Tag Archives: Travel

Costa Rica By the Numbers

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Are you ever sitting quietly, minding your won business, when all of a sudden you think to yourself “I wonder how many pineapple’s Kate and Shaun ate while they were in Costa Rica?”

Well my friends, you are in luck. Today’s post gives you a run down of this, and many other numerical facts about our trip to Costa Rica.

Enjoy!

Pineapples Consumed: 29215_pineapplefruit-940x626

Watermelons Eaten: 12 (all Kate)

Bags of Rice: 7

Bottles of Lizano: 14

Surf Boards Broken: 1

I may not know surfing...but I think it's supposed to be in one piece.

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Sunglasses Broken: 3 (All Kate)

Dresses Purchased: 3

Bracelets purchased: 14

Waterfalls seen: 4

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Lines zipped: 13

Sloths: 3 (2 moms and a baby!)

Bottle’s of Sunscreen Used: 6

Beaches Explored: 35

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Steps Taken: 1,984,287 (pedometres rule!

Illness Fought: 4

Illnesses Won: 4

Volcanos seen: 2

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Countries Visited: 4

Books read Shaun: 10

Books read Kate: 28

Coming Soon:

Don’t forget to stay tuned to hear about the next exciting chapter of Hostels and Hot Rollers. 

Pura Vida!

Kate

 

 

 

Meeting Fantastic while Travelling

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It’s a day for shout outs today on the blog!

One of the best things about travelling is meeting some seriously fantastic people. I kept track of all the amazing people we encountered during our trip and thought I would take a second to mention them all.

A huge thank you to each and every one of you for leaving us with a unique and special memory. Perhaps our paths will cross again some day!

Pura Vida!

  • Karen,Terry-Kelowna
  • Alyne-Tofino
  • Junior-Tamarindo
  • Steven, Michelle-Tamarindo
  • Giovanni, Jullieta, Fransesco-Italy
  • Jake-California
  • Tia, Steven-Perth
  • Julian, Colleen-Fernwood
  • Yeison, Sam-Coco
  • Ian, Susan-Ontario
  • Jennifer, Andrew-Hamilton
  • Fransesca-Beligium
  • David-Barcelona
  • Enrique, Mariela- Matapalo
  • Gonzalo- Venezula
  • Manolo- Pueto Viejo
  • Jenny- Bocas del Toro
  • Jessica- La Fortuna
  • Bethan- UK
  • Amah- Colarado
  • Fabricio- Samara
  • Javier- Nicargua
  • Vince- Nicaragua
  • Kim, Wes- Victoria
  • Lydia- Colarado
  • Marco- Nosara
  • Pam- California
  • Neal- California
  • Ben- Brooklyn
  • Jeremiah- D.C
  • Benny, Magda, Eryn- Victoria
  • Simon- Montreal
  • J.C, Emerson, Jorge and Judy- Nosara
  • Chris- Idaho
  • Karen- Toronto
  • Sharr- South Africa
  • Gary, Jolene- Tamarindo
  • Dan, Jackie- California

Coffee in Costa Rica: A Photo Album

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During my time in Costa Rica, my love affair with coffee went into hyper drive.

Having had five months worth of amazing coffee, I can guarantee I’m going to be a little more selective about what I choose back home.

But before I have to start thinking about how I’m going to fuel my coffee addiction back at home, lets take a trip down memory lane with some of my favourite cups of coffee throughout Costa Rica

This one is a bit of a cheat, but here I am having my last peppermint mocha in Miami. Not sure if I'll ever want to go back to Starbucks again!


Starbucks in the Miami Airport

Okay, so I know I’m not technically in Costa Rica yet, but I was so sad to leave just as Peppermint Mocha season was starting. I’m pretty sure I drank a zillion in the short period of time I was at home.

I was determined to find the Starbucks when we were in San Jose, but after so much good Costa Rican coffee, Starbucks was the furthest thing from my mind.  I’m not sure I’ll ever be a Starbucks girl again (aside from Peppermint Mocha season of course!)

Cafe Tico, TamarindoCafe Tico, Tamarindo

I’ve lost count at how many Cappuccino’s I’ve consumed at Cafe Tico. I even wrote a whole post about them here. Their coffee is by far my favourite.

I’m by no means well versed in describing coffee flavours, but if I had to, I would say their roast is velvety. It has this amazing flavour that I haven’t had anywhere else. I’m bringing a bag of their beans back home with me, but without the warm breeze and amazing atmosphere, I’m not sure it will taste the same!

Zwart, Santa TeresaZwart Cafe, Santa Teresa

As you can tell by the caption on this photo, this coffee shop was inspiring. An cafe/used bookstore/art studio, of COURSE I’m in!

I hung out at Zwart alot during out time in Teresa. The coffee was delicious but it was the chilled out creativity fused vibe that kept me coming back for more.

 

Sel et Sucre, Puerto ViejoSel & Sucre, Puerto Viejo

I now present to you the most beautiful coffee in all of Costa Rica. Seriously! Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this cup of joe is.

I know I’ve written about Sel & Sucre before, but their coffee deserves to be mentioned again. It took me forever to stop snapping photo’s and finally dip my spoon in to stir it up. After such crazyness in Panama, this cup warmed my up my soul.

 

My Coffee La Fortuna (2)My Coffee, La Fortuna

Coffee Art alert! My Coffee used little stencils to make designs out of cinnamon on the top of my Cappuccino and then always added a little chocolate syrup flower flourish…

Never in my life would I have thought something like that would make me so happy, but by the look on my face..it did!

Bagelmen's, NosaraBagelmen’s Nosara

Bagelmen’s coffee was awesome for two reasons, it was cheap, big and they always put tons of cinnamon on it.

Although Bagelmen’s is technically a Costa Rican fast food chain, I was able to look past that. On those days where our budget was tight, Bagelmen’s was my saviour!

 

 

El Barcelo, TamarindoLa Bodega, Tamarindo: I discovered this place on a whim. It’s tucked away on the dirt road in Tamarindo, the one that heads to the gym.

I wish I could tell you about the coffee, but there is a huge tree right next to the cafe and when I was there it was full of howler monkeys. That means I was completely distracted throughout my entire cup of joe. I’m sure the coffee was splendid, but the my coffee companions that day were the biggest memory makers.

 

 

Where is your favourite place to go for coffee?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

 

 

Our Favourite Meals in Costa Rica: A Photo Album

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When you have to cook hostel meals for yourself in a shared kitchen, going out for dinner is a real treat.

It’s no secret the Costa Rican cuisine is delicious. We made it a point to snap a couple shots of some of our more spectacular meals.

So without further ado, our favourite meals in Costa Rica!

Classic Ceviche, Nogui's, Tamarindo

Classic Ceviche, Nogui’s, Tamarindo

Passion Fruit Ceviche, Gallo Finto, Tamarindo

Passion Fruit Ceviche, Gallo Finto, Tamarindo

Chicken Taco's, Green Papaya, Tamarindo

Chicken Taco’s, Green Papaya, Tamarindo

Classic Burger, Bugers & Beers, Nosara

Classic Burger, Bugers & Beers, Nosara

Etyl's Famous Pancakes, Kaya Sol, Nosara

Etyl’s Famous Pancakes, Kaya Sol, Nosara

Fish Taco, Kaya Sol, Nosara

Fish Taco, Kaya Sol, Nosara

Marinated Veggies in a Raw Plantain Wrap, Robins, Nosara

Marinated Veggies in a Raw Plantain Wrap, Robins, Nosara

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The best Casado I ate in all of Costa Rica. Mahi Mahi Casado from Seven in Playa Grande

Tamale at Sabor Tico, Monteverde

Tamale at Sabor Tico, Monteverde

Black Bean Soup, Gallo Finto, Tamarindo

Black Bean Soup, Gallo Finto, Tamarindo

Casado from the trunk of a car (SO good!), Tamarindo

Chicken Casado from the trunk of a car (SO good!), Tamarindo

I’m so hungry now!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

 

Homeward Bound: My personal journey through long-term travel

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Some days it feels like we just left, other days it seems  like we have lived an entire life time here in Costa Rica.

Today is the day we land home in Victoria. My heart feels like it is going to burst just typing this. I have had so many moment lately where I’ve pictured the hugs I’ll be giving and it has brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.

Today is also a final day of reflection, 24 hours worth of travel time will do that to you. I find myself continuing to come back to a moment that occurred a few days before we left for Costa Rica. I was laying in bed, sick with worry. I turned over to Shaun and asked him what we would do if I couldn’t “handle it”, could we just come home?

I had never travelled for longer then three weeks, and I was so worried about the trip. What if I couldn’t handle being away from my friends and family. What if I couldn’t live a life so drastically different from the one I lead at home. What if I just couldn’t do it.

I was holding on to so much fear about our travels. I was holding on to so much fear about life.

This is how I was choosing to live my daily life. I lived from the foundation of fear, the foundation of the “what if?” The end result was that I wasn’t truly living.

Going into this trip, I knew that something needed to change. And as I reflect back on what I’ve learned, I find myself in awe of what occurred over the past 5 months.  I didn’t actively pursue change, change pursued me. As soon as I opened my heart to all the possibilities my journey of self-discovery unfolded before me in an almost magical way.

I’m not a different person, I’m not coming home completely changed.  I’m coming home with an understanding of who I am deep down, and what I want out of life.

I’m coming home and it’s time to Shine.

As for the blog…

Can you believe that I actually still have stories to tell? As of today, I will post on the blog twice a week to finish up the last few stories of our trip. After that, the blog will transform into something that excites me to no end.

But you’ll just have to wait to see that chapter unfold…

Until then my friends, Pura Vida

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Our Costa Rican Animal Photo Album

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Wildlife abounds here in Costa Rica. Here are a couple of our favourite shots that we’ve captured over the past 5 months

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Howler Monkey’s in Nosara

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A Toucan en route to Nosara

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The Famous Barely Bear (Schroedi) in Tamarindo

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Cheeky Howler Papaya Eating Howler in Tamarindo

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Iguana in Samara

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A Croc in Playa Grande

One of the baby monkeys I met. He fell from his mom off a powerline and now has problems with his teeth

One of the baby monkeys I met. He fell from his mom off a powerline and now has problems with his teeth

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Macaw at the Nosara Wildlife Rescue

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Squirrel Monkey in Nicaragua

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Capybara in Manuel Antonio

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Monkey’s in Manuel Antonio

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Sloth in Monteverde (I swear!)

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Quetzel in Monteverde

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Pictures of Nosara, Costa Rica

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There are so many reasons why I loved Nosara, one of which was how gorgeous it was.

I took so many photo’s while I was there that couldn’t be included in any specific posts, so I thought I would include them all here.

Enjoy!

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Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Making Etyl’s Famous Pancakes at Kaya Sol, Nosara, Costa Rica

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I’ve mentioned already that while staying at Kaya Sol, we met these three fabulous ladies from Victoria. They even helped us preform our Beer Taste Test.

What I haven’t mentioned yet is that one of them, Benny, has an amazing food Blog called Being Bethany Jane. We of course immediately bonded over all things blog related as well as a mutual love for delicious healthy food.

When I heard that Benny was going to be getting a pancake lesson at Kaya Sol, I simply Etyl's Famous Pancakes Kaya Solcouldn’t resist joining in.

You see, the pancakes at Kaya Sol, are slightly amazing. Okay well actually they are bombdiggity delicious. I’m not usually one to order pancakes but after hearing the girls rave about them I got a couple for Shaun and I on his birthday. Seriously…life changing!

These pancakes aren’t the normal white, dry pucks with gooey centres that I am used to seeing at restaurants. These pancakes are full of oats, fresh ginger and coconut! I know I’ve perked your interest now!

Learning to make them was a real treat. As an added bonus, we not only got a lesson, but we got the lesson from Etyl herself! Now since this is not a food blog, I didn’t write down copious amount of notes during the process. I just wanted to get a the jist of the situation, so I could try and recreate them when I get home. Here’s what went down.

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Etyl whipping up some magic

The dry ingredients included whole oats, a bit of baking soda and baking powder all blended up in a blender. The wet ingredients included an egg, grated ginger, fresh nutmeg, honey, vanilla and three kinds of milk; whole milk, soy milk and fresh coconut milk. Add it all together and bobs your uncle. Etyl did say that you can bulk up the pancakes and add some pancake mix, but if you want to keep it whole grain, then leave it as is.

It was so awesome being able to learn how to make these creations from the inventor herself. You better believe I’ll be trying my hand at these when I get home. I might even be wild and add in a banana!

If you are sitting there reading this and thinking, Kate I really still have no idea how to make these pancakes, I would highly suggest checking out Being Bethany Jane. Not only am I confident that Benny will be trying her hand at her own version of Etyl’s pancakes, but she has tons of amazing recipes to tide you over in the meantime!

What is your favourite breakfast food?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

 

Final Days of Travel: Learning to Live in the Moment

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I didn’t think that the last leg of our travels would be this hard.

With 6 days left before we touchdown back home, I’m finding it more and more difficult to fight homesickness. My mind constantly wanders to my family and friends, and I find myself planning all sorts of things that I want to do when I get back. These feelings have resulted in days seeming long, and some moments where, well, I’ve been kinda miserable

There…I said it. I’ve been a grumpy bear this week. Poor Shaun has had to deal with a very homesick wife.

Of course, I recognize I need to change my tune. I’m actively choosing fear over love. If I’m not careful I’m going to waste the last few previous moments I have on this adventure looking forward instead of standing still.

I often find myself taking moments to appreciate my surroundings, but it is always in obvious ways, like when I’m watching a sunset of when I’m laying in a hammock. In those moments, its easy to be present, and appreciate the beauty and tranquillity that surrounds me

It’s the mundane times that I find challenging. Evenings where it is dark early, and no amount of Netflix or crazy eights are going to keep me entertained. Or days where I’m faced with a very hot walk to the store to get groceries. There are so many instances during my day where my mind wanders, I start thinking about home, I get lonely and I’m no longer present.

I started reading about ways to “be in the moment” and although I agree with most things I’ve read, I still didn’t really know how I was going to go about doing it. It’s easy for me to be present when I’m reading something about it, but as soon as I put my book down, I forget. The mind is a powerful thing and it will wander where it wants to wander.

I needed a concrete exercise to help me stay present, so I chose a day last week and decided to make myself a reminder.

I set an alarm on my phone for every hour. Whenever it went off, I took note about what I was thinking about. Most of the time it was about home, or something in the future. I took a second to appreciate that thought and let it come to an end.

Then, I took a deep breath and really looked at my surroundings. I would to myself, what am I grateful for in this moment? What do I want to remember? It didn’t have to be big things. Some of the things I noticed were all of the hibiscus in bloom, the amazing feeling of walking into a room with a/c, or a wicked huge Iguana. All things that I know I won’t have when I get home.

Taking time to appreciate and feel grateful for those little things helped keep me in the present moment.

This exercise totally falls into the “practice makes perfect” category. I found that after doing it for a while, it started to happen naturally. Now I have an alarm set for twice a day, but find I’m finding I am much more naturally present throughout the entire day.

So, if you are every finding yourself in a situation where you are spending to much time looking back or looking forward, try this exercise to help train yourself to stand still.

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For more on the evolution of my philosophies and “kateness” visiting my Philosophy page.

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Nosara Artisans Market in Playa Guiones, Costa Rica

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One of the best parts of being a travel blogger is stumbling upon a topic for a post that truly deserves to be recognized and rejoiced.

The Nosara Artisans Market falls into that category.

I learned about the Artisans Market early in our trip to Nosara, via an advertisement on a local community board. Being a traveller who loves exploring local markets, I was instantlyP1030251 intrigued.

Wanting to learn more, I connected with Kristen Brousseau, a local artisan and one of the coordinators of the event. She and fellow artist Emma Kinsey, have been organizing the Nosara Artisans Market since 2012. Kristen was kind enough to provide me with a little insight and history into how Nosara Artisans came to be:

“Nosara Artisans, started in October 2012, and was created to give Nosara artists a place to sell their wares during the holiday and summer season. It is a non-profit artist collective open to all artists living in the community. The first fair was held December 2012 at The Gilded Iguana Hotel and Restaurant located in Playa Guiones.
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Since then, the group has grown with many artists participating from other countries and Costa Rica. They hand make accessories, clothing, ceramics, furniture, glass art, lamps, jewellery, mosaics, paintings, photos, up-cycled creations and carved wood art. A lot of the artwork is made using natural materials found in Nosara and its beaches.

In an effort to give back to Nosara, this season The Gilded Iguana and Nosara Artisans have teamed up collect a portion of the artist fees for fundraising. So far, they donated money to Nosara Animal Care, the Del Mar Academy’s scholarship fund and the education fund at the Nosara Recycle Center. Also new this year, is the addition of baked goods, organic garden products, artisans breads, coffee produced in Costa Rica, and local food products.”

 
Upon hearing that description, I felt I simply had to attend the event. In fact, I even altered my travel plans so I could stay for it. The day of the event arrived and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

P1030254Immediately upon entering the market, you could sense the excitement in the air. Booths filled with jewellery, pottery, crafts and baked goods wound their way through the shaded grassy lawn of the Gilded Iguana. Groups mingled together laughing and marvelling at each others creations. I was struck with the diversity and uniqueness of the artwork. I found myself appreciating the fact that everything that was for sale truly was “one of a kind”
My husband and I explored the booths, sampled a few goodies and of course made some purchases.We chatted with several locals who welcomed us to the market with open arms. We left the market that day not feeling like a tourists, but more like honourary members of the Nosara community.

10245464_307950199357161_9069604458241027652_nThe Nosara Artisans Market is not just about selling wares, it’s about a community coming together. Not only do they celebrate the beauty of their handmade creations but also the feeling of togetherness that we found Nosara is known for.

If you are in the Nosara area, I would highly suggest you check out this market. Not only will you see some amazing one of kind creations, you’ll really get a feel for what Nosara is all about.

The next Nosara Artisan Art Market is on Saturday, April 19th at The Gilded Iguana from 12-3pm. Check out their Facebook page or website for more information.

Pura Vida!
Kate
Follow me on Twitter:@caketress