It's starting to seem more real....

Hi again,
Here we are just before Christmas and the time is getting short enough that it's starting to seem real! I have begun my packing and we are nailing down some of the last details such as what to do about the cable service and how to handle our credit cards and banks etc.  It's exciting to think that 3 weeks from today we'll be in Costa Rica and driving to our destination for the first month!

Here is an outline of our plan.  We will fly to San Jose, the capital city, and spend the night in a hotel near the airport.  Juan Santamaria International airport is actually in the town of Alajuela which is outside of San Jose, so we won't see much of the city.  The next day we pick up a car and drive to the Nicoya Peninsula which is on the Pacific coast.  Our destination is Nosara, or more accurately, the beaches  of Nosara.  The town of Nosara is about 5 km inland from there, however there is a small community along the beaches, which is where most visitors choose to be.  We have rented a house for 30 nights.  We plan to turn the car in once we get there and use bicycles and our two legs to get around.  The beaches of Nosara are known for their very consistent surf, beauty, wildlife, jungle environment, and laidback atmosphere.  We should have everything we need within a few minutes walk or bike ride; restaurants, grocers, bars, beach etc.  We can always rent a car for excursions too.  Playa Guiones is a gorgeous 7 km (~4 mi.) long beach with jungle coming right to the edge of the sand.  In Nosara you are not allowed to build within 200 meters of the ocean, so when you are on the beach you don't see hotels or even houses.  At least that's what I hear.  I'll be sure to report my personal experience when we get there!
In the meantime,

Happy Holidays everyone and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Cheers,
Sojourner Sarah