Costa Rica Day 4: Lazy Day.

We slept really well , and I woke up early, at about 6:00 to the sound of a howler monkey. Little did I know this was to become something of a pattern. Still, it was more cool than annoying.

Shana and I had already decided that Sunday was going to be something of a lazy day, as we had been traveling quite a bit and were planning to do a significant horse ride through the rain forest on Monday. So we began with breakfast and then planned our activities for the week at the front desk of the Rancho. Kate, a really friendly Canadian who has been back and forth between Canada and Costa Rica for most of her life, was remarkably helpful in helping us figure out what to do. After an hour or so of planning, we headed out the ocean and went surfing with the provided boogie boards. Great fun- The waves weren't too big, but you could really take them all the way in.

We got to know some of the sweet and friendly animals at the lodge:

We followed this with the beginning of a competitive streak of gaming- some ping pong (shana won), rummy 500 (shana won) smoothies and lunch. I just slept and read for the rest of the afternoon.

Dinner was great- Steak, really well prepared, with lots of creative and colorful sides. The place mat was a banana leaf from a tree on the grounds.

We talked to a couple, Johnna, a pilates instructor, and Jeremy, a political aide, who lived in DC. The talk quickly turned to politics and we discussed the Democratic field at length. Jeremy's background in politics made it an interesting, informed discussion. Fun time. .

After dinner we turned in early so we'd be ready for the next days trip.