About Us...

About Us...
This is our travel blog... our electronic travel journal you could call it... documenting our journeys to new & different places. I called our blog, 'Tree Top Flyin'... a Jimmy Buffett reference that reminds me of traveling, & the adventures to be had with our newly acclaimed 'IFR' Pilot & his plane. We're a non-traditional family - living in non-traditional ways... and I love it that way. For the four of us life is quick & distinct... it's unique and adventuresome - but it's also very normal. We have angst, & we have laughter. We have pain and we have greatness. We're happy, and we're whole...this family, that is mine.

Costa Rica - December 8-15, 2008

2008's Road Trip: Cramer/Small style

Jim & I planned this trip - with the idea that it would be a bit different from our usual beachy/resort/lazy vaca's... and that it was. We spent two days on mountain bikes, one on surf boards, and SEVERAL days wandering (mostly purposefully) in our 4x4 rental car accross the country-side.

Road- Trippin’ at its’ best...
After 4 hours on the road – I’ll whip out the camera, just to mix things up a bit… and really, I must say – these hours were some of the trips’ best!
Me & my friend. Me & my man.

Costa Ricans celebrate Christmas too!?
Ha! Just kidding... I mean, I'm kidding NOW -because now I know that 90% of Costa Rican's are catholic - and celebrate Christmas similar to us USAn's.
But for those of you (like me) who are clueless to many parts of the world... Yes, Costa Ricans celebrate Christmas too.
Ha! Maybe I'm the only one.
You can't really tell - but this nativity was close to life-size & outside the front doors of our
La Fortuna Hotel. It made me think of my mom. I loved it.
Feliz Navidad.
Donald, Me, & Jimbo. Holy Moly... a little bit of Heaven - a little bit of Hell - THAT was an 8 hour ride! But check out what we saw along the way...
Oh gosh, it's so painful to pose for a picture. I swear I live with a bunch of babies!
Bo does the same thing! Never-the-less...
We watched a group of monkeys - tree-traveling. Leaping 8-10 feet from one tree to the next. There were two Momma monkeys, each with a baby clinging to their backs... you could see they were more cautious than the others, protecting precious cargo. They'd take 5 steps back from a branch to get a good running start, go full speed ahead - and then stop just before the plunge. After several brave attempts, they both made it accross, babes-in-hand.

Little bit o' bike trouble. A LOT of rain!
We climbed all morning -to get to a high spot for lunch. The restaurant had an amazing view of the active volcano (Arenal), which stayed relentlessly hidden our entire stay in La Fortuna.
Maybe next time!
The roads in Costa Rica are not like anything in The States (unless you count private farm roads). We traveled 40 miles in 4 hours - through pot-holes, mud, and quiet, barefoot neighborhoods.
Below is a picture of a little Geo Tracker, driven by a friendly local kid who drove up on the same washed-out bridge we did. When we saw the bridge was washed out - Jim & I literally had no idea where to go. But young Costa-boy turns his tracker around, pulls up to the side of our car and says, 'Sigame este camino' which basically means - 'Follow me down this road.' We followed him through mud to the town of Monteverde. I don't know how else we would have found it. I love that boy!
Jim's smarter than me - and brought to life my appreciation for these windmills & their amazing ability to produce energy. Of course, this energy source is not a novel idea at this point - especially for us American's. But somehow, it was easier to find sincerity in the Costa Rican people. I believe they're producing energy to support themselves, vs. producing energy to prove their political stance, or to earn their 'Go Green' bumper sticker. Simple & Sweet. These people are resourceful.

Check out the grip I have on Jim's head! One of us likes taking self-portraits... one of us is CRAZY!

More biking...

And then we head to The Beach; Manuel Antonio.
In another life – I’d be a surfer girl, and this would be my very typical Wednesday morning. In this life – I’m just a poser, and this picture lets me pretend.


Headed for Home Sweet Home... we took one last self-portrait from our room in
Manuel Antonio.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You guys are so awesome! And you don't look like surfer posers. I believe it!

White Family said...

Those pictures are awesome. Looks like you two had so much fun. Can I be like you when I grow up? just kidding. I am sooooo jealous.