Next, my adventure takes me to the national park Manuel Antonio on the west coast of Costa Rica. I stayed in the beautiful and luxurious Tulemar Resort in a bungalow with a view of the ocean. I did check one thing off my bucket list by touching two oceans--the Atlantic and the Pacific--within 24 hours of one another. Tulemar was simply beautiful. On the property there are several places to eat, trails to explore, many pools, many gorgeous villas to rent, a private beach, and hundreds of species of wild animals walking around the property! One of most amazing sights were all of the monkeys running around the everywhere. Sometimes you would wake up to the sounds of hundreds of feet pounding on your roof as a troop of monkeys passed overhead. The monkeys even went swimming in the pool! We spent most of our days at the gorgeous private beach, lounging and boogie boarding or body surfing the waves. A friendly man stood at a booth and handed out towels, boogie boards, and kayak equipment to whoever needed it.
The water was as warm as a bath and the salt clung to you, emanating the beach vibe. I loved exploring all that Tulemar had to offer.
I did see Howler Monkeys on the Tulemar property as well, but did not get a good close up, and I saw Spider Monkeys in Tortuguero, but not close ups either, so the images below I have pulled from the worldwide web.
I loved Tulemar so much and would return in a heartbeat. I spent many happy days at the beach, zip lining through the canopy, studying the animals, photographing the scenery, and reading the third book in a series, Crest, while eating delicious Costa Rican cereal and fresh coconut. I love the Costa Rican sentiment of pura vida, meaning pure life, which eminates the relaxed and wonderful vibe of Costa Rica. After my awe-inspiring trip, I bring home photographs, a bracelet, memories, and a new frame of mind.