Mr. & Mrs. Vandebilt + kids

We finished off the last few days in Costa Rica in much the same way we did the rest of the trip – with a poor return on investment. We enjoyed another day of sunshine. Pool, beach and lots of fun. Charlie made friends with two little boys from Massachusetts and they had a blast together. We really did have an amazing day – likely our best in CR and then I fell victim to the flu.

I spent our third night sleeping on the bathroom floor capitalizing on none of our $85USD/day all inclusive package. Madeline ended up sick in bed again the next morning so the two of us had a lazy recovery day inside our hotel room for our final day in the sun. I dragged myself to the shore for one last look at warmth and ocean late afternoon before we called it a night.

Our trip back home went reasonably well – all things considered. We got checked out of the hotel and headed for the airport – we even managed to make the entire 4.5 hour trip without stopping. We are safe and sound back home now after a couple of flights and a long night.

Jacob and I had reservations about Costa Rica as a destination when we booked in November. I would have to say it lived up to its expectations. We certainly had some unfortunate extenuating circumstances – we were robbed, we got sick, we got rained off the Caribbean coast – but that aside, Costa Rica just wasn’t for us. The biggest reason for me was the value. I was blown away at how expensive it was. We paid American prices for Central American services. The food was wildly overpriced, both in restaurants and the grocery store. The hotels were equally expensive. Plus, there was no good cheap wine or beer, which we clearly needed.

We still have lots of great memories from the trip. Nora learning a few Spanish words and learning to swim. Charlie making friends everywhere he went. Madeline making herself at home on every beach and braving the pools. We got to see monkeys up close, walk over tree tops, visit a chocolate farm and see a volcano. We had fun, it was warm and we spent a month together just our little family. Costa Rica just doesn’t make into my top 25 countries.