There’s a reason why I haven’t been writing about most of the hotels we’ve seen – that reason is called “if you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” With that being said (or unsaid), I’m taken aback by the hotels that call themselves five stars. This is why you need a travel agent – not everything you see on TripAdvisor is true, and just about anything can claim to be a “five star property” these days. In Costa Rica, it is a very big accomplishment to receive the Five-Leaf accreditation, meaning that a hotel is eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable. Five Leaves, however, do not translate into five stars (as one person tried to tell us about the obviously 2 1/2 star hotel) – in many cases it seems to translate into meaning that the attention shifts from keeping up the accommodations and the focus is on making sure they’re eco-friendly, no matter how many stains the bedspread has (I wish this was a made-up analogy and not one that I saw today). Honestly, I’ve only seen a few resorts that I would highly recommend for those looking for the combination of luxury and adventure.
Nature and adventure-wise, on the other hand, I’m loving Costa Rica. This country is full of wonderful sites and, as mentioned yesterday, a lot of animals that are simply terrifying. Let me continue my scary animal count:
Crocodiles
Will you just look at how big these things are?!
Caymans
Smaller versions, still creepy.
Flesh-eating Turtles
I don’t think that this is their scientific name, but I have never seen turtles devouring a fish the way that these did. Just watch this really gross video:
Iguanas
Will these things hurt me? I’m not sure if I should be afraid of them.
Less intimidating animals that I saw today:
Sloths
This was one of the top animals on my list to see…not going to lie, pretty anti-climactic. I’m not sure what kind of tricks I was expecting from nature’s slowest animal, but the only tricks they seem to know are “sit and stay.”
White-faced Monkeys
YEAHHH! We finally got to see a monkey, up close and personal. They’re like Costa Rica’s stray cats, carelessly climbing around on rooftops, but way cooler.
Butterflies
Did you know that there are over 2,000 types of butterflies in Costa Rica?! While one of the other agents on the trip is terrified of butterflies, I can handle these bugs. However, I can’t handle whatever kind of crazy mosquitoes have been attacking me this entire trip.
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