"every good gift...Part 1--The Hotel

My trip to Manuel Antonio certainly falls squarely under this heading.  I was awarded a travel grant that allowed me to take a trip on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to Manuel Antonio, home of the national park and the most exotic, extravagant hotel I have ever stayed in.  Good gifts.  As part of my proposal I went white water rafting down the Savegre river.  Amazingly fun.  Lets start from the begging though shall we?  And pictures, there should be pictures.

So, at 7:45 in the morning I went to the bus stop to catch the 8:00 bus to Quepos...only to find that the bus left at 9:30.  Had I lived closer than a 30 min. walk I would have gone home..as it was I sat on a bench and people-watched.  Just before boarding I met a couple from Spain...their accents gave them away immediately.  We exchanged pleasantries but did not end up sitting together on the bus.  I wish we would have, I sat in between a screaming 3 year old/his frustrated mother and a man that gave off vibes that I elected to ignore since I was traveling alone.  4 hours later we arrived at Quepos where I inquired as to my next move and consequently boarded a smaller bus that would take me to Manuel Antonio.  I was on edge the entire bus ride, because I had asked in Spanish, and while I had been 100% sure I understood the directions...well you know what worry is like as a bus full of chattering Costa Ricans goes whirring around curves and up mountain sides that certainly seem to be heading into the middle of nowhere.  As it turns out, I had cause to be concerned.  30 minutes into this short ride the scenery began to look familiar.  A quick look around the bus confirmed that all the original passengers had departed.  I was going on round 2 of this bus route.  I asked the driver where my hotel was and he told me the closest he could get was to the end of the road.  No problem.  A brisk 3 mile walk in the 90+ degree weather later and I arrived at the hotel.  Rumpled and drenched in sweat I certainly did not feel like the crisp elite beaming-with-joy honeymoon crowd that this hotel catered to.  Nevertheless I am sure no guest had ever been happier to arrive.  My room took my breath away.  The absolute cleanliness, the air conditioning, the spacious elegant design, the hot tub...all of it brought me near to tears.  I have to warn you, the pictures provide a drastic reductionism of the grandeur.

...yes I brought Chippy.  It is a romantic honeymoon suite...I couldn't face it alone.  The next picture however is more accurate

Reality:  Not two loving swans, but one faceplanted on the bed while a chipmunk that belongs in a crib rather than on a fluffy white bed surrounded by decorator pillows looks on, gleeful for at his good fortune.

Couples massage tables.

Jacuzzi! 

A sunset view

 So I've arrived.  Disgusting as I was I immidiately drew a bubble bath...which I now believe to be a practiced art.  I need more practice.  Long story short I ended up bailing bubbles like my life depended on it to stop the growing mounds from extinguishing my relaxing spa candles.  The bathroom looked like the floor of the Abominable Ssnowman's favorite barber shop. 

Next good gift:  Massage and facial in the most relaxing alcove of a room that you can imagine.  Cherry on top:  the massage oil was jasmine scented.

Keep heaping on the presents:  the hotel restaurant was offering a 50% discount during my entire stay.  Which is good because it cost $10 to get into town to buy food.  The restaurant was on a roofed patio that hung out over the edge of the rainforest.  The tables and chairs were draped in elegant white clothes with burgundy accents and the only light came from the candles on the table and soft can lights above.  It was the type of fancy that made me cut each bite in a small lady like portion that dad would be proud of.    The waiter took pity on me...the only non lovebird in the room...and spent a lot of time talking to me at my table while I waited on my food.  Not to be too academic but this entire trip was amazing for getting to practice Spanish.  Zero English the whole time.

After the best night's sleep I have had since coming to Costa Rica I woke up in a cloud of contentment and went down to enjoy the free breakfast.  It was not only a luscious buffet but also your choice of a menu breakfast.  Pampered beyond belief.  And I got to eat pancakes!  Real pancakes with maple syrup.  Its really the little things.

 This is where I will leave you for now...soaking in luxury.  I'll be back to finish it off with Part 2--The Adventures.