In order to maximize our time in Costa Rica, Shelley and I spent only about 1 1/2 days in each city we visited. We made sure to do everything we really wanted before heading on our way to the next destination. After leaving Monteverde, we headed on our way to La Fortuna, home to the famous Arenal Volcano.
This $25 tour may seem a bit steep in price for 2 hours, but with the amount of food you’re given, it’s worth the price and more! The owner of the farm walks you around sharing about the many fruit trees that grow there. These trees not only protect the cocoa trees, they serve as a good source of revenue for the owners. The best part is all of the amazing fruit and chocolate you get to eat! We tried star fruit, papaya, pineapple, bananas, and oranges right from the tree. We also pressed our own sugar cane juice, and made our very own hot chocolate from the cocoa bean we picked ourself! Tours leave at 8am, 10am, 1pm, and 3pm, and the price includes transportation to/from the farm.
In order to maximize our time in Costa Rica, Shelley and I spent only about 1 1/2 days in each city we visited. We made sure to do everything we really wanted before heading on our way to the next destination. After spending a morning in San Jose, we were off to Monteverde, a city surrounded by rainforests and mountains.
Zip-lining in Costa Rica is not to be missed! It was honestly one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life.
There are multiple options of places to go adventuring in Monteverde, but we chose Selvatura because it included 13 lines to zip across, suspension brides, and access to the hummingbird garden all for $75. Other companies cost more for less activities and less time.
My friend, Shelley, and I went on a 12-day trip around Costa Rica in September 2017. I flew into San Jose from Chicago, but since we were forewarned that there wasn’t too much to do in the capital city, we only allotted a half-day, though I did stay for two nights due to my flight times.
Sightseeing
We did a self-guided tour of downtown San Jose since our time was limited, but San Jose Free Walking Tours looks great! It’s 3 hours & shows all of the sites of the city. There is a lot of shopping in the downtown area, oddly revolving around surf and shoes. We met a Canadian couple in another city who recommended the Tour of the National Theater.
One of my go-to podcasts is Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, a weekly show discussing the week’s news with three comedians. Paula Poundstone is one of the best comedians on the show; she’s goofy and always has hilarious, random comments. She started a new podcast, Live from the Poundstone Institute, where they talk about various studies, including inviting the researchers to explain the results and how the study was conducted. I listened to an episode while traveling in Costa Rica and one of the studies was about how when you talk to a stranger, it makes you happier. As a millennial (barely, like 5%) and yogi, I’m always on the pursuit for happiness, so I was instantly intrigued by this study. The researcher in charge explained that they had three groups:
they were told to do what they normally do on the train (which, in this day and age, is probably listen to podcasts and music with headphones in, and not talk to anyone) aka the control group
they were told explicitly not to talk to anyone
this group was told to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to them on the train.
The conclusion of the study was that the group who talked with strangers was happier than the other people.
My parents and I went on a trip to Canada earlier this year. Our first stop was Montreal, a fun mix of the western world and France. Because of this, there is a plethora of beautiful old Catholic churches. Equally as impressive was the food!
Churches
St. Patrick’s Basilica
This was my favorite church of all that we visited. It was very quiet inside and the architecture was beautiful. I could see myself meditating here regularly if I lived in Montreal.
On a recent trip to Canada, my parents and I stopped in Toronto. As a big city girl already, it felt like I was back in sweet home Chicago. With a limited timeframe to spend exploring – basically 12 hours – we squeezed in the important stuff: good food with a splash of sightseeing!
New City Life Adventure 