Costa Rica: Days 4-6

The next few days of or trip are a bit of a blur to me. We went to Beizanz Beach, which is a beautiful little cove where the water was warm and calm and we all had a great time playing. One awesome thing about Costa Rican beaches: SHADE! It is awesome for pigment-challenged people like us to be able to play in the sand in the shade and then go out for a dip in the water. Especially when it's about 99*F and the Equatorial Sun is baking you like a cake!

The next day, we went to Manuel Antonio National Park, and walked with a guide through the park to the beach. We were so glad we had a guide to point out the animals - we'd never have spotted them! 

That fuzzy ball in the center of the photograph below is a three-toed sloth! 

The dark spot through the branches in the upper center of the photo below is a family of Howler monkeys. There was a mother and two or three babies. 

Another sloth.

A white-faced capuchin monkey. 

We finally reached the beach! Woohoo! It was a long, long hike through the heat and humidity! The breeze felt amazing, and we were wowed by the scenery. There were iguanas on the beach, and we kept our eyes peeled for more monkeys, but didn't see any. 

When we first planned our trip to Costa Rica, L was so excited that we were going to the home of the Basilisk Lizard! He knew about this lizard from the show Wild Kratts, which is his favorite, and the special thing about the Basilisk is that it can run on water. He REALLY wanted to see one on our trip, but the places that people go to see them (where they're more common) are so remote that we just couldn't make it happen with two little kids. We had prepared L for the possibility that we might never see a real Basilisk in the wild. 

While we were at the beach, we had a picnic, and M went off to throw some stuff in the garbage can nearby. He ran back, excited, shouting, "L! Come quick! A Basilisk!" I couldn't believe it! There in the brush just off the path was a real, live Basilisk, perched on a tree. L sat there and watched him for 15 minutes or so. He wished he could see him run on the water, but just seeing one in real life was a treat, and L was grateful. He had prayed that morning over breakfast that we'd see lots of animals, and he knew this was an answer to his prayer. I have lots of photos, because this was a real highlight! :) Can you spot the Basilisk? He's well camouflaged!

My kids love the sand, at least as much as they love the water! L loved to "build castles," which really meant making a big pile of sand, since we didn't have any buckets or anything. The waves would splash around, and he'd direct us, "Mom! It needs more sand over here! HURRY!" or "The foundation is crumbling! We have to do something!" What a happy boy, just playing in the sand!

J was pretty happy too! He loved throwing sticks and little green apples into the water, and he was remarkably brave bobbing in the water with Mom and Dad. He's always loved to swim!

Next up, a funny story! :)