Vacation Planning

I haven't had what I call a "proper" vacation in about two years.  It was to the Dingle Peninsular in Western Ireland.  For me, a proper vacation is one where you go simply for the purpose of a vacation, no family obligations, no returning to a place you lived, and ideally to a place that is different enough to provide interest but not so stressful that you don't return refreshed.  I know it isn't much to complain about, and I'm not really complaining, but I am ready for a proper vacation.

So, where to go?

At the moment I am looking at three possibilities, here they are for you to think about, make your own choice, and perhaps give advice about.

#1  Cahuita, Costa Rica.  This has been a favorite holidaying destination for us.  I think we have been together three times.  It is a slow-paced, rastafarian influenced, dirt street, coral reefed, sandy beached, monkey calling village on the Caribbean Sea.  Flying from Houston will make the flight much shorter than from Portland and then we drive through the pretty country in an afternoon to stay at our cheap hotel overlooking the sea (it has a sloth on the property).  Christina knows more than thirty words in Spanish, and I am trying to learn some myself.  There is a pace (or lack of it) in Cahuita unmatched by anywhere else I have been, it takes two whole days to slow down enough.  Price for flight, car and hotel for two weeks about $2,200  (didn't vacations get expensive?)  The downsides are that we have been there before and weirdly enough the warm temperatures and sunshine are not necessarily pluses as the weather is very similar at the times we would go to Houston.

#2  Budapest, Hungary.  Apparently one of the most beautiful, most historic, most fun cities in Europe.  Right on the Danube, filled with beautiful buildings.  Not too expensive while you are there.  A big party scene if we want.  About a three hour drive to Bratislava in Slovakia, and a touch more to Vienna in Austria.  I've never been east of western Austria and my darling wife went to Bratislava when she was a teenager.  If we go in October it is cool (high fifties) but dry and very sunny.  We don't speak the language, but there are no shortage of monolingual British tourists around so I am sure we would get by.  Price for flight and hotel (no car) about $3,400 (possibly substantially less because of our British Airways miles).  Clearly a trip of a lifetime.  Downsides?  Price.  We will need to paint just about the entire interior of our house after replacing all the plumbing, and that costs about the difference between the first two vacations.  It also will take about two full days of traveling to get there and back.

#3  Granada, Nicaragua.  Granada is the first city built by Europeans in the New World.  The Spanish built it as a port, and to impress the locals with the grandeur of Europe.  Apparently the original buildings have been lovingly preserved and renovated making it perhaps the most original colonial town in the Americas.  A volcano, beaches, churches, museums, islands etc..  Hot and sunny, just like Houston.  This would be an entirely new place, a place with fewer tourists.  Price for flight and hotel about $1,800.  Quick flight, inexpensive, new, interesting but still similar to the weather of Houston.