As I sit in this hot airport waiting for my plane to board, skimming through photos from the past four months here in Costa Rica, I can't help but feel nostalgic and sad to be leaving. This airport has no walls, and the warm breeze and birds that glide through the waiting room remind me of how simple and easy life is here.

The last Beach Travellers trips of the summer are now over, and it's back to Canada for all of us. Back to the real world. Back to school. Back to having to wear shoes and shirts. Back to knowing the time and date. Don't get me wrong, I love Canada. We're all very fortunate to live in such a free country full of endless opportunities. But every time I leave Costa Rica I have to pry myself away. There's only so many times you can extend your ticket to score a few more waves before it gets too costly. Everyone that visits this place agrees, it's just hard to leave. The blazing sun, the great surf, the jungle, the raw beauty, the kind, happy, relaxed people. The simplicity.

Last night I swam into the ocean for a sunset surf session. It's a daily tradition. Regardless of wave conditions, the sunset surf is a must every evening. The last hour of daylight, and all the colors glow with a golden hue. The jungle backdrop is a lush dark green, and the sky lights up in a multitude of reds, oranges, and pinks as the sun sets over the ocean. Fish jump all around, pelicans cruise by overhead, and sea turtles randomly swim by to say hello. Everything is alive.

Floating in the warm water and watching all this happen around me, it's hard to believe that there's anything wrong in the world. We all know there's plenty of problems on our planet, but those brief moments are a nice escape and a reminder that this world is still pretty neat. Famous poet Henry David Thoreau said: "this world is but a canvas to our imaginations", and a visit to Costa Rica and it's sheer beauty is sure to light up anyone's imagination.

It was another great travel season here. Met plenty of great travellers and shared many funny and awesome moments with all of them. Looking forward to more good times in 2011. See you next year Costa rica!

-Mitch Martin, Beach Travellers Surf Camp Costa Rica Guide

Also check out Adventure Tours in Thailand Guide!

Congratulations to Faye Pawlowski, the winner of BT's July photo contest! A total of 137 "likes", very impressive. With the help of everyone who voted for her incredible photo, she is now the owner of a brand new pair shades courtesy of Spy Optics (see below), $300 Off future travel with BT, and a "golden ticket" into the final draw for our grand prize: a Beach Travellers trip in 2011.

Faye, please send your mailing address to info@beachtravellers.com, and we'll mail your prize pack right to your front door.

Once again we had tons of amazing photos entered last month, big thanks to all contestants. But we don't decide who wins... It's up to you, our fans, to vote ("like") your favorite pics and choose a winner.

Here are the top 5 photos from July.

Faye Pawlowski, 137 likes

Jesse Forgues, 59 likes

Michelle K. Bush, 57 likes

Rikke Harker, 37 likes

Ryan Belder, 24 likes

It's not too late to submit your photos and get all your friends to vote ("like") them. Voting is now open for our August contest, and another winner will be announced in a month. Click here for contest details.

Thanks for all your amazing submissions and good luck!

BT