I recently spent a week in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, which is on the Pacific side of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north. It was a beautiful place, with wonderful sights and friendly people. I would go back in a heartbeat and I recommend it to everyone. Just one piece of advice: Leave the baby at home! Sorry, future-Charlie, but you really cramped our style on this trip. Better luck next time, dude. Without dwelling on the miserable aspects of the trip, here are some photos revealing the finer moments.

The view from Villa Cascada, where we stayed.

Howler monkeys in the trees. They sound sort of like dogs, if dogs coughed up hairballs, but much louder.

Turns out this sign was meant as a joke… And Ava’s socks were pulled up so nerdily to keep the mosquitoes from feasting.

The guide told us these monkeys ride piggyback to appear more threatening, like a totem pole. That might be just something they tell gullible gringos.

I’m sure when the crocs hear a riverboat coming, they think “Free chicken!”

Back at the villa with Charlie, making funny sounds with our lips. You little stinker.

While Charlie and I hung back at the villa, Sarah and Ava went on a sunset sailboat cruise.