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Canyoning, La Fortuna Waterfalls and Traditional Chocolate making!
Tanya's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY IN: COSTA RICA Well HELLO there & Pura Vida!!
PURA VIDA - pure life It's Costa Rica's unofficial national slogan, and you hear it everywhere. The meaning of pura vida, of course, is “pure life,” and it's come to symbolize the simple, cheerful outlook and lifestyle of what is often called the happiest country in the world. I’ve made it a habit since arriving here when I’m asked “Cómo estás” I answer “Pura Vida” - which is pronounced - POO-rah VEE-dah Now, let’s get on with my big little adventure of the day and the absolutely most fun that I’ve had so far! I hooked up with La Roca Canyoning for a Canyoning Rock Tour, where we experienced 4 repelling descents on the Arenal River, along with 2 canopy cables, swinging through a waterfall and plunging into 3 natural pools. Just so you know, I was NOT ready for the first one and got water up my nose. UGHHH All this extreme fun was had within the naturally formed canyon on the slopes of the Arenal Volcano which provided a stunning and amazing setting for Costa Rica’s most dynamic adventure! We started out the day by meeting up with our tour guides at a nearby designated location and then were shuttled off to begin our adrenaline filled day… 
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It had been raining on and off throughout the morning…this is the RAINY season after all. But, once we arrived onsite, it literally started pouring cats and dogs.
We were then outfitted and given safety training by the guides.. This was going to be a very WET experience… SCENERY ALONG THE DRIVE TO OUR ADVENTURE.
THE BUMPY OFF-ROADING RIDE TO THE STARTING POINT.
AM I CRAZY OR WHAT?!
TRAVELIN’ TANYA REPELLING DOWN
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HERE I GO. GOOD THING I’M NOT AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!
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In total there were 10 people on this tour and once we all safely arrived after our last element and reached the river, one of them had noted that everything we’ve been doing had been making our way down, down, down the canyon and we are now gonna have to climb all the way back up!
Oh I can predict some very sore calves in the coming days! All I could think about while walking away from this experience was that I was ready for round 2! I really wound love to do it all over again! This experience was completely new for me. And it was a blast (even with all of the climbing at the end). I’ll tell ya one thing, the next time I have the opportunity to do something like this again - count me in. Consider me there. See what I mean - could not stop thinking about it. LOL OUR ON WAY TO MEET UP WITH OUR NEXT GUIDE.
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The next part of our day was heading over to the La Fortuna Waterfalls. We had been informed early on that it would be impossible to swim in the pool basin at the bottom of the falls on this day due to how very dangerous the conditions were because of all the recent rains.
Learn much more about these beautiful falls in Elisa’s column. We walked down the beautiful trail until arriving at the bottom of the canyon - which only meant one thing - climbing back up over (another) 500 steps to reach the top! 
If you happen to think this was already an overload of adventure for one day… (remember who you are dealing with ‘Travelin’ Tanya) It wasn’t over yet!
In fact, I saved the sweetest thing to wrap up this day with. We were still going over to Eden Organic Chocolate Farm for a tour and a little chocolate making!! Watch the vlogs below: 
This was a very thorough and fun immersive experience.
I think these songs might be stuck in my head for a while! Now let’s all go shake our booties each day and come on back here for more Costa Rica fun! Ciao 4 Now, -Travelin’ Tanya |
Goodbye Italy - Hello La Fortuna Falls & Eden Chocolate Farm
Elisa's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY IN: LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK Happy Weekend!
I'm very excited because my girl Gianna arrived home today from her week-long trip to Italy! I wanted to post a few lovely photos from her time visiting the Amalfi Coast the other day, as she sent these to me after I had posted my previous blog. I am just happy that she had this experience and hope this is the first of many more worldwide trips that she will be taking going forward! 
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They took a boat ride in the Gulf of Napoli, where Gianna jumped in and had a swim. She said the water was quite warm and enjoyable!
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Back to Costa Rica
As you have seen from Tanya's blog, she had quite an exciting day on Day 4 in Costa Rica!! Just look at my adventurous cousin jumping and swinging around in the lush forest! Please be sure to watch all of her videos for a peak into the full experience! In addition to this super fun activity - Tanya also made her way to two very cool spots today - La Fortuna Falls and Eden Chocolate Farm!! As a chocoholic, my mouth is watering thinking about being around all that chocolate!!! But first, let's talk about La Fortuna Waterfall! 
So we've all seen waterfalls in movies or on documentaries. Heck, most people living in the northeast have been to Niagara Falls. But what is a more exotic experience than hiking right up close and person in a lush, green natural setting!
La Fortuna Waterfall is located in Arenal Volcano National Park in a biological reserve with an area of 210 acres of transition premontane tropical wet forest. It's only about a 15-minute trek down to the waterfall from the lookout. You might spend about 45 minutes exploring and swimming in the waterfall. The return trek might take 30-40 minutes up the 500-step staircase. The journey is all self-guided. (Tanya had a private tour and a wonderful and very knowledgeable tour guide Yari) Aren't you just loving her photos!!! Next stop, Eden Chocolate Tour Did you know that Costa Rica produces 545 tons of cocoa per year, ranking 38th in the world?
I knew that there was no way that Tanya was going to miss an opportunity to explore chocolate fun while on this trip!! Eden Chocolate is one of La Fortuna’s premier organic cocoa plantation where guests are able to explore the cocoa flower and trees, as well as the cocoa bean fermentation and sun-drying process. Possessing a rich history with cocoa, a key ingredient in chocolate, Costa Rica is known for its high-quality cocoa due to its climate and fertile soil. The country's cocoa is used in single-origin craft chocolate. It's also used in beverages and desserts. Indigenous peoples, such as the Cabécar, Bribri, and Huetar, were among the earliest cultivators and consumers of cacao. They revered cacao as a sacred plant and used it for food, currency, and offerings in spiritual ceremonies. Costa Rica has multiple thriving cocoa plantations across multiple provinces. Because they are not producing on a mass-scale, the result is sought-after cacao. The production process begins with fermenting the beans, finely grounding them, and then mixing with cocoa butter and sugar. The beans are then laid out to dry in the hot sun, turned frequently to prevent mold, and covered if it rains.
As a chocoholic myself, I am very jealous of this little adventure!!! Well, folks, I'm going to bid you adieu!! Till next time, -Travelin' Elisa |
