Search by tags Winging It

Heading "Home"

With the three most popular tourist destinations checked off our to-do list, my brother and I hopped a bus back to the “Mayberry of Costa Rica.” I had captured the rainforest, the coast and all of our travel buddies on my camera and I enjoyed browsing ...

Guests in the Wild Kingdom

After hours of standing in the aisle of a full bus, we arrived in the small town of Quepos, only to immediately hop on another bus that took us to our hostel in Manuel Antonio.

Hostel Vista Serena had a long porch that offered a great view of the ocean ...

Visiting the Sleeping Giant

Due to the growing popularity of ecotourism in Costa Rica, it was easy to find transportation from Monteverde to La Fortuna – both common stopping points for adventure-seeking tourists. I simply let the hostel owners know what time my brother and I wanted ...

Hiking Through the Clouds

My brother and I were fortunate to get a seat on the bus from San Jose to Monteverde. Unlike our first bus ride, this four hour haul exposed us to Costa Rica’s open countryside, which is distinguished by dangerously steep hills and mountains spotted with ...

Leaving the Valley

The first few days my brother and I spent in the valley allowed us the opportunity to become well-acquainted with the family and neighbors. It also gave us the chance to brush up on our Spanish before having to converse with bank tellers, bus drivers, street ...

Home Away from Home

I woke up around six o’clock the next morning, which typically only happens about every other summer solstice. Sunlight was already beaming through the windows and I could hear countless bird calls that were totally foreign to me. I could also hear the ...

Finding Our Way

We met our host for the first time outside the airport in San Jose shortly after our plane landed around 11 p.m. A few days prior, I sent him a picture of me via email so that he knew for whom to look. Within thirty seconds of walking out into the warm, ...

Have Time, Must Travel

A few months after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English, I found myself with plenty of time for reflection as I drove a hospital shuttle around a mile-long circuit for six hours each day. I was given two instructions: do not turn on the radio and ...