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.