Travel Photo Essay: Costa Rica

If there is one day in the distant future where I have not yet died a young death from skydiving, eating blow-fish, running with the bulls or doing any other of the many dangerous things on my bucket-list, I suppose I would be forced to slow down and retire. And IF that day comes, I choose to retire in Costa Rica. This tropical country located in Central America is dense with foliage and beautiful landscapes.

"Pura Vida!" is the motto of the land, and you'll be hard pressed to not hear someone greet you in this manner or read it somewhere at least 3 times a day during your visit. It translates literally to pure life, and Costa Rica definitely lives up to their motto. Life is so simple here, especially inland. We stayed by the Arenal Volcano where many of the locals get around by walking and where it's hard to get your hands on processed food. The locals are quite relaxed and very comfortable with tourists since a majority of the economy is dependent on tourism. One thing I found out about Costa Rica is that they don't have an army! You know your country is relaxed when your government doesn't think it's necessary to fund an army. Gotta love a country like that.

Our diet during our stay was simple yet delicious. Rice and beans is a staple of Costa Rican cuisine, with fish and chicken being the main sources of protein and fresh fruit like plantains, pineapples, and strawberries. Much of the cows raised in Costa Rica are for milk, not meat, so it's very rare to find red meat on your plate. As a result of this wonderfully fresh diet and the wonders of tropical humidity, Costa Rican people are naturally beautiful! I found that everyone had nice glowing skin, and by the time we left, Shaun and I left the country looking like we blew a bunch of money on facials.

The first day we were there we met some great people while white water rafting. The first duo was Nicole and Erica. These two pals are from Seattle and were at a yoga retreat prior to coming to Arenal Volcano. The second duo was Kenn and Lisa who were on their honeymoon! Coincidentally, they are photographers too and come from southern California as well! We were all in the same raft with each other and the chemistry was so great we all hung out with each other for the rest of the trip. We felt so lucky to have met such awesome people during our trip and we plan on traveling with each other again next year! Hopefully Peru!

This first set of photos is from my waterproof film camera. Glad I brought it because I was able to get one or two one of a kind shots.
These are pictures from our first excursion, white water rafting. This is the first time the six of us all met and bonded as a group. Canyoneering! Hands down, best excursion of the trip! Hot springs adventure, zip lining, and our last night on the town.


Pura Vida!

xx, LC

Coachella En Film

Better late than never huh? A couple of my favorite shots from my film camera from this years Coachella.

 

Who's going next year?

I love this festival and the way it is run. A California institution since 1999, the past three years attending have been quite memorable for me. I give credit for that to the amazing friends who accompanied me and all of the great bands and performances I was able to experience. But I also give credit to how well Coachella is operated, from the $2 sticker price for a bottle of water (price hasn't gone up in years) to the easy navigation of streets to and from the festival to the artwork.

Next year however, I plan on venturing out of California and spending my hard earned dough on some new memories in a not so familiar place. Not that Coachella hasn't treated me well in the past, but I've got the travel bug and I'm yearning for a new experience. Bonnaroo? Treasure Island? Ultra? SXSW? Camp Bisco? Lollapalooza? Electric Zoo? Sasquatch? We'll have to see..

xx, LC