Tips
My uber cute travel electronic toothbrush and some replacement heads
Bug spray, a MUST! full size and travel size
Deoderant, another must!
Two containers of sunscreen, Shaun is also bringing some, because for some reason he’s not keen on my shimmery stuff!
Razor and Razor heads
Comb
Last row: Nail polish. Pedicure is happening today, and I’m planning on just slapping this colour on my toes continually for five mos!
Eye cream from Lotus. A recent Sephora purchase that I just feel I can’t live without
Hair Ties
Meds!! Have a mother who is an RN, I’m prepared for EVERYTHING. So, in no particular order I have Pepto, Gravol, anti-diarrhea pills, Benedryl for any strange reactions and to be honest, upon writing this, I have one set of pills that are a mystery to me. Note to self, seek clarification prior to departure!
Lastly, manicure stuff. Gotta keep those nails short, and those brows tweezed!

Things to help the hanger and other goodies!

This next batch of goodies include things that will help me cure a disease that effects both myself and my loved ones HANGER (Hunger+Anger). Once my blood sugar plummets, I am not a peach, and become senorita hangrypants!

Quest Bars-Oh how I love thee. You better believe I’ll be getting my mom to bring more of these babies down for me when she comes for Christmas
Almond Butter- I’m a nut butter fiend! This little jar will keep me going until I can find a suitable substitute down there.
The rest of it- Headlamp, clip to attach my water bottle, sunglasses, waterproof bags
What’s the stuff in the plastic bag?? Wellll, many of you know I paint faces as a part time job, so I’m bringing a couple supplies in case I get the opportunity to make some little gaffers into rainbow butterflies! (I guess they could be big gaffers too!)

Fitness Goodies

I guess these aren’t ALL fitness goodies but many are. Starting from the top.

Towel
Sleeper sheet, in case we run into any sketchy bed situations
Hats. I’m still debating the white one. I know I’ll get tons of wear out of it, but it doesn’t travel well, so it likely won’t fit in my bag.
Walking runners and workout runners
My band, I talked about this in my Staying Active While Travelling Post

Titty Tonka’s Trinkets

This is everything that I’ll be carrying in my daypack to start off with (and yes, I’m named her Titty Tonka, cause it makes me laugh everytime I type it!)

Sketch Book and Pens- I’ve been doing so much art lately, I couldn’t imagine not having something to draw with while down there.
Three starter books, they will undoubtedly be read within the first week.
Flip Flops to wear when we get off the plane
Charger and ear buds for Iphone (not pictured, since it was taking the picture!)
Notebook with all of our important numbers in it. I’ve also documented a whole bunch of workouts in it as well!
Our map
Extra meds and Quest Bars for the travel period
Our netbook, camera and their chargers. We bought the netbook used, and it’s pretty slow. Thanks to some magic from my favourite IT guy, it’s up and running slightly faster. In fact, I’m trying it out today for the first time writing this post! The camera is my moms. I use my iphone for everything, but it’s been acting up lately. I wanted to bring a camera to start off with to see if I get any use out of it. If I like it, I’ll get her to bring one down for me when she comes in December

PHEW! The longest post, on the smallest netbook known to man. I’ve love to hear your thoughts. What am I missing? What should I leave at home?

What are you travel packing secrets? Any tips on how I can fit all this in my bag?

Next post will be travel day!! hurray!

Pura Vida

Kate

Hostels and Hot Rollers

Living Healthy, and Loving Life as we Backpack through Costa Rica

Exploring Playa Grande, Costa Rica

Healthy Hostel Meals Part 2

Date Night at Kahiki, Tamarindo Costa Rica

Travel Workouts- Week 1

Barely Bear- The Hostel Cat

Healthy Hostel Meals Part 1

Our first night in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Our Travel Day

And We’re Off!!!

Packing List Part 2

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