Costa Rica

Due to all of Laurie's hard work we were fortunate enough to get a trip to Costa Rica with some of Allscripts' finest. This year we decided to bring the kids with us and show them the tropics for the first time. They have been wanting to go snorkeling for a long time.

The venue for this trip was none other than The Four Seasons resort on the northern Pacific coast. The service at The Four Seasons is over the top. They really take care of you with superb service and friendliness. There were three gorgeous swimming pools on the property with comfortable lounging chairs, swaying palms, and the obligatory poolside bars. The resort is located at the tip of Peninsula Papagayo. The peninsula at the tip is so narrow that there is a beach on both sides of it (within a couple hundred yards of each other!).



We arrived to 90 degree heat after leaving 0 degrees in Chicago. I usually don't like really hot weather but the air is so dewy sweet that the heat just feels fantastic. Hard to explain it.

On the drive from the airport to the resort, the kids immediately knew we were not in 'Kansas' anymore. The Liberia airport itself, although not very large, was a bit crazy with customs procedures and a ton of cab drivers looking to pick up the excited tourists and drive them to their destination. On the drive, we passed by many sugar cane fields and watched for birdlife in the tropical vegetation. As we approached the resort, we spotted our first monkeys in the trees. The kids loved this!! They really are fun to watch.

On Sunday, our first full day in Costa Rica, we were scheduled for a catamaran boat ride and snorkeling tour. The weather was ideal with little wind and sunny skies of course. The cat was a really nice way to travel. The crew took care of us with great snacks and cold beverages.

Colin at the Front of the Goombay Catamaran

The first spot we tried to snorkel had a few jellyfish so we had to move on. The second location was very good and we saw a tiger eel, trumpet fish, and a million varieties of tropical fish. The kids took some photographs with their (single-use) underwater cameras so hopefully we'll have some nice shots to remember what we saw. I could have snorkeled for a lot longer and the quality of the snorkeling was probably only average. Nonetheless, Colin and Chelsea were really thrilled to finally be snorkeling! Personally, I could do this for 2 or 3 hours every day on a vacation like this...

Laurie and I on the Catamaran

On the boat ride back to the resort, the crew served us some delicious cold libations. Even though it was only 11am or so, I decided to have one of the local specialities. Why not indeed! It was an ice drink with the local beer mixed with tangerine and lemon juice. Incredibly refreshing in the heat of the day...