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“Wanderlust: n. a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world”

Today we drove up to Nauyaca Waterfalls, they’re one of the main attractions of the southern region in Costa Rica. Again like many other places in the mountains above the coastal towns, the drive getting there is part of the adventure. Although most of the road is paved, it’s very windy and cars were fly around each curve…several times I thought someone would hit us head on. The falls are located in a canyon and there are two main falls. The top falls have a drop of about 147′ and the lower falls are a stepped falls that drop about 65′. The lower falls forms a natural deep pool that’s a great place to cool off on a hot day.

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“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind” – Marty Rubin

Today’s adventure took us on a rafting trip down the Sevegre River. It’s considered the most pristine river in Costa Rica, because there are no factories, power plants or manufacturing sites to pollute the water and only about 1,000 people live on the banks. We met our tour at Dominical Surf Adventures in Dominical at 8:00…kind of early for people on vacation.

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“Live your life by a compass not a clock.” – Stephen Covey

Today I’m going to try and catch up. There are photos I wanted to share, but I just didn’t have space for them in the earlier posts. We’re enjoying our time in Dominical…wandering around town, enjoying the coastal views and relaxing at our amazing house. We even went white water rafting, but more on that tomorrow. These pictures are mostly from Quepos.

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“To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise.” –Emilia Wickstead

We moved today to Dominical, our second stop along the Pacific coast, it’s a beach-front town about 28 miles south of Quepos. The town began as a small fishing village but has grown into a tourist attraction, mostly for surfers. We’re actually staying about five miles north of Dominical in a wonderful house that over looks the ocean…a little out of the way, but very relaxing. The area between Quepos and Dominical is dotted with African oil palm plantations which produce palm oil.
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“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” —Gabby Basora

Stan and I like to look for activities that are a little off-the-beaten-path. We’re not the normal tourist that like to visit every museum or touristy place, in fact those are the places we try to avoid. So after our adventure yesterday at Manual Antonio National Park, it was time to get away from the crowds. 

I do research to find local places and things that will lead us to something different and less crowded. In my research I found Los Campesinos, it’s a little known community-based ecotourism organization deep in the mountains north of Quepos. It took us about an hour to get there, up a mountain road that was a bit bumpy and steep, but no wear near as bad as the road to Rio Celeste last year. The drive itself was part of the adventure…it took us pass charming Tico (local) villages and we saw some beautiful lush green sights.
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“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” —Gustav Flaubert

The main tourist attraction in this area of Costa Rica is Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s popular for a reason…it has lush jungle, abundant wildlife and exquisite beaches. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing day on one of four pristine beaches or hike through the vibrant, green rainforest. From tide pools alive with crustaceans to endangered monkey species to stunning scenic vistas, the park is a spectacular destination.

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“In Life, It’s Not Where You Go, It’s Who You Travel With” –  Charles Schulz

We had a slow start to our day…breakfast by the pool over looking the marina. No monkeys showed up, but we did see a few later in the day.

We walked through town and found a place to get a sim card for my phone. People are so amazing here in Costa Rica…they go out of their way to be friendly and helpful. It’s fun just talking to people in the stores and restaurants. They are very welcoming.

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“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

Our first stop along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is the town of Quepos, considered the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park. The town’s unique blend of beauty, history, wildlife and culture have combined to create an idyllic rainforest community, which draws international visitors seeking adventure, those wanting to fish for marlin or those visitors that just want to relax on the beach. We plan to do a little exploring and a lot of relaxing.
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“And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar

Last year I did a blog post about traveling…what it is and how it makes a person feel. Traveling is life, it’s unpredictable, it’s freedom, it’s like a drug – the more you travel the more you want to travel, it’s the exploring of new places, having no limits and being who you want to be. All those statements are very true for Stan and myself, so it’s time for a little adventure, a little walking on the beach, a little relaxation and most of all the exploring of somewhere new.
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