One Christmas some years ago, I opened a card from our older daughter that said “Good for one week in Costa Rica.” I thought it was a joke. A year later, after one aborted attempt due to a cancelled flight, we spent five wonderful days near the Manuel Antonio rain forest. On the way back from a day-long cruise where we saw whales, ate and drank well, and went scuba diving, we were treated to this glorious sunset.
This, that and the other thing 
Stunning sunset
Each night there was a beautiful sunset.
janet
How lovely Janet
It was and the trip was a wonderful experience.
A lovely way to remember your trip! What a nice gift 🙂 🙂 Happy Monday, Janet!
Thanks, Jo, and happy Monday to you as well.
Fantastic!
It was the perfect ending to a special day.
😊
Sea of gold. What a marvellous gift.
It was a shot trip but as special as this sunset.
What a wonderful gift and the photo says it all!
It was an astonishing gift, as beautiful as this sunset.
That must have glorious being there as it’s pretty here. What a treat and gift to go to CR! It’s on my bucket list for birding.
I wasn’t into birding at all then but the trip, although only five days there, was fantastic. We went to the rain forest one day and that was amazing. The guide had a spotting scope, so we saw more than we ever would have on our own.
Beautifully captured and a great capstone moment of your day… and cheers to your daughter for the unexpected surprise!
It was definitely a surprise and each of the five days held at least one special thing.
Good Monday for a great memory.
Always a good Monday (or any other day) for a great memory, don’t you think? Stay safe and warm today.
What an incredible gift! Love the photo.
It was quite a gift. Like I said, I thought it was a joke, although of course why would it have been? I’d love to go again but this was very special.
Gorgeous, Janet! What a thoughtful older daughter you have! Did you enjoy the country? We have talked about visiting on several occasions. 🌞
We loved it. We stayed on one small area so there’s a lot more to see but our five days were filled with wonderful experiences. I’ll tell you about it next time we meet so I can describe it in more depth.
Looking forward to it! 🌞
I did a number of posts on the trip at the time so when I get the time, I’ll find out where they are and let you know in case you want to look at them.
My original blog, Tropical Affair, was started to share our life adventures in Manuel Antonia, CR, We ended up living there twice and now in Panama. Central America is a most beautiful place.
I enjoyed your blog about CR. I didn’t realize you were in Panama now.
janet
What a way to end what sounds like a most memorable day!
It was a wonderful ending and definitely a delightful day.
What a wonderful gift
One of the best and certainly the most unexpected.
Dear Janet, Thank you for the beautiful sunset. We spent a couple of weeks in Costa Rica more than 25 years ago. Our accommodations were right on the beach. We walked out the door and into the ocean. The very best part was our sun-downer nightly ritual. Sitting on the beach with a glass of wine watching the magnificent sunsets and then in a blink of an eye it was night. Cheers Virginia
What a lovely thoughtful daughter, that was so precious giving memories not things 💖
It was and we had a wonderful time. 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful day.
They all were that week, Dan.
Such a magnificent sunset. Janet. I’m so happy you got to Costa Rica eventually. It’s quite an experience.
We loved it and I’d like to go again one day and take my husband.
You should. We did a 12 day tour and it was really awesome.
This was the first vacation I’ve ever been on that we had a planned activity set up every day (except for one.) We did this tour, went horseback riding, visited the rain forest with a guide and a group, and visited an herb/spice farm. The one unplanned days we went to the beach and explored.
Stunning! We booked a trip last April, had to cancel it. 😦
Go when you get the chance. It was unlike anywhere I’d been before.
Sounds fun! Even though I’ve traveled quite a bit to Central and South America. I’ve not been to Costa Rica yet
We had a great time and I’d love to go again with my husband. I haven’t been anywhere else in Central or South America.
Stunning! Do you get neat sunsets in the desert? Sunrises?
We do get good sunsets, but from where we live, you can’t get a photo without houses in it. I take a lot of sunrise photos, especially at the Preserve, as that’s when I’m usually out and about.
Ah, look forward to seeing some!
You probably already have as I feature them periodically.
Yes…