The highlight of the morning was to be a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park, a nature habitat for the white face monkey, the rare squirrel monkey, and many tropical birds.

Our hotel was adjacent to the entrance of the park, so our group was among the first to enter. I was in the front. As we moved along, I asked  if anyone had seen Dawn and  David. Someone replied that they were in the back. I let everyone pass me, but I still saw no sign of them. Then I overheard someone say that one of the couples in our group didn’t get into the park. I ran to find Cinthia to see if she was aware of what happened to them. She wasn’t.

Cinthia had given us our entry tickets the night before. Dawn put  hers and David’s in her handbag, but when we were standing on line to get in, they weren’t there. They could have bought new entry tickets, but this was a big holiday (Holy Thursday) and a very popular destination for the locals.  There were  at least fifty people on line waiting to buy tickets. Dawn and David quickly retraced their steps and found the tickets in their room! They ran back to the ticket holders’ line and and raced to catch up with us. I was still totally distraught, unaware of what had happened to them.

Once inside, Nick and I had to decide on an activity. We could take either  a long or a short  hike through the jungle, or simply spend the time at the beach, but there wouldn’t be enough time to do both the long hike and the swim. Nick wanted to do the long hike, and I wanted the swim. We agreed to a compromise. He had to walk  quicker than usual, stopping to take fewer photos so that I could have time in the ocean.

I made sure we had  applied enough sun block and insect repellent before starting the walk. The trail through the jungle was a rustic rain forest path with some wooden staircases that made the hike easier. Nonetheless, with the help of others on our tour (you guessed it, Gloria and Phillip) we found all four types of monkeys in the trees. After awhile, whom should approach us  but Dawn and David! I was so relieved that they had found their tickets and didn’t miss this part of the  adventure.

We only had a few minutes left when we arrived at the beach, but I made the most of them. The water was fantastic… calm, warm, and very salty! We enjoyed  every moment!

Many people have told us about  zip lining while in Costa Rica. I’m sure that is great fun. However, our tour included a tram ride  instead. With our guide, the four of us were together in a tram that glided through and above a dry tropical transitional forest. It was a bit harder to see the animals, but they were definitely easy to hear.

In the evening, our group enjoyed a farewell dinner at our hotel. I had let Cinthia know in advance that this day was Dawn and David’s anniversary. When we were all gathered together, she called them up front and presented them with a special dessert as we all sang to them. I’m so happy that Nick and I were able to spend their 9th anniversary with them!

After dinner I headed to the pool. The only couple there was, you guessed it, Gloria and Phillip. I’ll  always try to follow their example by making the most of each of life’s experiences.