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TRAVEL<br />
by Jill Ellis-Worthington<br />
or surfing but makes swimming difficult – a beautiful vista<br />
and rental beach chairs and sunshades. Bring a cooler<br />
with your drinks and food or buy some from the bar<br />
there, but be warned it is expensive.<br />
If you’ve seen the movie American Made with Tom<br />
Cruise, you might recognize the airplane that forms part<br />
of the restaurant El Avion. Perched on the edge of the<br />
mountain high above the ocean, this restaurant offers<br />
excellent food and drink, complemented by fantastic views<br />
from every table. Served at this and most restaurants,<br />
carpaccio de atun roja is a raw tuna dish made with diced<br />
mango and avocado – so fresh and delicious!<br />
Head into Quepos for the weekly Friday and Saturday<br />
mercado (market) to pick up fresh fruit, fish and meat,<br />
as well as tourist souvenirs. Jaco also has a street full<br />
of tourist shops. Open air restaurants with luxurious<br />
gardens line the side streets. Check out Senor Harry’s for<br />
a cool drink on the shaded patio when you’re doing more<br />
dropping than shopping.<br />
Top: Writer Jill Ellis-Worthington (left) and<br />
expat Colleen O’Brien are ready to zip line.<br />
Below: Beautiful beaches give way to<br />
stunning mountains in Costa Rica.<br />
Adventurous souls will also find their calling in Costa<br />
Rica. From travelling challenging mountain roads up to<br />
the organic family-run fruit farm that houses La Iguana<br />
Chocolate Tours, to traversing the swinging bridges<br />
at Rainmaker Conservation Project, to taking on 14<br />
different ziplines at Chiclets Zipline (Hermosa Tours),<br />
there’s something for all adrenaline junkies.<br />
The chocolate tour includes a narrative on all aspects of<br />
growing and harvesting cocoa and the guide shows you<br />
how to make truffles (to gobble up) from cocoa beans. It is<br />
hands-on fun that also includes a lunch of authentic area<br />
cuisine if you choose that option for a small additional<br />
fee. You may also see scarlet macaws or toucans that<br />
perch in the fruit trees around the property.<br />
For both heart-stopping action and heartrending beauty,<br />
ziplining down a mountain is a real experience. The<br />
staff at Chiclets is excellent at making sure everyone is<br />
safe and know how to take on each of the 14 ziplines.<br />
When landing on the tree-top platforms, you overlook the<br />
beautiful white sand beaches and emerald jungles that<br />
rim the sapphire blue ocean.<br />
Animal lovers will appreciate getting up close and personal
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