Friday, Feb.3 (Day 12) Llanos de Cortes, CR

Llanos de Cortes Waterfall

After another pancake breakfast, we loaded up for a picnic at the waterfall in Llanos de Cortes. This is one of the coolest waterfall settings we've seen. There's a large sandy beach surrounded by lots of green, partly shaded with a good size swimming hole & even a rope swing for kids. There's about 5 feet behind the waterfall where you can walk behind it & then stand under or jump through & into the water. The pics should help...

Cannon having a blast at the falls

Kyra on the rope swing

Paul, Kyra & Avery on the sand after our picnic

A panoramic view of the beach area at Llanos de Cortes Waterfalls

the whole family in front of the falls

Carley enjoying a moment of repose on a nearby rock

a snake resting on the rocks, not sure what kind it is

Cannon with a dagger-like seed or fruit from a tree



Carley & Sydney tanning at the falls

Paul, Sydney & Carley hiked around to another small waterfall with warm water trickling into a deep pool that is good for cliff jumping. They then hiked up to the top of the big falls for a look down onto the beach area. (more pics) We saw our first monkeys too! There was a group of 5 up in the trees near the falls.

getting the gumption to jump off

There they go!

At the top of the main waterfall (Stacia is on the pink blanket below)

Paul, Carley & Sydney at the top

A view of them from below

Youth Night at the Thelin's House

After the waterfall we passed back through the large town of Liberia & stopped at good old McDonald's for hot fudge sundaes. We then made our way to Brasalito near Playa Conchal where Jeremy & Kristin Thelin live to drop off Sydney, Carley & Avery for the overnight youth activity. The Thelins live in the Westin gated community... a step up from the beach house!

The Thelin's house where we dropped off Sydney, Carley & Avery

 

The Thelin's kitchen as the youth activity got started



Carley, Sydney & Avery (holding Thelin girl) at the youth activity

The four of us found a nice little restaurant called "Casa Rica" that serves Argentine food specializing in meat of course. It was a delicious, low-carb meal! Kyra got ribs, Cannon the cheese raviolis & we shared a plate from the grill: steak, pork, sausage & some other type of steak that was delish! We also got the potato wedges & plantains with mozzarella (held the jalapenos) which weren't that good. The mozzarella here has a different taste & rubbery texture. They do sell shredded cheddar cheese in the stores at a premium, $6 for an 8 oz. bag. We had coconut flan for dessert which Stacia loved. We stopped at the store on the way home & bought 5 boxes of Glacs cereal, the kids favorite (see day 6).

 

Paul, Cannon & Kyra at "Casa Rica" Restaurant