Manuel Antonio!

My sister came to visit this weekend and we went to Manuel Antonio! It's this laid back beach town on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. We visited the National Park and saw a ton of wildlife, monkeys, sloths, lizards, everything! We went kayaking in the mangroves around sunrise, swimming in the waterfalls, and even went ATVing in the mountains. Really fun, I would definitely go back again! Enjoy the pics :)

I also learned a lot more about the visa process from our tour guide. He said it's extremely hard for a Costa Rican to obtain a visa to leave the country. You have to have proof of about $10,000 in the bank, evidence of employment, license that you're married and have kids, a house/apt.,etc. This proves to the governement that you will return because you have something to come back to in Costa Rica. The government fears that once people leave, they won't come back. Our tour guide said that to get an appointment in the visa office costs $200 alone! That's how much he makes for 1 month's salary and he speaks English, it's crazy! The visa process is so corrupt too. Visas are offered to people who don't have the right indentification, but since they know someone who works in the government office, they are able to get a deal...sounds very familiar.