Dromen komen uit: Costa Rica, hier kom ik verdomme aan

I still can't quite believe it. If you're reading this, I'm dangling somewhere in the air, probably with a few hours to go before I land in Costa Rica...

This has been on my want-to-go list for so long. But how, what, and when was still the question. And then, two weeks ago, on that Friday afternoon, a call came in. Whether I wanted to go there on behalf of KLM and the Costa Rican Tourism Board. Um, error in the upstairs department. Is this what they mean by ‘life is smiling at you’? I called May in a frenzy. She thought it was a cool plan too (eternal love for Mayke) and so it happened. And now I'm spinning with happiness.

You might be wondering what I'm going to do here. What not, I can answer. We're going to drive around for eight days in a van to see as many highlights as possible. The main goal is to discover the ‘Pura Vida’ (the pure life) of the Costa Ricans. The people here are listed among the ‘happiest’ in the world according to dozens of lists, and I'm really curious why that is. I can imagine the picture of sun, nature, and a relaxed life, but what exactly makes this country so special?

According to mi madre (the travel gene runs in our family and three years ago she returned hysterically from the country), it lies in the flora and fauna. Costa Rica has quite a few plant and animal species that are unique. Gigantic butterflies, howler monkeys (also known as monkeys that can make quite a noise), birds in every color you can think of, iguanas, geckos, and of course the one and only sloth. Maybe not the prettiest animal to behold, but amazing to see up close. Those creatures sleep an average of 18 hours(!) a day. What a life.

Something tells me we're going to spend whole days outdoors here. Something tells me this is going to be a very special trip. Of course, I'm going to keep you all updated, so keep an eye on Amayzine (and on @kikiduren I'll film as much as I can when I have time). Damn Costa Rica, I can't wait to meet you. See you soon...