Prague - Vienna - Toronto - San Juan

We get up at 2:45 AM, a quick start, get the kids dressed so we can head out in the car towards Vienna Airport at 3:15 AM. It's freezing outside, -4°C, as if it couldn't have frozen over the weekend when we were in the mountains so there would be more technical snow.

Our travel trips probably never had as much drive as this one, number 5. We're quite aware that traveling with a larger number of children isn't as much of an adrenaline rush as having a four-year-old on the spectrum with you. We have plenty of comparisons from our past years, and we laugh about it a lot. Anyway, it's a challenge. No, this is a mega challenge, and probably not everyone would go for it, but we love traveling, so we jump in headfirst. 

You discover things you wouldn't think of, like when you give him a bottle of Canadian water on the plane and he says no. What isn't? Until you realize that he's bothered that the bottle doesn't have a cap. During the journey, he puts a lot of people in situations they don't expect, not even you. Checking men's shoes and watches continues throughout the journey. So all the pilots, flight attendants, employees behind the baggage check-in counter or ticket control, waiters, garbage collectors, vendors, and especially cooks are subjected to these unusual practices, and most importantly, you need to give them a high five. 

During the entire 26-hour journey, we only lost him once, because we were distracted by a lady at baggage control and didn't notice that he had quickly packed his carry-on and returned to the belt for another check with the suitcase. We consider this mistake a success because he tries to run away at every opportunity. 

The word 'sir' sounds somehow more resonant and louder in the plane than anyone would expect, and his joyful 'whee' that he's flying is also quite penetrating. Oh well. Vienna-Toronto 7h55min flight, including 2.5h of sleep, the rest quite eventful, but no one stoned us alive. Transfer, 5h wait, and another flight to San Juan, just over 5h, was louder at takeoff because he just decided that he definitely wouldn't sit buckled up, but dad and milk were a guarantee of 4h of sleep, so hopefully our fellow passengers forgave us because then another child was screaming on the plane 😅 I sincerely apologize to that woman for being so happy about it. At the airport, a driver picked us up and took us to our overnight stay because it was midnight, time to finally shower and stretch out. Of course, he chased a cat through the reception, checked the trash cans 🤣

San Juan - Quepos

Thanks to the time difference, we wake up at six, so we have to wait an hour before breakfast starts. Waiting doesn't mean lazing around in bed, it means deflecting attempts to escape from the room, ransacking suitcases, and loud protests that our youngest kid wants to do something completely different than lie down, read, or play with the toys I brought. At 7 am, we're already rushing to eat. Before breakfast is prepared in the kitchen, we manage a walk around the accommodation, loitering in the parking lot by the shopping center opposite, waving at passing trucks so frantically that everyone honks in response, so we're the center of attention again 🤦‍♀️.

For breakfast, they serve pineapple and melon in bowls. We get pancakes, eggs, and panini with local orange juice.

A trip to Crocodilebridge (free entry) - the bridge with a view of crocodiles isn't as exciting as observing the holes from the posts in the bridge structure and sticking your foot in them. The highlight of the trip, however, is a sleeping baby in a car seat carried by daddy and passing buses that need to be shouted at uncontrollably so the driver waves back. We saw a group of crocodiles, supposedly with big teeth. The journey continues very slowly, about 8km in 50 minutes....so we're standing more than driving, and the fees for this great toll road reflect that: 17.20 and 34,- CZK. My fears about colder, rainy weather in Costa Rica are completely off base because we're pouring sweat. So the local 27°C feels definitely hotter, which I definitely welcome after Prague's month-long gloom and fog. Along the way, we observe local mini-dwellings made of sheet metal, but also more luxurious villas or even large farms.

After 5 hours, we arrive at the new location for accommodation. It's somewhat different from what we expected. Spiral stairs like to heaven and right next to it a mini-jungle. Due to safety reasons and fear of escape no. 5 from the accommodation without doors, we're going to look for something else. After all, you don't want to chase number five non-stop around the house or even in nature. I didn't pack headlamps. 4km away, near the local gym, a great residence with a pool awaits us, where they have a free room. Apparently, they don't have hot water today, but the water in the pool is warmer than the air. We throw down our suitcases, grab our swimsuits, and jump into the pool. At 5:30 pm, it's already dark as in a sack, in which Christmas lights are flashing. The locals cook us shrimp with rice and pasta with broccoli for dinner, which the cook goes somewhere to "buy" on a motorcycle 🤣.

Early mornings will probably be our thing. We wake up shortly after five, the kids around 6 am. Before breakfast, we have another hour, I slightly feel sorry for the neighbors because No. 5 lives in the closet, from which he has imaginarily created a car, so he constantly opens and closes the creaking door, carries things from the trunk to the closet or loads and goes somewhere.

Breakfast: pineapple, melon, orange juice, eggs, and toast. No. 5 attacks the kitchen, because he needs to watch the cooks at work, and when he climbs onto the kitchen serving window for about the eighth time, he gets an orange from the staff. A bit of a memory of Cuban oranges from the socialist era, when you want to peel it, but it was from the gentleman (meaning the cook, his vocabulary has about 10 words and a few sounds, which often leads to you playing charades with him, where you guess the words he's trying to say, and until you guess it, he increases the volume of his scream, which reduces your performance when guessing other words) so he ate his first orange here.

At 9 am, Jožka kicks us out of the room because we're going on a trip. On the way, we take care of a visit to the local bank, where we finally get Costa Rican currency called colón. We are "millionaires." The exchange rate to CZK is roughly divided by 25. From a beautiful 10,000, you have roughly 400 CZK. The bank is guarded by armed security. Otherwise, guards are here in all parking lots at larger shops, but without weapons.

We're going to Playa Biesanz beach, a slightly more adventurous narrow winding road and parking in the leaves in a muddy ditch behind the riverbed, self-paid. At a repainted sign in the local jungle, we set off on a rocky path somewhere to the water.

You wouldn't experience that in a 5-star hotel. I hear. I had chosen another beach, but it said that the last 5 meters are on a rope, so I rejected it. I sigh with relief that it's actually a great muddy road that doesn't slip too much, and that I'll surely pull No. 5 on my back on the way back is just a minor crutch that I can handle. With a feeling of joy, I trot along, glad that I don't have to rappel at the end.

On the beach, a Central American vibe, music playing loudly, locals grilling, mixing drinks, and we let ourselves be pampered here. After all, today is my birthday, and so a celebration on the beach with a drink is the perfect thing, what more could you want. Although I sprint to the water and back a bit so that the five survives when jumping into the water because he runs away uncontrollably without a vest and swimsuit. In the back rows near the jungle, the locals enthusiastically greet him with applause and shouting whenever he runs to the forest to check the bag of cans. He already has a few fans here and they are growing with each run. I run after him conscientiously. Fortunately, we also have No. 4 with us, who takes turns with me in this running. It's a bit like a relay race. Jožka chose a great fish for lunch from the grill. Today is a beautiful beach day.

Quepos 

So where are we traveling to? Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a republic in Central America. Neighboring countries are Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The western coast of Costa Rica is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the eastern by the Caribbean Sea. 

The destination of today's trip is a turtle farm. The road is more like a tankodrome. We observe the life of the locals, and when the navigation deviates from the road, Jožka keeps us on track, roughly in the direction we need to go. I admit that when we arrived at the beach, I refused to drive our rented Suzuki on the sand because the car didn't have a shovel, sleepers, or other equipment to get the car out, and looking for someone to pull us out of the sand wasn't exactly what I wanted to try. Even my husband's determination: the main thing is not to stop on the sand, didn't convince me. So, the failed arrival to see the turtles is my fault. Anyway, it's interesting enough here, so we watch the roosters, cows, horses, goats, geese that the locals raise, how they live. It drizzles lightly along the way. It's humid. Costa Rica has a tropical climate all year round. There are two seasons here. The dry season lasts from December to April, and the rainy season from May to November. March and April are the warmest months of the year, while December and January are the coldest. You can't tell.

We shop in the local "supermarket," which is sweltering under that tin roof. We buy fruit, cheese that comes in a can, probably to withstand transport from the factory to the store, yogurts for a snack, and more bottled water. At the checkout, we found cones like our Cornetto, so we buy the kids the ice cream we've been promising for several days. The selection in the stores here outside the capital is quite limited so far. Everything revolves around street sales of pineapples, watermelons, bananas, and onions. Costa Rica is the country with the highest pineapple production in the world. They are excellent. Our wandering through the local peripheries and one-way systems, complete with signs telling you where to run in case of a tsunami, is coming to an end, and we promise the kids relaxation by the pool.

Quepos - Puerto Jiménez

The night isn't ideal. No. 5 is having nightmares, he's just had a lot of new stimuli during the day, and even though he falls asleep easily in the evening, we've been awake for an hour since 1:30.

We're packing, time to move to the next location. This time we're moving to the Osa Peninsula, which is the second largest peninsula in Costa Rica.

For breakfast, the little one is eating pancakes with the staff, and Junior gets a banana. Our autistic food battle has been a daily occurrence for several years, but we manage to get him to eat eggs, melon, pineapple, a piece of banana and 1cm of toast. That would have been completely unimaginable for us just a month ago. He would rather "die" than let something be put in his mouth, and so we are very happy that the change came in December before traveling.

The Osa Peninsula is located in the southern part of the country, specifically in the province of Puntarenas. The shores of this peninsula are washed by the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish name of the Osa Peninsula is Península de Osa. This area boasts great biodiversity. A large part of the Osa Peninsula is covered by protected areas and forest reserves. More than half of all animal species in Costa Rica live here. The local ecosystems, mountain rainforests and coastal wetlands are important. The main city of the Osa Peninsula is Puerto Jiménez, our final location for the next few days. The journey is long, so we stop for lunch by the road. We taste local dishes and prevent No. 5 from suicidal escapes into the road. A kitchen check, pancakes with the staff, the supplier who brought the drinks, to improve the mental well-being of the smallest one, took place and we can move on.

We'll arrive after dark today. We still manage to buy groceries for dinner and food for the next few days.

This morning is like something out of a catalog. Sunny weather and I'm preparing breakfast to the chirping of local birds. Toucans, parrots in the trees above the sink. Every now and then a small plane flies in to land on the nearby mini runway. Outdoor kitchen with a view of the bay, this is really great. 

We are enjoying the pleasant tropical climate on the Osa Peninsula. Average daily temperatures here are above 30 °C, the lowest dropping to 23 °C, throughout the year. The only difference is whether you go to the Osa Peninsula during the dry or wet season. The dry season is from the end of December to the turn of March and April. The remaining part of the year can be considered rainy. They say that rains are often daily, but only last for a few tens of minutes. However, it is true that a relatively large amount of rainfall falls from July to September, which supposedly causes other animals to emerge that a visitor would not normally see.

After breakfast, we set off to explore the surrounding villages and beaches. We will have an excellent lunch in the local settlement and go to feed the crocodiles. First, we need to get chickens to fill the bellies of these gentlemen. A local guide, Adonis, leads us through the forest to the edge of the river, where he rustles and calls out the crocodiles. A smaller friend actually swims up and it's time to feed him. We watch Adonis pat him on the head with some respect. We go on to the other side, where a larger crocodile and two turtles are swimming up. A real experience. In the evening, the roads take us to Playa Preciosa, where we enjoy a drink, even though No. 5 is still on the move and needs to be run after or he tries to escape along the beach.

We are spending the last day of the year on the Osa Peninsula. It is a literally magical and untouched place that admirers of diverse fauna and flora will love. Here you can explore not only the dense jungle, but also beautiful beaches and enjoy the atmosphere of local villages. Today, from the capital Puerto Jiménez, we are following the trail of nearby beach villages, where we enjoy the clean and shallow water. Some places are rocky, where water shoes would be useful, which we don't have, but we're coping with it anyway. Jožka comes up with the idea of trying the local popular kayaking - they set off right under our accommodation. I somewhat correct his plans because the idea of No. 5 jumping out of the kayak while riding doesn't seem quite the right thing I want to experience. That's if I omit the attempt to squeeze into the kayak with an operated hip. Today I am facing several attempts to lock me in the accommodation and there has also been an escape outside to the dog at the reception. We are not bored and we must remain vigilant. The huge and untouched beaches are called Playa Preciosa or Playa Platanares. You can admire the beautiful tide or go surfing on them. We are ending here today while waiting for the fireworks with the locals. At 5 pm local time, we wish from 2025 to the Czech Republic to 2026, where the arrival of the new year is already being celebrated. We see our boys thanks to video calls. Unfortunately, after dark, No. 5 demands a return by car and his runs into the dark are not entirely safe, so we return back to the bay to cook dinner and toast with a glass of gin to the sound of the waves. 

Welcome 2026!

Puerto Jiménez - Playa Blanca - La Palma

We start the New Year with a divine view of the bay, even though we joke that someone stole the water overnight because there was a low tide. Rustling, chirping of birds. We're packing. Last homemade breakfast. Today we are going to observe parrots at Lapa Rios Lodge. It is said to be a place where the rainforest meets the sea. 

The greatest gem of the Osa Peninsula is undoubtedly the Corcovado National Park, which was founded in 1975 and has a total area of 425 square kilometers. You can plan day and multi-day trips to the national park. You can admire a very diverse biodiversity here. Animals such as margays, tapirs, tamanduas, capuchins, pumas, pelicans, many species of monkeys live here, and in the sea there are dolphins and a lot of other creatures. On the Osa Peninsula you can also see the mangrove swamps of Humedal Nacional Térraba- Sierpe. An area with more than 330 square kilometers of wetlands. We adapt the program to No. 5, even though he is quite noisy today, so it is also difficult on the beach, where we stop along the way. Playa Tamales locals catch fish here and prepare brought tables, seating and refreshments for New Year's picnics. We'll make one from the supplies on a blanket too. If junior wasn't yelling here, it would be paradise on earth. In the afternoon we arrive at our accommodation in Playa Blanca - La Palma. We are here alone and the locals immediately take care of us. We eat the chicken we brought from shopping and the kids jump into the pool. After dark, we go to the local Brisas del mar for music, where we have an excellent dinner in addition to a New Year's drink.

After breakfast, we walk to explore the nearby Vivero mangle last, where they grow mangrove plants for further planting.

Costa Rica is known as a world leader in sustainability. In 2019, it generated more than 99 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. It is the first tropical country to halt and reverse deforestation; it has successfully restored its forestry and developed an ecosystem service that teaches biologists and ecologists about its environmental protection measures.

Along the way, we observe local plants and I try to photograph butterflies, who are so fast that I can't capture them. Costa Rica earns approximately $1 million annually from exporting more than 900,000 pupae of 150 species of butterflies, such as the genus Morpho (family Nymphalidae) – one of the largest butterflies with an intense blue color.

The mangroves are wonderful and the children jump into the water and are not stopped by the fact that they do not have swimwear with them. 

More than 1,000 species of orchids grow in the country, with the Monteverde Reserve and region, which is opposite across the bay, being the place with the highest density of orchids on the planet. In total, Costa Rica hosts more than 10,000 species of plants, so we see a lot of interesting flowers that we have not seen before.

Our next journey leads to Playa Colibri and a light lunch at the local Soda La Palma, where the lady who cooks only speaks Spanish, so we use a translator to agree on what she will roughly prepare for us. No. 5 is attacking the kitchen again, as if the lady would not recount the pots. For a drink we have a local pear drink. In the early evening we go bird watching. Which is a pretty deafening sight. In the evening, a real tropical storm catches us on the way from dinner.

Early wake-up, quick breakfast, and we head about an hour's drive to Rancho Piro, where a 3-hour horseback ride awaits us to Playa Piro. The journey is quite adventurous for me at first, as I'm not an experienced rider, I feel quite stressed, and the terrain is not entirely flat but rather through a riverbed, sand.... The guide only speaks Spanish and calms me down with the words mama relax😅 The way back from the beach is rewarding, and from the horse's back, we observe parrots and other birds, butterflies, monkeys, and lizards. Jožka rides on a double seat with No. 5, who is surprisingly okay, and No. 4 bravely and enthusiastically rides independently. Upon our return, the locals prepare a tasty lunch and coconut dessert with Costa Rican coffee. Monkeys gather on the roof because they have prepared banana slices for them. Our time is up, we say goodbye and set off on our way to the next location, Golfito.

Golfito is a picturesque port town located in Costa Rica on the coast of Golfo Dulce, situated in the province of Puntarenas. It is highly sought after for yachting, boating, and fishing. You can enjoy beach activities here. The beaches of Playa Zancudo, Pavones, and Pilon are perfect for this.

In the center, you can see local markets with fresh fruits and fish.

Day off - no transfers today, exploring Costa Rican attractions, fauna or flora, just relaxation, sun, water and children today. 

Otherwise, this time we are staying in quite retro accommodation, where it certainly was a wild den with many bars in the 90s, but now there are only about 5 families living here, 3 of whom are leaving because they were only here for the weekend🤣. They are probably fighting for rescue by letting local families in for a small fee for a Sunday trip, which our junior welcomes and immediately goes to play with the children. Local music is playing, good drinks and slushies are a must. Every now and then a plane or a pair of parrots flies over our heads. A Sunday like a painting😉

Time to move, we take advantage of the fact that we are alone here in the morning and go swimming in the pool in the morning. At noon, we load the car, the laundry that still hasn't dried here, we'll dry it while driving. We are headed to Bahia Ballena Uvita. On the way, we stop at Rancho mi tata for lunch, where they have local ready meals prepared.

Uvita is known for the Marino Ballena National Park with a sand formation in the shape of a whale's tail, excellent opportunities for whale watching (especially December–March and July–October), and snorkeling. The guide promised a peaceful atmosphere, but after the Osa Peninsula, we are used to being alone in places or with a maximum of 2 native families. So we rate Uvita as quite touristy for the number of people and also for the entrance fee of $7 for 2 adults. The children jump into the waves and No. 5 happily squeals like a parrot. Covered in sand, we walk back to the car and arrive at our destination for today, Dominical, at dusk.

Breakfast and acclimatization to the new environment is not easy for No. 5.

Although it is one of the nicest accommodations we have in Costa Rica. We haven't been able to figure out what irritates him so much here, whether it's the Latin American music, the environment, or if he just doesn't like it as a whole. So we take him on a small trip around the area and to a nearby Soda by the road for lunch to improve his mood, where he can watch them prepare his lunch and passing buses at the same time. Check of the flask, shoes, and caps was carried out, so everything is fine. In Dominical, we walk through the local tourist shops, where when we ask about the price for a T-shirt for No. 5 and a bracelet for No. 4, we wonder if the lady is trying to rip us off because it seems quite expensive. Suddenly, the saleswoman hands us the packed items and the man at the checkout tells us that he paid for them because he is a good person (USA citizen living in Costa Rica). Surprised, we thank him, talk to him for a while and walk away still disillusioned back to the car from this unusual experience.

Nauyaca Waterfalls are our destination today.

They say they are much more impressive during the rainy season, hard to say, but it rains here every night so hopefully the sight will be worth it. The road to the waterfalls is somewhat long and leads through the "jungle". Jožka arranged a shuttle for us, so we hold on tight to the truck bed and watch the breathtaking landscape and occasionally the quite destroyed tourists on the difficult road. Today it is hot around 30 degrees, and high humidity. So "only" a steep descent to Nauyaca awaits us. They say it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica. We slip down the muddy road to the water, where No. 5 immediately gets into her swimsuit, vest and goes into the water. The way up is a bit more difficult, but nothing that we wouldn't be able to handle in our group.

Last day we can go to the beach. Catching sunbeams "in stock" before we return to winter again. We're going to the nearest Playa Dominical, which is a beautiful wide...wow but...and the fact that No. 5 immediately ran away. So, ungreased, I sprint along the beach to one side, to the other side and back again, and since there is no shade anywhere, I announce that I will not be here with him and order the removal. We drive about a kilometer further, park in a more remote place, and when we descend to the beach, there's no one anywhere except for a boat. Such a little paradise at the end, Playa Dominicalito.

We overslept a bit, which isn't quite in line with the concept that we'll be packing in the morning because we need to be in San José at 3 PM to return the rental car. Breakfast, load the car, wave to the iguana one last time, shake out the ubiquitous sand, and we're off. 4 hours on the road, no picnic, it's dragging today. We stop at the crocodiles for burgers for the road. We return the car on time, but unfortunately, the windshield has a crack, so there's an unpleasant insurance and coverage issue to resolve. We promise the kids a pool at the hotel. The reality is that it's the iciest one imaginable. I'd rather call it a cold plunge pool after a sauna. So, 5 minutes to freeze is enough, and we go back to the room to repack the suitcase for tomorrow's early departure.

San Jose - Toronto - Vienna - Prague

We get up at 5am to go to the airport in San Jose. Well, the others do, I've been up since 2am. Probably a little nervous before the trip, how the junior will handle it this time, and my head is full of putting together a work schedule with the children's routines in the new year. I confess that I don't want to go back to the winter reality at all. After all, discovering new tropical places and getting to know Costa Rican culture was great, so all that's left is to start planning another travel adventure. Finally, the San José - Toronto flight is welcomed by the junior with all the toys I packed and boycotted all the time except for the teddy bear and helicopter from Christmas. We play, stick things on, drive cars, build Lego, draw, the whole 5-hour flight without a hitch and when landing his eyes started to droop, so wake him up quickly. His enthusiasm for the airport staff got us to the pilot's cabin, where he first compliments their shoes🤣after the tour he gets a picture of the plane, Sofi gets a pin with Air Canada's aviation wings and, most importantly, they give him a high five. Waiting 3.5 hours at the airport in Toronto. The airport lounge is closed, so we sit down in the restaurant because we are hungry. Our Toronto - Vienna flight is delayed right from the start. We wait an hour on the runway for them to clear it because it started snowing, so the plane is sprayed again. The over 8-hour flight is again spiced up with turbulence. Junior snores for 4 hours...wow instead of sleeping I watch F1 with Brad Pitt and I realize how long it's been since I've seen any movie to the end. Although I will regret it because I will lack sleep on Sunday. No. 5 escaped from us on the plane only once and we always caught him at the airport, we are more trained🤣or we were lucky. We land in snowy Vienna with only 35 minutes delay. 4-hour drive to Prague and our journey is over. 

Pura vida 2026.