Anybody who has been to an all-inclusive resort in a Third World country has travelled from the airport to the luxurious property on an air-conditioned bus passing through local neighborhoods. For some people from North America or Europe, the view outside the window of the bus is a bit of a shock – the houses seem like shacks compared to the multi-storey constructions back home, the roads are in bad shape, garbage is left in piles on the side of the road (and might even be on fire), and livestock are wandering free. In many ways, the area in which we currently live is like that other side of the air-conditioned bus window.
My parents have travelled to parts of Mexico and the Dominican Republic before and just last year, they spent some time in India. So prior to their arrival last week, I was able to prepare them mentally for the area in which we live. However, they had planned a short 5 day visit and we thought that it would be a nice balance for them to experience a bit of our town (real rural Costa Rica) but then wash it down with a nice visit to a beautiful hotel on the Pacific Coast – Los Sueños.
Los Sueños is situated on Playa Herradura which isn’t a gorgeous beach but the hotel makes up for it with an extraordinary, gigantic pool which feels a bit like a mini-Venice. The water in the pool was such a perfect temperature that the whole family spent most of the day just soaking and wandering through the canals.
The kids liked this “message in a bottle” boat outside one of the restaurants.
The walk under the aqueduct to eat breakfast and dinner.
The canopy of almond trees provide shade for the lawn chairs on the beach.
Gabriel taking a break from swimming in the pool.
Naimah with an intense look on her face practicing with her boogie board.
It is much hotter on the coast so we had to make sure that the kids stayed hydrated.
The kids were just so happy to spend time with Bubby and Zaidie (Grandma and Grandpa in Yiddish).
Naimah was wiped by the end of the 2 days of heat and sun.
A video of the surfers in training before they hit the beach.
