The alarm went off at 2am this past Monday morning and my wife Lauren and I hopped right out of bed. The wind was howling and the rain was coming down in sheets. 

Despite the weather our car ride to Logan International Airport in Boston went rather smoothly. When it was time to board our flight to Miami the rain was torrential and the wind had only increased in speed.

Traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica

Nevertheless our pilots had us up and into the sky without any trouble. Once we reached altitudes above the clouds I looked out the airplane window to a magic sight-the full moon was shining down on top of the storm. The reflection of the moon off the tops of the clouds was like a painting, and it was a scene I had never seen before in my entire life.

Upon touchdown in Miami Lauren and I hustled to catch our connecting flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Once onboard the plane I began practicing my limited (but constantly improving) Spanish speaking skills with the flight attendants. Lauren silently watched, slightly embarrassed I am sure. 

Throughout the flight I worked on editing new episodes of My Fishing Cape Cod TV. I find it quite interesting how I can edit episodes while cruising over 600mph at 36,000 feet above the planet's surface, but such is life in 2022!

After landing in San Jose and navigating through customs, we picked up our bags and caught a taxi to the Marriott Belen. The hotel is built on the grounds of an old coffee plantation, which prior to 1700's was tribal land for indigenous Costa Ricans.

The air was surprisingly cool with a breeze that blew down through the mountains and into the valley, and I could easily see why this particular spot has been inhabited by people for so many thousands of years.

The Osa Peninsula: The Most Remote Area of Costa Rica

On Tuesday we woke up with the sunrise, grabbed some breakfast, and caught a taxi back to the airport for a flight to Puerto Jimenez. The morning rush hour in San Jose was pretty intense, with motor bikes weaving in and out around tractor trailers. It amazes me that there are not more accidents. 

At 9:20am we boarded a small plane with just two other passengers, a pilot and a co-pilot. It was brisk and windy but the turbulence was not as intense as it often is when flying over the Costa Rican mountains in a small airplane. Lauren and I enjoyed the amazing views of the coastline as we made our way south to the Osa.

Certain areas of Costa Rica such as Jaco Beach and Los Suenos have been heavily developed, but the Osa Peninsula has not. You will find cabinas and villas nestled into the jungle at the Osa, but you will not find high rise hotels or for that matter, paved roads. 

The Osa is full of nature and there are animals everywhere you look. It is also interesting to note how many of the plants we see at home available for sale in Home Depot grow wild on the Osa. The air is clean with the fragrance of flowers, and the sounds of insects and birds echo through the jungle.