More than we expected…Costa Rica dream property…Already unpacked and settled in…

Tom is as content as he could be at La Perla de Atenas

Last night around 9:30 pm, we arrived at La Perla de Atenas (The Pearl of Atenas), our vacation home for the next 3½  months. Our mouths were agape in sheer wonder. 

The bed and bedding in the master bedroom are very comfortable. More interior photos are coming soon.

How did we get so lucky to have landed this exquisite home after making friends with owners Bev and Sam in Kauai?  We met the lovely couple at a Full Moon Party and who later invited us to their stunning property in Kauai for dinner and again for their monthly “movie nights.” 

In most cases, we stay in vacation homes with water views. But, the valley and mountain views in Atenas are all we need right now.

As it turned out, Bev and Sam were in the process of purchasing this Costa Rica property while we were there, later spending enormous time and funds to update it to its currently blissful state of being. 

The massive grounds are landscaped and maintained to perfection.

At the time, we had no intentions of revisiting Central America when we’d already spent 2½ months living in Belize and visiting Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala via three cruises in 2013. With so much world left to see, none of these countries struck us as high on our list at this point.

However, when we booked the Antarctica cruise upcoming in January, everything changed.  We needed to work our way toward South America. A stop along the way in Costa Rica might be perfect. And, from our perspective thus far, we were right.

We’ll be spending many hours bird watching from this location, and at the National Park, we’ll soon visit.

Yesterday’s two flights were relatively easy, including immigration and customs, when we arrived in Costa Rica. The layover in Houston was short. The only delay was getting onto the flight when United’s (duh!) cleaning people had to vacuum the plane’s interior a second time when the supervisor wasn’t happy with how it had been done after the last flight. We waited in line no less than 30 minutes in the hot, steamy tube.

Lush vegetation and greenery on the grounds surround us in the mountains, hills, and valleys. We’re located at an elevation of approximately 4000 feet (1219 meters).

Finally, we were on our way and the three hours whizzed by.  After we’d collected our luggage, our property manager Aad was waiting for us, holding a sign with our names. It took 35 minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport to La Perla.  

Although it was only a 13-hour travel day from Las Vegas, Nevada to Atenas, Costa Rica, no doubt we were a little pooped.  Even today, after a decent six hours of sleep in the very comfortable bed, we’re still a little sluggish.

It looks like we won’t have trouble finding grass-fed beef in Costa Rica if these skinny cattle are any indication. The meat from grass-fed cows is tough but so much healthier. We’re less inclined to purchase steaks instead of focusing on ground beef and slowing cooking cuts.

This morning after perusing the stunning views and reveling in the sounds of birds, roosters, and cows, we unpacked everything, hanging our clothes in the two walk-in closets and ample drawer space in the master suite.

Our suitcases are now tucked away in one of the other bedrooms. The only other task on today’s agenda is a trip to the phone store to purchase a SIM card and the local market, which Aad pointed out last night as being behind the gas station. 

With thick cushions to use for these chairs, we’ll undoubtedly get our daily dose of Vitamin D.

Once we become more familiar with local markets, we have no doubt we’ll find most of which we’ll need to enjoy cooking in the modern kitchen. For today, we might go for “easy” and buy some already roasted chickens if they’re available.

We’ll be taking many photos of our breathtaking surroundings and share them tomorrow. Enjoy your day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 2, 2016:

Although we were in Phuket this time last year, we were nearly finished posting the final photos of our Vietnam and Cambodia tour via the Mekong River. Camera in my hand while Tom carried our little insulated bag with chilled bottled water as we exited the boat for a time. For more photos, please click here.