On August 9th, 2016 we set off for Costa Rica where we had rented Villa Pelicano, in Manuel Antonio for Gwyn’s birthday. With two extended families in attendance we would be 14 adults & 5 children! Gwyn & I arrived a day early and stayed at the Marriott Courtyard near San Jose airport so we could stock-up on groceries at Walmart (which is right next door), prior to driving down to Manuel Antonio. We bought a couple of cases of wine at the airport (saving money over local shops), and re-activated the local Kolbi sim-card that we purchased on our prior visit - and popped it into Gwyns’ smartphone - we even had some credit left on it. Phone service is good & inexpensive in Costa Rica and topping up was cheap & easy at the local supermarket. I had downloaded a Costa Rica map to my Garmin (GPSTravelMaps.com) but still managed to miss the first turn & ended up driving the back streets of San Jose before our GPS re-routed us back to the correct highway. Once on the right road it is a pretty straightforward, if somewhat slow, drive to Manuel Antonio - considering we had done it once before. Road works in Quepos necessitated a diversion through the bustling town centre but all part of the experience.
Arriving at Villa Pelicano, we were met by Geralyn, who explained the ins & outs of the Villa - biggest adjustment was that absolutely nothing was to be put down the toilets - ALL loo paper was put in a bin & disposed of by the maids daily! Maggie was prone to forget, which usually ended in tears, but I suspect she was not the only one! We had a couple of hours before our guests were to arrive, so took the time to review the sleeping arrangements to make sure they would work & just simply enjoy the Villa. Our daughters‘ family plus Gwyns’ sister, were driving down, while our friends & our son’s family had arranged shuttles. No matter the means of transport, all had strict instruction to stock-up on booze at the airport! Glad to say that they took instruction well, so that we only had to buy beer & mixers the entire stay. In fact we brought a couple of bottles of wine home! With nothing arranged for the first day everyone busied themselves getting acclimatized, working out the internet & satellite TV, and making good use of the pool. The Villa comes with a chef who provided breakfast & dinner, we being responsible for reimbursing the cost of the food & supplies. Although credit cards are accepted widely, Costa Rica is mostly a cash society and Chef Ivan provided receipts which were settled daily in local currency, entailing several visits to the bank. I felt the initial bills were on the high side and after some discussion we managed to get them down to a more manageable level. Sample menus were provided which we could adopt or amend as necessary. We had a celiac in our group & Ivan was more than happy to make a special meal for him if the ‘regular’ meal wasn’t suitable. On day 2 we chartered a private catamaran cruise from Quepos, through Geralyn who organized a minibus from & back to the Villa. Aside from a miscommunication about where to meet for the return journey, the taxi worked out fine. Sadly, can’t say the same for the catamaran trip as several members of the group, including the lady of honour, were seasick. We did however spot a whale, which was a particular thrill for the little ones, and Adam hauled in a mackerel, only for Anne to insist on catch & release - much to the chagrin of the crew member who had it pegged for his dinner! Saturday was the big day. Kim had arranged for everyone to go zip-lining (a couple of us stayed behind to watch the smaller kids as there is a height & weight limitation on the zip-line) which meant an early start. Kim had also brought commemorative T-shirts for everyone - pink for the girls & blue for the boys, naturally - which we all donned before Gwyn got up. The zip-line proved a success - it was very well organized with pick-up/drop-off and lunch included - as the pictures attest! Unlike some zip-lines, there is no restriction on using cameras/go-pros, in fact the helmets had go-pro fittings, but in addition the zip-line has its own cameraman & pictures are made available via the internet for purchase. While Gwyn was having a nap before dinner we decorated the Villa with balloons & a banner. Kelsey and Guy had orchestrated a video to the Beatles “With A Little Help From My Friends” involving all of the guests at the party & I put together a photo montage of Gwyn from childhood to present day. It was a great night - Chef Ivan had prepared a special dinner menu, the champagne was uncorked, the music played & the alcohol flowed. Next day was a day of rest in more ways than one………… Having Ivan to prepare meals was great but having discovered that he hadn’t had a night off in months, we ordered-in pizza one night, so that Ivan could take his son to the movies to see the Jungle Book. Taxis are plentiful & fairly cheap in Manuel Antonio, but we managed pretty well with only having the 2 cars, ferrying people to/from restaurants or beaches that were too far to walk. Popular restaurants were Ronnie’s Bar which, although being only a stones throw from the Villa as the crow flies, was a 10 minute drive along a rather rutted farm track; and, Emilio’s Café, which was a 5 minute walk. On the Monday we had organized a 4x4 safari with nature hike, rope bridge crossing & waterfall swim. However, what they didn’t tell us was that they could only accommodate 12 in their open vehicles so some had to travel in a covered SUV, which did not work out very well at all. That said, those in the open vehicles had a good time. Once again pick up & drop off was included & lunch was good. On the Wednesday, a smaller group went zip-lining so that those of us who missed it the first time around, could experience it. It was great fun & those that had done it before seemed to enjoy themselves just as much - if not more, being a little braver by going upside down when the occasion presented itself. Maggie is the undoubted star of the zip-line, and a big hit with the guides. Some in the group took a guided tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park, which they enjoyed. I had been skeptical about renting Villa Pelicano, the logistics & attendant responsibilities of inviting so many people to Costa Rica. However, I have to say that apart from a few minor issues, everything worked out great. Much credit is due to all involved - Geralyn, Ivan and all the staff at Villa Pelicano for organizing the excursions, making us so welcome, comfortable and well fed; and, all of our guests who pitched in & went with the flow to make the occasion truly memorable. Pura Vida! Links: Villa Pelicano (http://www.crvacationproperties.com/vp-private-resort/) El Santuario Zip-Line (https://www.elsantuariocanopyadventure.com/) 4x4 Safari (http://www.vacationbuggy.com/)
