After a beautiful time in the Arenal Volcano area, we had to then move on to our next adventure.  

Tuesday was the day we were looking forward to the least.  Costa Rica does not have good public transit within the country, so our tour guide arranged for a private driver to take us on the five hour drive from the Arenal Volcano area to Manuel Antonio.  I was on vacation, I did  not want to spend five daylight hours of one whole day in a car.  

However, I knew things were going to be different when we met our awesome driver, Fernando from RideCR.  He started off by letting us know we were in for a treat.  He said that he had water, but he could stop for any snacks or food we wanted along the way.  He said he would point out wildlife and important sites.  He also told us we would stop for lunch and shopping, and if there was anything we wanted, just ask and he would get it for us. With that we hit the road. 

A two toed sloth. As soon as Fernando heard I wanted to see one, he pulled over to an area were he had seen one a few days ago, and found one in the bushes for me. This is not zoomed in, we were that close to him.

A blue jeans frog. Our driver heard the croaking and pulled over to catch one and show us. After he picked it up, he told us the frog’s skin was toxic. I freaked out, but apparently it’s only an issue if you have cuts on your hand or put your hands in your mouth.

Lunch and shopping. Fernando knows what I like.

Pulled over to check out this mama and baby in the field. Check out that view.

This little guy was runing around the grass on one of our stops.

We stopped to get some cool coconut water…

… and saw this, a river where crocodiles lay out on the banks to sun themselves. There were over 30 swimming around that day.

Our first view of the Pacific Ocean, and how we knew we were close to Manuel Antonio.

Along the way I asked a million questions about everyday life in Costa Rica, the education system, customs, how the rise of the tourism industry has changed the country, etc.  He was open and honest, answered everything I ask with earnest and pride and never once seemed annoyed.  He and I even bantered back and forth in Spanish quite a bit once he realized I could speak Spanish and wanted to practice.  Toward the end of what actually turned into a seven hour drive (with all the stops and traffic), my husband and I slept soundly in the van, cuddled in each other’s arms like a newlywed couple, knowing we were safe with Fernando driving us. After a surprisingly educational and fun day, we pulled into the Falls Resort in Manuel Antonio ready to take on our next adventure.

To be continued….

• Part 1 – Arenal Volcano Area
• Part 3 – Manuel Antonio

*This post is a part of Friday Postcards on Walking On Travels