Today we all got up early to have breakfast poolside before taking our day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park. It was more of the same; pineapple, papaya and watermelon, eggs, gallo pinto, sausage and plantains.  Of course, the coffee was awesome as well! We boarded the bus at 8:15 to make our way down the Pacific coast about an hour to the town of Quepos. Manuel Antonio is the smallest national park in Costa Rica. What is lacks in size, it makes up in wildlife and views. I did not get pictures of all the animals (so if you are a parent reading this, make sure you check the Facebook page for lots of pictures), but here’s one of the white-faced monkey and my favorite patriotic crab!

This picture of Ella really captures the excitement we saw from all the kids when they saw the first white-faced monkey. There’s no experience at a zoo that could ever take the place of seeing the animal in its natural habitat.  

Mandy and I took a few minutes to strike some yoga poses on the beach. We couldn’t resist having such a gorgeous background!

The kids really played together well. The sun wasn’t very strong so we only have a few pink cheeks and shoulders. Everyone seemed to have a really great morning! In the background (red polo shirt) you can see our guide Tatiana.  She has been a fabulous guide for our group. She really understands our needs and the ages of our travelers.  We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her and will miss her when we say goodbye on Wednesday morning!

After playing on the beach all morning, we were starving.  We walked to a restaurant right outside the park. We had choices for this meal and they included; seafood stew, ceviche (raw fish cooked in lime juice), hamburger, cheeseburger, nachos or quesadilla.  Nearly all travelers had the cheese quesadilla.  I had the ceviche that was served with patacones (a Costa Rican speciality of smashed plantains that are deep-fried). It was so fresh! I am so glad that we were given that choice as it’s not right to be on the water and not have the option to eat fresh fish!

Until next time Manual Antonio!