Barrys Aventuras de Costa Rica: We did find a slice of paradise here in Costa Rica, it just turned out that it wasn't in Nosara...Welcome to Carolina Lodge!

It turns out that I'm definitely a mountain girl. I love the beach, but prefer cool mountain peaks. The beaches of Nosara are gorgeous and special because they were protected from development by some forward-thinking people years ago. But still, its HOT and no one wants to be on beach except around sunrise or sunset.

So, we went to visit the cool mountains near Rio Celeste again, this time with our friends Tom and Tracy. We were so happy to have some friends come visit us!! We immensely appreciate that they made the effort to come all the way from Alaska. We loved showing them around our town, but we wanted to get out and show them the real tropical jungles. Here in Nosara, it is hot and dry right now and we've had some crazy winds this week that knocked out all the power and water (no pumps without electricity) while we were gone in the mountains. There was also a fire down the road at the dump, about 1/2 mile from our houses. Everyone in our neighborhood had a knock on the door at 3:00am warning them to get ready to get out! The firefighters luckily put out the fire, but no one slept for the rest of the night. Luckily for us, we were not home, and there is no cell reception at Carolina Lodge, so no worrying for us!

We stayed at La Carolina Lodge, which is one incredibly special place. We saw a plethora of tropical birds, and the tranquility of the surroundings makes you forget all the worries you needlessly pile upon yourself. The owners of this place, Bill & Catharina, are really what make this place awesome. They are wonderful hosts, so passionate about their farm, and so fun to sit and talk with around the fireplace. Yes, a fireplace! In Costa Rica! We had to wear LONG SLEEVES and PANTS! It was awesome. The lodge is on a working farm, so there are cows to milk (we "helped" out with this task), horses to ride, wood to chop, treehouses to build (Tom helped with this), and food to grow and gather.

Amara loves horses, and she is taking lessons here in Nosara. So, she went twice on the farm - the first time was slow because we all went and Geoff and Graham were on the same horse so they couldn't really go fast. The second time she rode it was just three of them - Geoff, Amara and Graham - and this time Graham had his own horse. So Geoff started running his horse and Amara immediately tried to keep up and also took off running. She was so happy she looked like she was on a roller coaster ride. She is so comfortable on a horse, I love watching her ride.

As always, Graham found a dog to play with at the lodge. They have a 3 month old boxer puppy - and he played with it all day. Everywhere we stay he makes new dog friends.

On the farm they also feed you three enormous meals a day. They try to grow and raise most everything they need for the delicious meals, from the vegetables, fruits, and grains to the milk, cheese, and meat. For nights and rainy days there is a hot tub too, heated by firewood.

So for any of you planning on travelling to Costa Rica, you must stop here. Tom and Tracy are already talking about coming back to spend more time there. Truly a magical time was had by all of us.