Day 215 - The Sloth Tour

Today we awoke to the distant sounds of roosters crowing at a reasonable time of 7am.
The mornings activities included making a cheap breakfast in the cabin & relaxing by the pool.

I finished another book, a book that I only started 2 days ago called The Anomaly by Michael Rutger.  The completion of this book takes my count up to 30 books since March, Ive read more books while on holiday this year, than I have over the past 3 years! It's not a bad read & I've enjoyed actually having a paper book in my hand as opposed to the digital kindle app.

We had another veggie burger for lunch at the soda across the road & waited patiently for the afternoon to tick towards us. I've organised a local sloth sighting tour & I'm super excited to finally see one of these totally adorable & very strange creatures in the wild.

The tour started at 2pm & we were picked up by our guides who were called Oscar & Gerald. There was 8 of us who wanted to do the tour & we were all very excited. After being picked up we drove 15 minutes down the road to a section of bushland that is being protected for the resident sloths. The tree's & a small stream create a corridor between residential areas. The sloths are protected, as is the tree's they live in. Costa Rica has an awe inspiring amount of protected habitat, however the sloths who stay 'protected' in residential areas, like this one, face challenges from living so close to humans.

Each sloth is said to have a territory of 40 trees & they move from tree to tree eating the younger leaves. Having nowhere else to go & only a few potential mates, the sloths that remain stranded here could have problems from inbreeding. Other such problems are from dogs & humans, we were surprised to learn that sloths can move quickly when they want to & can use their claws to defend themselves. The guides know of a local dog who has scars disfiguring his face after he went to attack a sloth. Sadly, the guides also know of 2 other local dogs who aren't allowed to leave their property after they killed a sloth. Sloths of the same sex will also fight each other.

It's a very precarious situation for these sloths, a situation that the community, guides, environmentalist's & government is trying to solve. There is some understandable resistance about relocating them & Costa Rica tries very hard to limit the handling, disturbing or having sloths in captivity. In Costa Rica they aren't endangered, however they use to live from Mexico right down to Costa Rica & mass deforestation in other countries has led to their disappearance.

There are 2 species that we could see today in this region, the 3 toed sloth & the 2 toed sloth. Within these 2 species there are sub species which can be found in South America.
At 2.20pm we saw the first sloth which was a 2 toed sloth, hiding in a dense patch of vines. This one wasn't in a position to see with binoculars or the scope & us tourists really struggled to find it. If the guides didn't have a green laser pointer to direct our eyes towards the sloth, it would have been nearly impossible. It was very exciting, we had only been searching less than 5 minutes before the guides spotted it.

The 2nd sloth was found within minutes after the first. A fully grown female 3 toed sloth who was moving along a branch! She was surprisingly active & very photogenic. We're very lucky to have seen a 3 toed sloth so soon. Nearly all sloth sightings in this region are the 2 toed sloth. We spent ages watching her & she could be seen with the naked eye from where we were standing. However, looking through binoculars or one of the two scopes that the guides brought along, rewarded you with lots of detail. You could see her smiling face, claws, colours of her fur, particularly her green back which was the moss on her fur. We could also see the moths that lived with the moss in her fur, sloth moths! Haha it's a bit of a tongue twister.










































By 2.38pm we had seen a large iguana in another nearby tree & another large 2 toed sloth, who was lounging across a branch, partially obscured.

Our guides with their incredible eyes have found the fourth one, a 3 toed sloth, sitting right at the top of the tree, scratching. I can't believe how many we've seen or how lucky we were to see the 2 toed female sloth in such a prime position.

We walked back & around to the other side of the 'tree corridor' & nearly immediately spotted 1 young female 3 toed sloth sitting high in a tree & underneath her was another 3 toed sloth that we could see in amongst vines. This one wasn't in a photographic position & again without the laser pointed help from our guides we would have missed it.

While we gawked at the female in the tree who was being very photographic & showed off eating leaves, the guides found a tiny blue trouser dart frog. It was only the size of a finger nail & posses a potent Neuro toxin that the indigenous people would put on the tips of their darts & spears.

Sloth 7 was found by 3.06pm & it was a 3 toed sloth which was a young female. She was hanging out & looking directly at the scopes, we got a great view of her head.

We left in the van to go to a large tree were yesterday a male & female were spotted together. We drove 200 metres down the road to the tree.

We saw the male first & it's another 3 toed sloth. He's sitting with his back towards us & his sex is identifiable by the stripe on his back. The guides shortly after found the female who was sitting right at the top of the tree.

I can't believe we have seen 9 sloths! It was really nice to see them not in cages, though I do worry about their future in this particular clump of trees.
As if the day couldn't get any better, we started our hunt for Toucans, a bird that I was dying to see! Our first sighting was the Black Mandibled Toucan. They are quite large boys, undeniably exotic & with very cheeky personalities. They literally hop along the tree branches & each species makes different noises, some squawk, while others make a deeper noise like a frog & another species sounds like a dog's squeaky toy. The Black Mandible'd Toucan, didn't stick around for too long, but Tom managed to get a good picture.

Our next sighting was that of the more widely known keel billed Toucan, Rainbow Toucan or Fruit loops bird! How gorgeous are those colours ?!  I'm so glad we got to see 2 together in the wild that were frolicking around on a branch & gave us plenty of photo opportunities.

We arrived back at the hotel just before 5pm & get ready for dinner out in the town & drinks. It was a really nice night full of good food, drinks, giant jenga & ridiculous karaoke. 

- Alli

Day 214 - Monte Verde To La Fortuna

On the road again! We're heading down off the high cloudy hills of Monte verde & descending to a small town built at the base of an active volcano called Arenal.  I'm sure it will be just as picturesque, though not as cold or wet as it is in Monte Verde.
We packed our bags into the bus at a reasonable time of 7.50am & departed soon after that.
The first hour of the journey went by unremarkably. Tom napped which helped with his recovery from last night & I admired the landscape, while trying not to feel too motion sick.

The area is so green with lots of hills, red dirt, farm animals, mountains & low hanging layers of different cloud's all swirled together in the sky making one hell of an abstract design. 

The few people we did see were waving & smiling at the bus. It was really good to see hundreds of wind turbines through the hills. 

Seeing the wind turbines stirred up a lot of interest & Veronica used this opportunity to give us some cool facts about Costa Rica. She said 90% of the countries energy requirements are supplied via green, reusable energy, by methods of geothermal, wind & hydro electrical power. She said there had even been a few years where the country came very very close to reaching 100% of its power from these sources. Interestingly she also said that Costa Rica has had no army since 1949 & the government has been able to invest this money previously used for military, back into health & education. The people in Costa Rica are said to be the happiest, which is likely a reflection of the government's investments, the stable economy & the lack of civil war. This combined with its economy & it's progressive views of protecting it's natural habitat & beauty, make it one hell of a country. Both Tom & I agree that we could easily live here. 

After the first hour we stopped at a rural cafe for coffee, a toilet break & to admire the view. 

It was honestly a stunning view.  Looking down the valley & rolling hills. Directly under the lookout was a small farm with some calves, white fluffy bantem hens, a proud & loud rooster, cat & dog. Their interactions provided much amusement.

Unfortunately the coffee was incredibly bad.... one of THE WORST we've had this holiday!
Not even 3 serves of sugar could save it.
It was here, while cringing & reluctantly swallowing the coffee, that I found a metal wall plaque among the gifts on display. It's a mock speed sign, depicting a sloth & the speed of 0.01kph.
It was only $10 US, which was a bargain & will be a nice little reminder of Costa Rica to go in our future house.

After this we had another hour of driving which brought us to the edge of a very large lake & a water taxi. We all loaded into the water taxi & spent the next hour on the lake, enjoying the scenery both on the lakeside & what was reflected back off it's perfectly still surface.
After 30 minutes in the boat we could see the volcano coming into view, the top half was obscured by cloud, but hopefully it would not stay shy for long. 

It's last major eruption happened  in 1968, when it erupted unexpectedly and totally destroyed the nearby town of Tabacon. You can still see in vivid detail the patterns or track's on the side of the volcano that indicate the lava flows descent. Since then, it was Costa Rica's most active volcano & one of the ten most active volcano's in the world. Since 2010, it has been dormant, though due to it's active history & youth (its estimated age is less than 7,500 years old) it will likely become active once again. 

As part of Costa Rica's effort to provide environmentally conscious tourism, you can not hike this volcano, but the unobstructed view alone on the ground from only a couple of kilometres away is stunning.


When the boat reaches the docking point on the other side of the lake, we all disembark & hop on another private bus which takes us the 30 minutes to the town of La Fortuna & our resort style accommodation.  We've made really good time & arrive just after 11.30am.

Check in isn't till 2pm, so a group of us including Tom & I, walk across the road to the Soda, which is what they call a cheap local food restaurant in Costa Rica. Here we eat a nice lunch, drink a few cold beers & then walk back to the resort to hang by the pool. I also use this time to look up local activities & tours.
At 2pm, we get our key & gain access to cabin 110! A really nice, private accommodation in the form of a cabin with 3 beds including a kind bed, air con & a private bathroom. It's very clean & comfortable. I'm looking forward to sleep already! After we check in, I walk back to reception to talk to Veronica about a tour that 8 of us would like to do tomorrow.

It involves animals, so understandably G Adventures can't organise it or necessarily condone it. I really respect this about the company. Too often animals are misused for tourism purposes & essentially financial gain.  However, the tour we want to do is very animal & eco friendly, so I can use Veronica's phone & book us in for tomorrow. Exciting!

After this I go back to the pool to relax.
On my way I spot a giant moth & at the pool a small guinea pig like animal is spotted behind a garden. We've spotted an Agouti! How exciting to see one here. It's too quick to photograph, unfortunately.

We have a quite night here & make the most of our cabin & air con. Which is a strange thought when compared to last night in Monte Verde when it was quite cold & we had a quilt & socks on to go to bed.

- Alli

                         
                                           The view of Arenal Volcano from our accommodation!

Day 213 - Central America's Longest Zip Line & The Hummingbird Garden

It's an early start for our adrenaline packed morning of activities!
We are out of bed & ready to go by 7.00am, we sit outside our room, on the deck, watching the hummingbirds with the hotel owners dog, who is sitting next to me.

The tour van drives us the 30 minutes or so, to their booking office, which is also the start of the zip line course.
Once there, we sign our lives away, get fitted with our equipment & are given a brief but simple demonstration on a static line.
While waiting for the last of the organising, we are hard pressed not to notice the ginger cat flaunting his affection along the booking desk. He has the cutest face, with a very pink nose & was ferociously trying to butt his head with any unwary hand or head in a bid to get some loving! What a gorgeous boy!  Tom & I would love a ginger cat when we get back.


We all line up & proceed up the stairs & towards the first zip line wire. The zip lines start quite high at 1,400 feet but are very strategically set up so that the first one is very small & looks close to the ground. At this point you can't see the valley or the 'cloud forrest' that we would fly over soon after.
The first zip line was very small, only about 10 metres long & was a great way to dissolve any nerves or anxiety. Following the first zip line they got progressively longer & the height from the line to the forrest floor was getting bigger. It only required a small amount of practice & it was very easy to relax into it & have fun.

After zip line 6 we walked off the platform & across a 'floating bridge' that was hanging through the tree tops. It was at this point we could start to appreciate how high we were & we glimpsed some of the longer & higher zip lines we were yet to do.
Once we arrived at the platform before zip line number 7, we got to experience rappling backwards from an approximate distance of 10 metres.
To be honest, I had no idea what they were doing with my harness before I launched backwards off the platform. It was a good first experience & I'd love to do some ab sailing with Tom, who was always keen on it.

Following this experience we were attached to the first big zip line which took us across the valley & gave us a real perspective of how high we were & how beautiful the rainforest below us was. Amazingly, this wasn't the highest of the zip lines, even though we were flying above the tree tops.
The distance of this zip line really gave us an appreciation for how fast we were going (zip lines have been recorded at speeds of 160km's)  & the harsh, very loud noise coming from the pulley that attaches your harness to the wire. As the last tiny shred of anxiety & trepidation left my body, I felt overwhelmingly free. It's hard to not love this feeling.

Once we touched down on the platform we were unclipped from our standard, sitting harnesses & then repositioned into a different one which would allow us to do the next 2 zip lines in the superman position. The superman position is where the harness attaches from your back, so that you're lying down & facing the ground, we also had something around our feet to support our legs.

We then got into a little buggy which drove us for a few kilometres up the side of a very steep hill.
Once at the top we climbed up the platform & waited to be clipped in for our first superman.
These 2 zip lines are what makes this experience so special & unique for people travelling to Costa Rica. Your positioning, the length of the zip lines & the stunning location.
Getting into the superman position was rather awkward & uncomfortable, especially when the straps are being attached to your feet.

It was with lots of excitement & a sense of thrill when the safety clip was removed & we were launched off the platform, away from the hill side & towards the open air, whizzing over the tops of the tree canopy.  It was incredible fun & worth every cent!
It just kept going on & on, before eventually you whizzed between the trees & towards the platform to land. When in the superman position there is no way to slow yourself or stop. You are totally reliant on the guides standing on the platform to stop you.
This was a sudden & fear inspiring realisation, this zip line is very long & you literally shoot through the sky, gaining speed & not quite realising how fast you're going until this point.
The guides easily & effectively stop your zip line  by launching a soft ball like contraption already attached to the line, towards your pulley. When your pulley hit's this, it immediately absorbs all the speed & after the initial jolt, you glide onto the platform at a slow & controlled speed.
I was rather impressed & also grateful that I wasn't a man with male anatomy.
Some of the boys were not so appreciative of the jolting stop & the harness.

It was now our last zip line, which was the longest, highest & also in the superman position. The only difference is this time we could spread our arms out to the side instead of crossing them across our chest. I guess the reason for this is that the second time you shouldn't freak out in the new position & try to grab the line, which would be extremely detrimental for your fingers.
Once again, it was pure magic & we both loved every second.

Tom was a few people ahead of me & as I was getting towards the end of the last zip line, I could see him below me, standing on a different platform at the end of a bridge, already having completed the last zip line minutes before. Within a second of me realising it was him (from the stripes on his jumper) he had jumped off the platform & was doing the Tarzan swing.
He couldn't hear me, but I was screaming & cheering for him from above, I only saw him leap off the edge & the first few seconds of swinging.

Once I landed on the last zip line platform a few seconds after watching Tom, I was asked if I wanted to do the Tarzan swing ? I was spurred on to say yes, after just completing the zip lines & watching Tom do it.  I knew how high it was  (only 45 metres) & that there was only a 3 second free fall before the harness caught you.  Should be easy peasy.... 

Walking out to the platform along the bridge, I started to realise how high it was. Maybe it wouldn't be easy peasy.
My hands started to shake & tingle, my mouth went dry & my heart beat started furiously increasing.
The typical signs of adrenaline, that surely I should be comfortable with by now.

Thankfully, there was no queue to do the swing & as soon as I reached the edge, the guides had me hooked up & were giving me basic instructions. While all this happened so fast, my brain was sludge & time was stretching, so every second felt like minutes.
I thought about 'chickening out' at least 5 times in the preceding  2 seconds as my heart rate continued to increase. I actually thought the guides would be able to hear it & possibly see it through my chest.

The next thing, the gate was being opened. I was already crouched into position with my knees resting on the gate & my toes hanging off the edge. The tension of the coiled rope pulled taut, attached to my chest harness, waiting to catch me, was basically pulling me off the edge.
All I had to do was step out into thin air.

One more treacherous thought crossed my mind about yelling "NO" & not jumping, but then the gate was open, the pull of the rope on my chest was unstoppable, as was the hand on my shoulder pushing me & then I stepped off.

Free fall is something I've experienced 18 times now from sky diving, bungee jumping & now this.
It is one of the most indescribable & addictive feelings known to man.
To feel the exhilaration of being weightless, while gravity takes control & your brain tries to comprehend what is happening, is a feeling that makes you feel..... alive.
It's every cell in your body screaming at once & adrenaline being set free in your body.
The only rational thought I can remember straight after the shock was "holy f*$#" & at that point I couldn't even scream.
Within the immediate release of that one thought from my sluggish brain, the rope attached to my harness pulled taut with a deafening crack & a jolt which is clearly seen & heard on video.
Once I started swinging, the sludge in my brain cleared, only to be replaced by feelings of total elation which is power fuelled by adrenaline & now also endorphins. 

I screamed for joy, first one lung full of air & then another.
You actually swing quite a distance each way, before the rope starts to lower & your momentum slows down.

Looking up at the platform where you do the Tarzan swing. 

It's with mixed emotions when your feet do eventually touch the ground, you don't ever want the feeling to end, but you also want your feet not he ground so that you can  jump around with joy.
Feeling victorious, Tom & I watched the last few people of our group either 'chicken out' or make the leap of faith, before walking back to the office, which was conveniently located down the hill.

After our adrenaline packed morning, the tour van dropped us off in town & despite it only being just before 11am, we were famished!
We went to a local taco restaurant with Dolly, Hannah & Ash, where Tom & I discovered the phenomenal creation of tempura battered avocado wedges in a burrito.
Even writing about it now, makes me want to drool!
I can't wait to recreate this ingenious burrito combination once back at home. The burrito's combined with some of the nicest & most potent red wine sangria, had all of us in a great mood when deciding how to spend our afternoon.

Unfortunately, some thick low lying cloud was starting to drift in & the weather forecast was for more cloud & rain. This eliminated some of the outdoor activities but left us open to the hummingbird garden. 

We caught a complimentary transfer to a section of protected, local rainforest, which is also where they have the floating cloud bridges & extensive gardens.

The hummingbird garden was tucked in to a section of land here, surrounded by trees & flowers.
We could see them & hear them immediately. There was 14 different species & would of been close to 100 of them zooming around the garden & drinking from feeders.
They are incredibly quick & vibrant, with some of the most dazzling colours.
It was very peaceful to sit there & watch them flit around the garden chasing each other.
To try & capture their beauty required the use of the slow slow motion video on my phone.
We spent close to an hour here before the rain started & we had to find shelter. The rain continued on our drive home & for the rest of the afternoon.

I was not particularly hungry at dinner time & quite tired, so I stayed in the hotel room, while Tom went out with the group for dinner & drinks. Not returning till after midnight, with a very large & tasty pizza that had an aroma strong enough to wake me from my sleep.

It's not very often I feel like breakfast at 2am, let alone pizza, but this was one of those times.

- Alli 

Day 212 - El Palmarcito, El Salvador To Monte Verde, Costa Rica

Today we leave El Salvador & fly straight over Nicaragua to Costa Rica.
Originally, the tour did include 5 days in Nicaragua, but recently the civil unrest has shut down the whole country & its no longer safe to travel there, the risk level & the travel advisory warnings have became more severe in the months of August & September.
Tom & I were in Africa when we received 3 emails regarding the crisis in Nicaragua, which started in mid April & has so far resulted in the estimated deaths of 317 people.
G adventures emailed us to say that they would no longer offer Nicaragua as one of the countries in the tour. The 2nd email was from the Australian government advising us not to travel in Nicaragua & that they would be unable to provide assistance to us if we did. The 3rd email was from our insurance company, also telling us not to go to Nicaragua....
So here we are, not going to Nicaragua!

It's a little bit disappointing to miss it, but it gives us an "excuse" to come back.
We will be back to rediscover a few of these regions & Nicaragua at a later point in time. Perhaps before we go on to do South America.

Our travel day starts with a 4.30am alarm & were all in the van by 5am to drive the hours distance to the airport. Check in, immigration & customs is very easy. Security is minimal & I would later realise that I accidentally had liquids in my carry on that were more than 100ml's.
The flight is very quick, slightly longer than an hour & we have arrived in country number 20, Costa Rica. The land of pura vida, which translates to english as pure life, but is said like "good life".

We've landed in the capital San Jose, the city where the tour will end in a few days, but today we will only be spending the 45 minutes it takes to drive out of the city.
Our first stop is Monte Verde, an area famous for it's really long zip line's.
Needless to say, Tom & I book in to do the zip lining tomorrow. It's a very popular activity & nearly our whole tour group has signed up for it.

Monte verde is also famous for it's national parks & wildlife. There is a tree canopy walk & some bird watching activities that we will consider doing.
Our accommodation is once again in private rooms with bathrooms! Tom & I get the double room at the end with a big window, which offers views up the hill.

It's a slack sort of night, the weather is cold & wet from the elevation, so we decide to skip group dinner & eat noodle cups, curled up in bed watching the tv.

- Alli

Day 211 - El Palmarcito & The Black Sand Beach

Today was a late start, but not late enough that we missed out on our free breakfast.
Lucky there's not a lot to do except relax. Surfing was off the table as soon as I saw the size of the waves & the cliffs on either side of the beach.
We spend today relaxing in & next to the pool, walking along the beach & eating delivery food pool side.

At dinner time Tom & I go to the restaurant set right on the edge of the cliff & order a seafood paella with a glass of wine.
It was a very nice meal with a very nice view!
Our last night at Atami Resort & in El Salvador is a relatively quiet & early night. Despite all the relaxing today, we still need to catch up on sleep.

- Alli

Day 209 - A Quiet Day In Ataco

Today was a late start, due to Tom's hangover & my lack of sleep/sickness.
Once we did wake up after lunch time, the first thing on the agenda was food & to have a brief exploration of the town.
I'm feeling significantly better, especially my throat & glands, however I still do feel lethargic.

We found a nice restaurant where we ordered a big salad breakfast & had some of the best coffee, ever.
We both had 2 coffee's before setting off for our short walk. While here Tom was approached by a couple of local kids selling souvenirs & us being the suckers that we are, Tom bought a little Mexican hat.  Ataco is a nice little town, very similar to others in Central America & Mexico. Cobblestone & paved roads, different coloured houses, a centre square with a nice garden & water fountain & old style churches. 

After walking around town we head back to the hotel where people are drinking & playing card games. We join in for the afternoon before heading back out to the same place for dinner. 

The day goes really quickly & before long it's over.

- Alli

Day 210 - Travelling From Ataco To El Parmacito

Today we leave Ataco, after not eating a taco .... & head to El Palmarcito & a beach famous for it's metallic black volcanic sand. That was not a typo. Black Sand!!
As Aussies, we loooooove the beach & can not wait to see it. El Palmarcito is also famous for the surf, I'd love to give it another go, but I'm not a strong or confident swimmer, so it's a strong maybe.

We leave Ataco in the morning & drove for  a few hours. The mini van taking us between destinations is full of our luggage & people. It's a rather boring journey & we are all excitedly waiting to arrive & see the beach & our new resort accommodation.
About 30 minutes before our arrival, the sky opens up & it starts pouring down with rain.
The rain is rather persistent & it's still raining very heavily when we arrive at Atami Beach Resort.
Our plans for going straight to the beach are stalled, but after about an hour the rain slow's down & eventually stops.

Atami is quite nice & is set on the cliff side, offering spectacular views of 2 beach's. There is 3 pools, a water slide that is actually a good 30 seconds of sliding fun, rock pools built into the cliff & access to both beach's. We are in basic accommodation with girls & boys being split up. 

When we got to the beach, it was amazing! I was equal parts excited & sceptical about how beautiful it would be. Being from Australia & having been to Whitehaven many times, I'm very critical of beaches. But this beach won a spot in my heart & comes highly recommended. 

The sand is metallic colours of black, very dark grey, silver & dark blue. The sand is powder fine & very soft & did I mention it glitters ?!
The little cove that is nestled in next to the cliff is very picturesque with palm trees & coconuts. Little beach shack restaurants, surf boards, boats & relaxed music.
At the other end of the cove is another cliff, making this beach feel very private. Sitting on top of the cliffs are bright coloured painted houses, contrasting with the surrounding green trees, blue sky & black sand.
Pictures seriously don't do it justice!

I walk down the beach with Ronnie, Hugo, Hannah & Birte, till we get to Ronnie's favourite beach shack. We order coconuts with rum in them & sit back to admire the view & dig our toes in the sand. 

Once we get back to the resort, Hannah, Dolly & I go check out the water slide.
It's super fun & we giggle like children while appraising each other's very different techniques.
Finally, we relax in the pool for awhile before getting ready to go out for a group dinner down on the beach at the place Ronnie took us earlier today.
The specialty is seafood, of course.

We all are ready & assembled at reception just after dark. Unfortunately the resorts beach access is closed after dark & we have to make our way down to the restaurant via the road. This is not really a problem except for the fact that there is a massive dog fight going on outside the property between 4 dogs. 2 of them are locked around each other's throats & plan to fight till the death.
2 of the dogs are owned by people who were out walking them & some locals in nearby houses run out to help, when they hear the ruckus.
They are big dogs & the noise is horrendous, not to mention the people nearby that are screaming. The people are successful in separating the dogs after lots of effort & risk on the owners part.
1 dog in particular is going to be very sore in the morning.

It takes about 10 minutes to get to the restaurant & once seated we are served some local rum, courtesy of Ronnie & our food starts coming out. The food is amazing of course & the atmosphere next to the beach was perfect. Once dinner is finished the Spanish dance tunes start playing & a bonfire on the beach is lit.
This combined with more rum & the contagious dance fever, propels this party well into the night.
It's close to 3am when the last 8 of us stumble back to the resort, have a quick dip in the pool & then collapse into our beds!

- Alli