Costa Rica - last day / Tambor

I was definitely sad to leave my best friend and the warm weather of Costa Rica. And little did I know that the next day would be one of the more hellish in all of my travel experience. But before that, Renee drives Laurie and me to Tambor, where we catch our little flight back to San Jose. The airport is literally a couple of benches and a table by a gate that surrounds a concrete area about the size of a small parking lot. It's all a little unnerving.We send Laurie off first then Renee and I have a few hours to kill before my flight, so we grab lunch at a really pretty hotel resort, walk along the beach, pass some horses, meet some dogs and make it back to the airport in plenty of time.





I well up on the 10(?) seater plane as I wave bye to Renee. The view is amazing, but not nearly as captivating as my view into the open "cockpit" which feels only inches away!
My view into the cockpit

My view from the plane on the ground / Renee at the airport

My view from the airplane in flight

Costa Rica - Montezuma and Tortuga Island

Saturday, January 2, 2010. The group decided to go on a snorkel boat tour, leaving from Montezuma to Tortuga Island. I had Dramamine for breakfast and hid from the relentless sun with Renee and the Germans. The waters were gorgeous, the boat ride choppy, and there were at least a few schools of fish hospitable to our visit.
Renee in Montezuma
Another boat on our tour
Me and Marie
Marcus and Renee
We snorkeled around rocks.

After snorkeling, we had lunch on Tortuga Island - grilled fresh fish or chicken with rice, potatoes and beer or water. I joined in on a beach volleyball game .. the team seemed to like my consistent serve.
Ben and Renee
Marcus, Marie and Laurie
Island wildlife (boar?)resting in the gift shop. I petted him later - he was covered in stiff bristles.

We returned to Montezuma and had dinner at a recommended restaurant, Playa las Artistas. The group was overall disappointed in their food but I loved my pinto bean and seared tuna salad, and we all loved the fresh basil or strawberry caipirinhas.

Costa Rica - New Year's Day

New Year's day was low key after the previous day's and night's activities. Breakfast at home & checked out a different beach. This one was much rockier and the waves were crashing harder as the days went, so swimming was pretty out of the question. I amused myself by laying on a tree that was bent out towards the ocean, hovering just over some of the more violent wave crashes. I felt like a monkey and I didn't want to leave but the others wanted to find more swim-friendly waters.

Back at our usual beach spot, the waves were still crashing hard and taking people (and/or their bathing suits) down fast. I stayed mostly in the shadow of a tall coconut tree (tending still to my sunburn), dozing and hoping a coconut wouldn't fall on my head.

We (finally) ate the leftover pizza for lunch and went back to Pedro del Mar for dinner, where I enjoyed a heaping plate of rice and beans with some tangy, garlicy green sauce. Someone suggested we go to check out the festivities at Playa Carmen, a carnival-like atmosphere with the usual vendors selling stuff, amusements for the kids, and a genuine rodeo with a real, live bull. The guys, Laurie and I went in to watch from the structural engineering nightmare that passed for stadium seating.






The announcer rolled his r's dramatically until they released the bull and its rider from the gate. It was pretty thrilling to be so close to the action and suspenseful waiting for one of the guys to get bucked or gored. Unfortunately, there was no goring.

New Year's Eve in Costa Rica

After the wedding, everyone was tired and we had already indulged in champagne and two desserts. So it was one of those nights when you say, well, let's just go down the street, have one beer and cheers with a bunch of strangers.. and ends up at some crazy rave-type party on the beach with one crazy Australian and a lot of drunk Argentinians until you decide to hitch a ride back home at sunrise!
Drunken tourist

At Kiko's - I really don't know who these people are.

By the bonfire at the party with Ellie, crazy Australian

Dancing at beach party

Drunk hitchhiker

Costa Rica - day 6: Renee's wedding!

Start the day with massages at Tropico Latino, a beach-front hotel with a restaurant, pool, yoga, etc. It's gorgeous there!



Then we go to brunch at Burger Rancho, although Renee is a little too tense to eat her pile of yogurt-granola-tropical fruit. I have the best veggie burger of my life (eggplant) and our waitress is a hilarious Argentinian who, upon hearing that it's Renee's wedding day, shouts "Shut the fuck up !"


Renee is freakishly calm as she gets ready. All goes well, Laurie puts a nice twist in Renee's hair and she is actually ready before Ben !

Right before we leave the house, I'm alone with my BFF and burst into uncontrollable girl tears. It turns out I'm not a total robot!

We head to the location where the wedding will be and everything goes smoothly. A short, sweet and sunny ceremony on the beach, followed by champagne and a crazy beautiful sunset.

Costa Rica day 5

Went to The Bakery for breakfast - wore my new shirt bought the day before and within 10 minutes, the American waitress spills a 12 (?) oz cup of orange juice on me. Fortunately I am able to dry off in the sun, and the bread basket I ordered (croissants, toast, jellies, etc plus eggs) was worth the discomfort. Renee and Ben have to do one last wedding preparation, so Laurie and I walk around the beach and eventually return to the pizza bar for a couple of late morning drinks.

The ultra sugary, creamy coco loco provides an hour or so of nausea and regret, but I recover in time for ZIP-LINING with Renee - definitely a highlight of the trip!

The image above shows Renee on the training line. I did not take my camera with me up to the actual zip lines but Renee did .. so TBC.

If you aren't familiar with this activity, here is a picture of a zip-line from Google images which may or may not be a lot scarier than the ones we did:

SO FUN.

Later that evening, Ben's BFF Marcus and his girlfriend arrive and the group of us head to Vista de' Olas for BBQ and a night swim in the "endless pool." A nice couple (girl from Long Island, guy from Spain) we met zip lining is staying at this hotel so we get to hang with them some more too. It's dark so I don't take pics but this is another pic courtesy of Google image of an endless pool:

Costa Rica day 4

Had cereal at the house for breakfast because my system needed a break from beans and eggs. Ben, Renee, Laurie and I took a nice stroll down the beach before heading back into the town center for pizza at the Playa Carmen pizza bar and some shopping (while Renee carries around our two boxes of leftovers). Renee and I went on a fun little night-time bike ride down the dirt road. We stopped at a grocery store to have a victory beer and are entertained by a 2-year-old starting the engine of a 4-wheeler (sitting in his mom's lap). He caught us admiring him and started showing off by revving the engine. Unfortunately, I don't have my camera.

Costa Rica day 3 (continued)

Then Renee and I rent bicycles. I impress Renee with my Spanish skills when speaking to the bike renter guy, only because she has no idea that what I'm saying is completely lacking in syntactical and grammatical accuracy.



We ride the bikes (which have no handle brakes, thank you very much) back to the house, and push them up the mountain we live atop. Everyone is driving ATVs or bicycles or walking (often carrying surf boards). Often you'll see people on 4-wheelers or bikes with scarves wrapped around their faces and sunglasses on to protect their faces from the dirt/dust from the road. Hitchhiking is also common. PS if you like tan chics who drive 4-wheelers, Costa Rica is your spot.

That evening we all go out for a drink. We walk to Il Tomate, a low key Italian place. I get white wine and a monster piece of chocolate souffle - SO good.



Note the sunburn on my chest.

On our walk home, we are accompanied by one of the many dogs that wander freely around the peninsula. We learn that most of the dogs have owners, which would explain why they are very friendly and well-kept.

Costa Rica day 3

Monday morning we have breakfast at Tres, the German-owned cafe at the bottom of our steep hill, where Ben and Renee would take advantage of wireless internet. We loved the food there, basically health food. I loved my pineapple-mint shake, which was mostly just mint.


Renee and Ben are doing more wedding stuff, I stayed in to chill, read and make a pina colada in the blender using some local rum. Later we go to Soda Pedro Del Mar for dinner. Gorgeous view and delicious whole fish!
The view from our table
A handsome German
Laurie, Renee and me
Fish heads, fish heads - eat them up, yum!

Costa Rica day 2

There are roosters living down the hill from us and they like to crow frequently throughout the morning, starting around 4 am I believe. By the end of the week I will have considered committing roostercide but am too chicken (wokka wokka).

Rice and beans for breakfast at Soda Sensorita (sp?) washed down with a banana shake, yum. The 2 ATM machines in town are not working and it's Sunday, which means nobody is in any hurry to get anything done. People needing cash will be SOL until Monday.

Head to the beach and like a dumb white tourist, I got a bit sun burnt my first day in the Central American sun. I will spend the rest of the trip hiding from the sun and later be forced to endure numerous comments about my lack of tan upon return (although I am tan "for me"). Swimming in the waves is a lot of fun.



Renee and I on the balcony at the house: The view from the house:
That night we ate at Mila Repa, the restaurant that will host the after-wedding dinner. Everyone loves the Japanese inspired fare. It rains really hard that night during dinner but that would be the only time, I think. And it turns out rain is helpful in keeping the dust from kicking up into everyone's face along the dirt roads.