We've Arrived

It is Saturday morning around 11:00 am.   Ann, Ally and I are relaxing at the Liberia Hilton Garden Inn while we anticipate going to meet Craig and Jenna at the airport in about an hour.  After 3 nights in hotels, I think we are all looking forward to being in a house tonight.  Getting to Costa Rica from the great white north is quite an adventure.  First, we had to survive a 6 hour drive to Calgary.  That drive, through a few snow blowing events was probably a lot more intense than anything I will encounter while driving in Costa Rica. We stayed in a hotel in Calgary and then flew to Dallas the next day.  Another hotel in Dallas, another flight, and we found ourselves in another hotel near the Liberia airport.  The Hilton Garden Inn is where I find myself writing this at the moment.

We will soon be off to the airport to meet the kids.  I hope to find an atm at the airport that will dispense me some Colones.  For some reason the atm at the hotel did not work for me.  I called my bank last night and they don't understand why there would be a problem.  I guess I'll find out.

It is now Saturday evening and we are finally at Casa Vista del Mar in Samara.  My bank cards worked at the airport and I was able to get some Colones.  Thank goodness!

It was such a relief and an emotion filled moment to see Craig and Jenna walking towards us at the arrivals gate in the Liberia airport.  All the months of planning this trip and the complicated flight schedules, with people coming from different places did cause me some anxiety, but it all came off my shoulders when we were all together.

Meeting Craig and Jenna at the Liberia airport

Getting a few groceries at the MaxiPali in the town of Nicoya on our way to Samara

In the parking lot at the grocery store in Nicoya

Our rental SUV and a chicken next to our rental house

An iguana that Ann and Jenna found in our yard

Ann found a coconut in the yard and gave it to Craig to use as a flotation device 

Jenna being so pretty with a flower she found in the yard

Hola from the Christensen family

The 2.5 hour drive to Samara was interesting.  Driving here might not be for everyone but it still better than driving through a snowstorm with icy roads.  We arrived at the Samara rentals office at 3:30 and David and Mellisa promptly led us to the house.  We spent the rest of the afternoon getting use to the house and yard and then drove into the village for a nice supper at Casa Esmeralda restaurant.  Everyone is very tired and I know we will all sleep well tonight.