Costa Rica Part 1: Where The Wild Things Are

Leading up to our big trip to Costa Rica, we studied up on all the sights and activities and amazing things we'd likely see. We got Maya excited with books and puzzles about rain forest animals -- jaguars, sloths, red-eyed tree frogs, macaws, and the like. We figured we probably wouldn't see most of these creatures, but we thought educating our 3-year-old about them couldn't hurt. (And as a result, she's still obsessed with sloths.)


So we were all excited, and everything was good. And then I made the mistake I've made too many times to count: I kept researching — in books and regrettably, online. And then I freaked out.

Did you know that in some areas of Costa Rica, mosquitoes carry malaria? And dengue fever? Did you know that there are poisonous scorpions in the beach areas? Did you know there are sharks in the ocean? We're all gonna die!

Recognizing that I was probably overreacting, I hit up a few regular CR travelers for intel. They all told me I was overreacting.

Still, I packed up loads of bug spray for the trip, and I was sure to shake out every piece of clothing, and every sheet, towel and pillow before allowing the girls to touch them. 

And in exchange for my efforts, I never saw a scorpion. Not one.

As for the mosquitoes, no amount of bug spry prevented us from getting bit. All of us were covered in bites when we got home (side note: having itchy mosquito bites in January in Chicago is very odd). But thankfully, no malaria or dengue fever to speak of.

Fortunately, our encounters with wildlife wasn't limited to mosquitoes. In fact, we saw all kinds of creatures big and small.

We started our trip to Costa Rica with a week in Playa Grande, a somewhat remote beach community on the Pacific side of the country. We rented a two-bedroom casa within a small six-casa development, about a 15-minute walk to beach access, and a 5 to 10-minute walk to a tiny grocer and a handful of restaurants. In other words, total paradise.

Our casa, guarded by topiary.

Sign translation: Do not feed this girl after midnight.

On our first night there, I was walking back from dinner holding Jane and chatting with another American couple staying in the casa next to ours. As I was walking along this bumpy, gravel road, guided primarily by moonlight, one of my new American neighbors yelled, "Watch out!" I swerved, still holding Jane, and looked down to see that I came within inches of stepping on a boa constrictor.

A few minutes later, a huge tarantula walked by.

They're more scared of you then you are of them, right?

That was day one. Over the next 6 days, we saw more lizards than we could count,

I can see you.

Lizard yoga.

I can see you, too.

monkeys everywhere,

We'll call you George.

You can be Marcel.

birds of every color,

This is getting to be like Where's Waldo.

and these little guys:

After our week on the beach, we headed for the rain forest and stayed at a hotel in the mountains near Arenal, the country's most-famous — and still active — volcano.

Here, there was no shortage of the lizards, monkeys and birds like we'd seen on the beach. In fact, there was even a macaw that was a regular on the hotel property, but I never managed to catch it on camera.

Because we were in the rainforest, we also got to meet different types of animals, like the famous red-eyed tree frog,

Arm hair makes for easier climbing.

and another friendly frog who took up residence in our bathroom.

Who smelled it dealt it.

We also observed some species that are less-exotic but still fun to see for a few Midwesterners in late-December, like these industrious ants:

and this slug that threatened to swallow Janie:

Roly poly x 2.

 Next up, we explore just how muddy we'll let our children get.