Scouting and Surfing in Manuel Antonio

On Thursday, we left the cloud forest for the Pacific coast. At Manuel Antonio, we felt as if we arrived in humid paradise immediately. Our hotel, Costa Verde (whose motto is: "still more monkeys than people"), was beautiful. Our room was huge with a kitchenette and a sitting area, a terrace and gorgeous ocean views. We went to lunch and while we were waiting for our food to arrive, some other visitors arrived first: monkeys! We didn't know what was happening at first when what had been a serene setting, suddenly sounded as if the roof was about to collapse. And then one by one monkeys leaped off the roof into trees all around us. They were adorable and hilarious and we were completely distracted by them that we were surprised when our food came so quickly.

Afterwards, we found a supermarket to get food for shabbat and found that everything lies alone one very steep hill. Armed with peanut butter and nutella, we ventured way down the hill to the beach. It was so incredibly beautiful there. The sand was hot and the waves were somehow gentle and rough at the same time. At high tide, the waves completely covered the beach and reached the forest.

We walked along the beach as the sun set and then discovered that we didn't bring money and would have to trek back up the steep steep hill to our hotel.

Friday, we went with a group to tour the national park and saw frog eggs on a leaf, birds, crabs, snakes, bats, sloths (2- and 3-toed) and 3 different types of monkeys! At the end of the tour, we followed a trail on our own for a little hike before heading back.

At one point, we were crossing a little bridge and the girl ahead of me with an Israeli family asked to no one in particular "מה השעה?" When no one answered her, I responded with the time. They all turned sharply around and asked how I knew. I told them I speak Hebrew (mind you, the exchange was in English at this point) and they exclaim: "But you don't look Israeli!"

Surfer Couple

True, we aren't Israeli (well, Josh thinks he is because he is but whatever) but we definitely wanted some falafel from the #1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor for lunch. After fueling up, we returned to the beach to learn to surf. We had such a good time and we both were standing up and riding waves after a few tries.

On Shabbas, we read and relaxed and returned to the beach and played in the ocean all afternoon, reflecting on how fun and different this vacation was. In the morning, would have 3 flights back to NY.

The airport

When we were dropped off at the first airport, we had a really hard time finding it. Not because it was hidden but because we were standing in it and didn't realize. The entire airport was a single room without walls, which had a check-in desk, a bathroom, and some chairs. They must have heard my theories on airline procedures because while the rest of the world told me my idea of weighing passengers with their luggage was ridiculous and illegal, the airline did just that. Our plane was tinyyyy. There were 9 passengers and a pilot and co-pilot. We flew so low the mountain tops were higher than our plane. It was so much fun and a little scary -- it felt more like an excursion than transportation.

Yes, we really flew in that 

We landed in Miami and cleared customs there. They had automated kiosks for passport control and then we brought our tickets to an agent to stamp our passports. The agent asked if I had anything to declare and I promptly told him that I declare that I had a wonderful trip. Josh thought we were going to get arrested and dragged me away to baggage claim.

We did have a wonderful trip though. I was fun and adventurous and quite rejuvenating.

Discovering Our Inner Monkey in Monteverde Cloud Forest

Balagan at the vans

Yesterday, we took the jeep-boat-jeep transfer from Arenal to Monteverde. As the name implies, we were picked up in a van and driven to Lake Arenal, where we boarded a boat. It was a beautiful and relaxing journey until we reached the other side of the lake. Then, all craziness broke loose. The process of unloading luggage and passengers was pretty disorganized. When we finally reached the top of the hill with our luggage to load a van, there were people and dogs running in all directions loading 4 different vans. No one seemed to have our reservation and we ran from van to van until someone admitted to having us on his list. From there, the road was unpaved (much to Josh's dismay) and quite bumpy. I finally understood why my parents were devastated when Katie and I refused to look out the window on the scenic drive from San Francisco to LA. The ride was bumpy but beautiful and the girl sitting across from us never looked up from her iPad!

We arrived in Monteverde and had a quick lunch before heading to Selvatura Park for a walk across 8 hanging bridges through the cloud forest. The walk was very nice and we saw monkeys up in the trees.

Humming bird feeding her young

This morning, we went on a private tour of the cloud forest first thing. Our guide, Adrian, taught us tons of interesting things about the flora and fauna. He pointed out so many things we never would have noticed on our own. We saw humming birds feeding their chicks in a next, a sleeping sloth in a tree, a tarantula hiding in a hole. We also saw a toucan, another bird whose name I forgot, a walking sticks insect (which is impossible to see unless it's moving because it looks like thing branches), and a praying mantis. We saw so many different types of orchids and other colorful plants, epiphytes, and flowers, a waterfall, and learned about our new favorite plant: the strangling fig tree. Strangling fig trees suffocate a host tree by cutting off nutrients below and sun above until the host dies and decays and a shell of fig tree air roots is left.

Hot Lips leaves

Add caption

We stopped for coffee and empendada at the coffee shop before leaving and met a very talkative Israeli family. After the tour, the driver dropped us off at a strangling fig tree that we could climb. We climbed the inside of the hollow tree, a very cool and surreal experience. Afterwards we wandered toward town and met up with Noa, who is traveling Costa Rica now with Hannah Z. We got fruity milkshakes (the pineapple is really awesome here) and ran all around Monteverde looking for banos and dollares (a bathroom and USD).

Climbing the tree

Climbing inside the tree

Josh and I went on a coffee/chocolate/sugar cane tour on a local farm (Don Juan), which we found informative but not very tasty. Chocolate and coffee are surprisingly disgusting until they're ready for commercial consumption. We also played a little game where we each tried to flavor cocoa to make it taste like chocolate we eat. None were very good.

We ended the day with dinner at a little Israeli restaurant (The Beer House), which was probably the best meal we've had since coming to Costa Rica. Go figure!

Hebrew/Israelis everywhere 

Pura Vida en Costa Rica

Day 1:

photo of frog courtesy of Noa P.

We woke up early and enjoyed a relaxed breakfast. We ate gallo pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast that would become a staple of our diet for the rest of the trip. After fueling up, we went to Cerro Chato to hike the inactive volcano, overly confident that this hike would be easy enough. It was a steep climb through the muddy rain forest with roots coming out in every direction. Needless to say, it was very challenging. We hiked quickly and exhausted early. We reached the top after 2 hours and met a few people on the Red Lava day tour. We continued on to a steep climb/mudslide down to the lagoon in the crater of the volcano. After at most 10 meters, we get stuck on the slippery slope and decide to follow our new friends’ tour guide down to the lake. We dipped in the water, rinsing off some of the mud on our bodies and ate lunch and relaxed. We quickly made lots of friends and decide that we are probably the most popular people in the tour group. We discovered that they are heading to the waterfall next, which was our next stop as well so we decided to stick with the tour. The tour guide didn't realize that we were additions to the group and somehow started counting us in the group and we didn't stop him. We didn’t see much wildlife on the hike (except a relative of a raccoon which was actually pretty cute and unafraid of humans) but the vegetation was beautiful and lush.

We swam in waterfall, which was cold but refreshing and incredibly beautiful. Next, we followed the tour to a frog park and saw the coolest frog ever that looked like a child colored it in. It had blue arms and legs with red hands and feet, red eyes and a green back with polka dotted sides and a white underbelly. 7 colors in all.

At that point, it was getting dark and we decided to cab back to the hotel for dinner. We tipped the tour guide and explained that we weren’t part of his tour but enjoyed it. He was very confused and taken aback that we weren’t actually on his tour. After recovering from the shock, he invited us to finish the tour with the group. They were heading to a hot spring and then returning the passengers to their respective hotels and said they would drop us off too.

The hot spring was the one that the locals frequent. They told us to leave our clothing, shoes, wallets, and everything else on the bus and just wear a bathing suit. We were a little weirded out by the instructions but did as they said and walked down a dark path to a stream. Some people had flashlights and head lamps and candles. Following the stream, we walked through a sketchy tunnel covered in graffiti and on the other side were tons of people all facing the same way as if watching a movie but instead were sitting in the dark in a hot, fast moving stream – the hot spring! We found seats with our new friends Megan and Matt and the tour guides came around with cocktails and volcano mud to give everyone facials.

Eventually we got back on the bus and the guides passed around the remaining vodka and people downed it right from the bottle (germs, ick). Our hotel was super close to the hot spring and before we knew it they called our names and we departed the best accidental tour.

Day 2:

We loaded the bus for canyoning (if you aren't familiar, that is rappelling down water fall) and got the feeling that everyone on the bus already knew each other. Turns out there was 2 groups on the tour besides us: A bachelor party and 2 British families who incidentally are very Jewish.

The excursion was daring and really fun. We jumped off platforms into streams, waterfalls and at ties just the abyss below. We did a 25 meter controlled “free fall,” head-first into water, crossed a hanging bridge, zip-lined across the rain forest canopy, and swung between rock walls on a Tarzan swing. Our new friends promised to send us their go-pro footage of us so stay tuned for that. 

In the afternoon, we went zip lining. We both started the activity a bit put off by the tour: It felt like a factory with tons of people arriving to zip line and they tried to up-sell us to buy pictures before the excursion began. However, it wasn’t long before we completely changed our minds. The first 4 zip lines were over 100 meters each. They were longer, faster, and higher than any other zip lines we had done before. Apparently those were just the “practice” lines. The next 8 zip lines continued to amaze us. We saw 2 different waterfalls, and the vast rain forest from way up high, shooting through the wind to the next platform. The longest zip was 1 kilometer and took about 60 seconds to cross. It started pouring rain in the middle (welcome to Costa Rica). It was still beautiful but it became much harder to see and pretty painful to ride since the rain hit our faces and bodies pretty hard. At one point, I was about to jump off a platform and there was a flash of lightning and the guide grabs me back from the edge and urgently tells me NOT to touch the metal. After a few seconds of standing frozen on the edge of a platform, hundreds of feet above the forest floor, he screams “go now” and pushes me into the open air with rain pelting me in every direction. It was terrifying but exhilarating.

Oh, and we were adopted by 2 really awesome older women whom we became great friends with throughout the afternoon. The women were part of a group of 6 women in their 60s and 70s: 3 couples who are best friends and who have traveled together for 16 years in a row. They recently married when same sex marriage became legal in DC. Somehow it came out that they are also pretty Jewish and met at a Gay/Lesbian pluralistic synagogue in DC. At the end of the tour, we stopped in a Maleko hut/tourist trap and then hopped on horses for a ride in the pouring rain to the base of the mountain.

Back at the hotel, we were wet and freezing so we changed into bathing suits and warmed up in the hot springs at the hotel.

Day 3:

Today, we went rafting on the Balsa River. On the way to the river, we stopped off at a fruit strand pit-stop where we met up with our British-Israeli friends from yesterday. I bought a coconut and drank the milk through a straw straight from the fruit! Delicioso!

Coconut drink in hand

We arrived at the river and were divided up into rafts. We were put with a family of 4, who happened to be Israeli. The guide practiced his Hebrew by shouting his only Hebrew word (“Kadima”) in between instructions and calls of “Pura Vida” – our signal to turn our paddle tips in to the center of the boat in a group high-five and scream “Pura Vida!” This is the Tico motto and literally means "pure life" but essentially means Akuna Matata. Once we got the river commands down and started chatting, the the Israelis promptly told us that Aliza (my Hebrew name) is actually a terrible name and in fact, is the name of every housekeeper in Israel. I guess if medicine doesn't work out, I know what else I can do. 

Tabacon Hot Springs

The rapids were class II and III and were a lot of fun! In the pictures that the photographer got of us, we are looking petrified in each one. At the end of the tour, they took us to lunch and gave us a demonstration of how sugar cane is processed and we tasted raw sugar cane, which was surprisingly only mildly sweet.

The bus dropped us off at the Tabacon Hot Springs, which was possibly the most beautiful, relaxing and romantic place I have been. There was a maze of hot springs set in this exquisite and lush environment. It periodically started pouring rain suddenly and then stopped gradually. The rain here is frequent but it is so fast and commonplace that nobody seems affected by it at all. You just get wet and continue what you’re doing.

After relaxing in the hot springs (which soothed our sore muscles), we headed upstairs for a buffet dinner. It was incredible to finally have a meal that consisted of more than rice, beans, avocado, and plantains!

The other exciting part of the day, which has nothing to do with the trip, is that today, August 10, 2015, the Schlussel clan grew by 1! The sweet Mr. Riley Oliver Schlussel arrived at 695 and is definitely looking forward to meeting his big sister next week. 

Riley Schlussel

Savannah Day #0

This is a guest post by Josh Markovic. The opinions, analyses, and evaluations here are mine and not provided by anyone else including (but not limited to) Emily Schlussel, Emily S. Markovic, Emily Gail Schlussel Markovic, Emily G.S. Markovic or any other person. They have not reviewed, approved or endorsed what I have to say. Comments made in response to posts are not provided or commissioned nor have they been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any person. It is not the responsibility of any person to ensure that questions are answered.

When we heard the Obama administration was lifting travel restrictions to Cuba, we immediately started looking for flights to Havana. A small typo later, we had plane tickets and hotel in north Georgia.

Emily returned from Argentina early Wednesday morning which gave me serious FOMO. We booked this trip late Wednesday night just so I can get back at Melissa. Take that! When we packed, I asked Emily if she has headphones and she said they give them out in first class. Let’s just say she has a lot of adjusting to do. We woke up at an ungodly hour, something like 7:30, to drive to the airport and park our car in a lot. We paid $27.79 to park from Friday at 8:30 to Monday at 4:30. Emily, if you are reading this, we parked in section B3. It was a pretty big lot with over 1400 spaces but we only used one.

Ungodly Timed Selfie

We checked our bags because Emily didn't want to risk losing our sunscreen and headed to security. I tried to distract TSA by going through the metal detector with my shoes on so Emily can sneak a bottle of water into the highly secure area. TSA pulled our favorite perpetrator aside and confiscated her water which brought up deep and dark memories of me losing my Nutella in Europe. I miss you, Nuttie!

Everyone's favorite perp ;)

We bolted to the expensive lounge and grabbed some breakfast. I had a bagel (let’s just say it was chof-J) with Philadelphia cream cheese. Emily had two bowls of oatmeal. I’m 99% sure this is hereditary but I “borrowed” two tea bags (earl gray for Poppy and green tea for Zahava) and two sugar packets. And a Splenda. We don’t even use Splenda but just in case we do. I drank a terrible latte while Emily mixed an espresso and hot chocolate. The perfect coffee to drink in an airport: Jet Fuel.

We also realized we weren’t sitting next to each other on the flight so we were the first to board and when my neighbor came to sit down, I asked him to switch seats. What a tzadik! We sat on the runway for quite some time and took off an hour after scheduled departure. When we were about to get up into the air, Emily tried leaning over to cuddle next to me. The reason I pay for first class is so I don’t have to touch anyone but there are always a few exceptions. Well, just one exception but she uses the exception multiple times on the same flight. To Emily’s dismay, there was a HUGE armrest between us and she wasn’t able to put her head anywhere near mine. She loudly yells “Why can’t we sit in coach with the rest of the plane?!” When we got a few stares, I pretended to chuckle and hoped everyone misheard something like “Why can’t we get our eggs poached with the rest of the plane?”

Our seats in First Class never really impressed me. I still like when the flight attendants call me “sir” and bring me snacks. To our serious disappointment, there were no orchids on the entire flight. Not one. Oh yeah, Emily had a fig bar (yuck) and we both had Milano cookies (yum).

We booked our flights to Savannah and a return flight home for Em. The #hashtag for this trip was supposed to #markovicsdontsiticoach or #emergencyvacation but after booking a vacation without a return trip for me, it will now be #getjoshhome. We may have to pay cash, use lots of miles, or heaven forbid, sit in coach. Only time and British Airways will tell.

When we landed, we were literally the first ones off the plane. Our bags were also the first off the plane but then again, we were probably the only people who checked bags. We had about 30 minutes to kill in the airport so we spoke with the nice information kiosk folks, I called into work, Emily checked out her medical school application and watched The Fosters. We hopped on a CAT shuttle for $5 a person and headed downtown to the ‘transit station’ which didn’t really look like a Port Authority Bus Terminal but more like a 167T stop on Teaneck Road. We found the FREE bus called the “DOT” but there was no driver on it. Emily and I started planning our route and decided to walk because our hotel was about a 15 minute walk. We spotted a huge building with magen davids on it. We ran over to find it was the student center of SCAD, the best academic institution in the entire city!

We stopped into a popcorn store so Emily can sniff around and tell everyone how much she missed Dale and Thomas Popcorn.

An hour later, we arrived in our hotel. We got our upgrade (honeymoon + platinum status) and settled in our unupgraded room. Savannah has a pretty cool layout with a ton of parks/squares laid around the entire city. Each square had a different design but they all have a plaque commemorating someone who lived somewhere in the 1700’s. I feel like Savannah is the AOL of the USA.

We came to Forsyth Park which is like the Central Park of Savannah except without all pigeons. Beautiful place! One thing that caught my eye was the war memorial for confederate soldiers - I still can’t get over it. We stopped off at Mickve Israel, the 3^rd oldest congregation in the United States. It resembles a church with its grand neo-gothic architecture. Inside, there is a balcony, which hosts the choir and organ (and has never been used as a women’s section). We took the tour and paid the $4/person suggested donation. They possess the two oldest Torah scrolls in the United States which date back the 1400’s. Apparently, the serious humidity is good for deer skin and one of the Torahs is even read once a year on the shul’s anniversary. The Temple is now part of the Reform movement, and has services on Friday night and Saturday morning. Reform Judaism interprets “Morning” as 11am.

We walked back towards our hotel and found the birth house of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. They had just closed 20 minutes earlier but Emily insisted on knocking on the door while I sheepishly objected. We kept asking around for a grocery store and everyone kept telling us to go to Farmer’s market on Saturday or CVS on Bull Street. CVS a silly name for a grocery store because in the northeast, it’s a fairly large pharmacy, three of which are in Teaneck. As we walked up to CVS, we realized we’re going to need an alternative because there is no actual grocery store in the entire downtown Savannah area. We eventually found a gas station with a pretty decent selection of hummus, bread, flat pretzels and the likes. Emily also bought peanut butter for us even though it was JIF.

Oatmeal and Bagel

Emily ready to not be hungry

Not hungry Emily (it's peanut butter)

Milano in action 

We saw our plane's shadow!

Armrest in First

Savannah Airport

Emily found a Reese's PBC in her bag

SCAD - not the shul

Non-alcoholic drinks are free! 

Kitchen

Hotel Room

Non-alcoholic drinks are free!

Civil War Memorial for the Confederate States of America

Mickve Israel

Mickve Israel

Torah from the 1400s

Popcorn!

City Hall

Gas station/makolet/bodago

Chocolate wheel from a random candy story

Fire pit at the hotel