So, when we checked in the night before the hotel gave us a huge list of different activities we could do, with so many options we had to be very picky on what we wanted to spend our time doing. We decided to go on a 3 hour hike through one of the parks that has hanging bridges all along the hike. It was absolutely gorgeous, not to mention we got a little work out in! Along the hike we saw the beautiful jungle, bright flowers, cool plants, lizards, and two types of monkey's in their natural habitat. It was very cool to see! We also saw another great water fall! There are tons of them here!

After the hanging bridges hike we visited a butterfly, and a snake & spider conservatory. The butterfly conservatory was wonderful. We saw the eggs, caterpillar and cocoon stages before they are reborn into butterfly's. We then saw the various different butterflies they had and the famous frog from CR. Alex got to hold it and I just took pictures! At the next conservatory our guide Juan  gave us a very detailed lesson about snakes. We now know the difference between a poisonous snake and a non-poisonous snake. After the lesson Juan took us to look at the many different snakes they had. Now, for those of you who know me know that I HATE snakes and spiders but, I challenged myself and went through with it. So, back to the tour. Juan was awesome! He showed us all the poisonous snakes (in their glass cages) and then the non-poisonous ones, although he took those out of their cage's! OMG! I almost passed out! Alex held a few of them and they tried to get me to hold one. I resisted for as long as I could and then finally gave in. Yes I held a snake! Again, OMG!!! Alex and Juan were laughing at my reaction while holding the slimey, slithering, ugly snake. EEWW! But, I did it! Mind you it was only a 30 day old baby Boa Constrictor! After everyone had a good laugh and I happily gave Juan the snake back, he showed us the bigest snake I have ever seen, let alone touch! There was a little girl following our tour that had abselutely no fear! She wanted to touch and feel everything! I was so scared to touch the huge snake she actualy took my hand and placed it on the snake. It was huge! After the snakes we saw some terantulas and other spiders! It was scary and cool at the same time! We had a great time! By this point the rain started agian and we headed back to the Observatory Lodge. We had dinner and watched the volcano again! Still very cool to watch at night! The next day another adventure at Arenal Volcano! 

So, sorry for the delay in the Blogging but, we went up to Arenal Volcano and there was no internet! (Boo!) So I'll back track for you. On Saturday we went back to Playa Grande and spent the day relaxing and soking up the sun, and Alex of course surfed!. There was a family at the beach with a yellow lab that looked just like Hannah! We got a little home sick! Towards the end of the day we decided to walk down the whole beach to check things out some more. We got to the end and found a beautiful cove to take pictures and looked for some cool shells and rocks. What we found mixed in with the shells and rocks were a ton of plastic pieces of garbage. We were so annoyed by all the waste, that we proceeded to pick up every bottle top, toothpaste top, plastic bag, lost flip flop sandal, sharp pieces of plastic, Tupperware, and plastic wate that washed up on shore all the way back to where our car was parked. I was happy to see that there was a plastic recycling bin at the parking lot for us to put all the crap we picked up! We did a mini Beach Clean Up! Yay for us! After doing our environmental deed for the day we kicked back at the hotel and packed for our trip to Arenal the next day.

So, the drive to Arenal is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. It's beautiful, long, and tiring all at the same time. However, once we got on the main road (BTW their version of the 405 Freeway) the drive was not to bad. On the way up the mountain the road gets very curvy and dangerous but, once you see and hear the sounds of the beautiful Rain Forest all around you it's all worth it! Lake Arenal was stunning and the Volcano is spectacular! The only thing that's not so great is...guess? The road up to our hotel (The Arenal Observatory)! I'm starting to think that anything but the main road is basically the practice grounds for dirt bikes and buggies to do their off roading in! On our way up another crazy dirt road we stopped to take a picture of one of the rivers and Alex noticed a local native relaxing on a log, a huge Iguana! Alex swears it was about 5 feet long (head to tip of it's tail). Me, I choose not to believe that it was 4 inches smaller than me! So, we got back in the car and proceeded to the hotel on the crazy, steep, bumpy, rock and pot hole infested dirt road up hill!

We checked into our Hostel, I mean Hotel room. What I mean by Hostel is that Alex planned this excursion while I was finalizing our Wedding Day details and had no idea that he booked a room in a cabin with eight other people to share 2 (YES 2!) bathrooms to share! So, once we got settled into our room with a gorgeous view of the Volcano we decided to go on a little hike. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention I got sick with a cold and a bad cough on Friday! BIG BOO!!! I haven't been feeling 100% since then! =P  So, we went on a hike on an easy trail to see a waterfall. About 7 minutes into the hike it starts to drizzle, then it get's a little harder, then a little harder, next thing you know it's poring! I mean the water was coming down my face and nose like a mini waterfall. Oh yeah and did I mention it's cold up there! I mean really cold! So now let's recap, we're hiking down to see a waterfall in the cold rain and I'm sick. Not the greatest idea I've ever had! We finally got to the waterfall and it's beautiful! It stopped raining and we were able to take some pictures. The hike back was not bad (besides the fact that I was sopping wet and cold!) and we went back to our room to defrost and got ready for dinner. At dinner we were able to watch the Volcano from our table. It was SOOO Cool! You can literally see the lava and Molten rocks flow down the side of the Volcano! I tried to take a picture but my camera lens was not strong enough to capture the action. All I got was a pitch black picture! =( BIG BOO! Trust us it was SO VERY COOL! We did hear it rumble a few times and yes I got a little freaked but it was all good! We ended the night watching the Volcano spit up hot rocks and roll down the mountain from our bed in our room. VERY COOL!

OK, so we get up early, get ready, eat breakfast (which by the way we have our daily visitors come by and hop from table to table waiting for anyone to leave so they can pick at leftovers. They are called Urracas (U-racas), and head out to Playa Grande (Big/Grand Beach). It's absolutely beautiful. The beach goes on for miles! Alex grab's his surf board and before I can say "have Fun" he's already half way out to the surf break! I decide to get a little sun and watch him fight for a wave. One of the sad things about visiting a third world country is all the orfan dog's and cat's. Of course they all flock to me and I can't stand seeing them hungry so what do I do...feed them. I become their seraget Mother (for a few hours at least!). So, at Playa Grande I became the mommy for the sweetest, most gentle dog. She followed me around and layed next to me the whole time! I nick named her Precious. It killed me to leave her at the beach but, the guard and bartender of the local spot said everyone takes turns taking care of all of the local dog's. Everyplace we go there is a dog or cat in the restaurant looking up at you giving you their big cute eyes! We give them as much as we can! You know me have to save everyone and every animal! Alex and I said if we moved to CR or a third world country we would be running an animal shelter or farm of some sort! Sorry for the long detour! So back to Playa Grande, it was tons of fun. The waves were to big for me (I figured it out the hard way) so we went back to our hoel. Once we got back Alex took me out to the calm waters infront of our hotel for a surf lesson. Finally after about 1 hour I got it! I STOOD UP FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!! It was only for about 2-3 seconds but I stood up! It was like I won the lottery! I did it a few more times and called it a day!

So today, we decited to take a break from the beach and go visit the Palo Verde National Park. We read that they had a good ecological reserve with Hummingbirds, Monkeys, Crocodiels, and a bunch of different birds. So we thought, why not?!?! We looked on the map and it looked somewhat close. We asked the front desk and they said it was about 2 1/2 hours away. Ok, not bad, so off we go in our little tonka rent-a-4x4  truck! We decide to take a short cut in stead of taking the long way. Ok, maybe not the best idea. We hit another X-Games dirt road! It was the back, back, back, back road way! We saw some of the most beautiful country side views which was nice! Once we got to the second town, Nicoya (Nee-ko-ya), it was lunch time. We thought we were making good time so why not stop and look around! It was such a cute and lovely town. Like most little towns in Mexico! We saw the only Historical building left in the whole town, a church. Unfortunately today was a national holiday (Mother's Day!) and most places were closed (banks, the church, and some stores). Because of this we were not able to go inside the church (Big Boo!!) but the outside was wonderful! So, we walked around for a while bought some art from a local artist (amazing work!) and headed out to PV Park (after some sketchy directions from one of the locals). So, off we go into the wild blue yonder, map in hand and hoping for the best! Quick side coment: our map only has the major roads labled the rest are just black lines going all over the country and most of the directions we've gotten at this point are vague at best! So, off we went! We think were about 1 hour away from PV Park. Oh boy were we wrong. We kept driving, and went over the Puente Amiastad (Amistad Bridge) over the Nicoya Golf. We thought the entrance was just around the corner, or around the next hill in the open country. We drove, and drove, and drove. No sign's or enterances! We get to the next town and ask them where the enterance is (at this point were wondering if there is one at all?!). They tell us it's about 15 miles north. So, we look at eachother and know we have come sooo far we might as well go all the way! So, off we go again! We finally get to a little intersection and see the smallest sign to the Reserve. BTW it's now about 2:30p and we started this little adventure at 11:30am! So, we take the road to PV Park and what do ya know, it turn's into the X-Games Dirt Road AGAIN, but for about 1 hour! I wanted to scream! There were only 3 things keeping me sane, Alex, the georgus scenary, and sheer determination to see the damb park! At one point we were head to head with a huge tractor on the small one lane dirt road and had to figure out who would turn which way to pass eachother (kinda scary!). We keep seeing signs pointing us to the Park and are getting more and more excited just to see the front gate! We finally get there, the gate is open so we go in (YAY We made it!!!). All is well, so we think! We drive up to the guard station and notice there is no one around, anywhere! They just closed 15minutes earlier! =P  But, Alex decides that since the gate is open and we traveled now over 4 hours to get there we might as well go in. The only way to get around in the park is by car so we drove in! He as determined to see something cool! OK, I'll be totally honest I was very nervous and worried at this point! It was getting dark, it was raining off and on, the sky was dark gray so a storm was comming and I have no idea where we are in the park and no one knows we're IN the park! Basicllay I was freaked out! I made Alex turn around and go back! I did not want to get caught in a storm trying to get out trough the X-Games Dirt Road! We didn't see anything cool but at least we accomplished the goal of getting to the park! Alex could scence my nervousness and high tailed it out of the park and back onto the crazy, bumpy, and very rocky dirt road! We got back onto the main road and decided to go north to Libera (the city we flew into) and go around back to Tamarindo! So, since you might not know what the road map looks like we literaly drove in a big circle around the entire PV Park and beyond! We arrived back in Tamarindo at 7pm! The quick 2 1/2 hour drive turned into an 8 hour tour of the CR country side! OMG! Remind me never to do that again! Best part of the whole thing.... we got some great shots of the country and we did it together! =D

Well, day two was just what we both wanted! Sun and Surf! We took a stool down the long beach, found some beach chairs to rent all day for $2,000 Colones ($4.00 USD), got some sun, and of course Surfed! The beach is long and beautiful with a few beach vendors walking up and down the beach trying to sell trinkets, handmade jewelry, and ceramic pots. Yes, we got some shopping done at the beach! Dinner was the Bomb! In fact all of the food is fantastic and cheap!! Alex is amazed that the seafood is cheaper then the chicken!

Day tres... we went into town (across the street!) and got our rental car. However, we had to wait 1 1/2 hours for it to arrive from Liberia! So what did we do you might ask.....SHOPPING! Everything is so cheap and cool looking we could not stop looking around! We didn't buy a lot but did a great job in window shopping! After the car arrived we got our stuff together and decided to hit the road to Playa Negra (a world famous surf spot!). Alex tied down our surf boards to the roof rack and we were set to go, so we thought! After about 1 minute of driving we started to hear loud thumping and rattleing from above. It sounded like we were in a huge wind tunel and a gust of wind was about to take us up into the sky! I did what any self respecting latina would do......stick my head out the window (as Alex was driving!) to see what the noise/problem was! Didn't see anything wrong but rather risk damaging or lossing the boards we pulled over and put them into the car. Not exactly cumfortable in a little (and I mean little!) 4x4 car. Playa Negra here we come! Well, let me tell you the road to Playa Negra is not exactly easy! It was like the CR version of The X Games on a dirt road! With mud, dips, pot holes the size's of manhole covers, and VERY bumpy! As Alex would say it...Good Times! It was a miracle that I did not get a black eye from my boob's bouncing up and down! We finally got there and it was abselutely beautiful! The sand is black and tan mixed together (hence the name Playa Negra, Black Beach). Alex cought some good waves and I relaxed! I drove back and did a better job than Alex menuvering though the CR X Games Dirt Road!! So far all the sunsets are speachless! We are now on our way to go salsa dancing (Yay)! 

The last stop on this trip was the Pacific coast to relax and chill out from an adrenaline packed two weeks. Tamarindo is a nice, yet dusty town in a very nice beach setting. Arriving after dark (yes again), it was not too difficult to find the resort. I think finding Tamarindo is more difficult because there are so many roads to take from the highway, but no worries, my navigator made no errors.

In Tamarindo, we took a selfguided day trip in sea kayaks to an island offshore from the resort. This island is covered in huge shells, most of which had been damaged by the surf. It was fun to explore and look for shells anyway. Landing the kayak in the large waves is a challenge so it's important to pick the right spot. Even the leeward side has waves and the broken shells are very sharp. The distance from shore is also deceiving as the island appears much closer to the beach than it really is.

Next day we went to Brasilito and saw a nice quaint town. I really wanted to visit Coco beach and we observed Tico's driving on the beach I followed an overloaded Toyota onto the beach even though the sign clearly prohibited such behavior. There are two obstacle to pass in order to reach Coco beach. The first is to ford a small river. I watched the Toyota almost fail cross, but they made it - barely. I shifted into 4x4 mode and entered the water. It seemed like a good photo-op so D jumped out to capture the moment. The next obstacle is at the end of that beach. It is a short but steep hill to drive over on a heavily rutted track. Again, we watched everyone get out of the toyota and push it up the hill. Thankfully, the 4x4 had no problem with the hill and we arrived to Coco. Coco beach is totally beautiful white sand and even a small market to look for local crafts (well, if you like that kind of thing).

I wanted to rent a catamaran and go sailing since the wind was so strong, but all the sail boats were damaged and not in service. This was a little irritating, cuz the wind was strong enough to fly a hull with two people!!! Argh, missed opportunity. We took lunch was at a little spot back in Brasilito overlooking the beach and the 'no auto's on the beach' sign.

On our way back to Tamarindo, we passed 'Cafe Cafe' at 1400, so we stopped for our daily espresso. Funny thing, the owner and Barista is from the same city as D's hometown (Milwaukee). So we enjoyed a good conversation with her and her parents who were visiting. The parents had just arrived with a new Espresso machine. Wow, good timing. For dinner we ate at a backpacker hostel in town and the food was great, but we only could eat the nacho's half as big as your ass jajaja (See the pic). We also got hit up by the 'blood pressure' testing people for the third time in the same day each time during a meal.

On the last day, we just relaxed on the beach and wandered around Tamarindo. For dinner we tried a Swiss owned restro in Tamarindo. We met some other travelers, an American that sold his company and moved to Tamarindo, a Tico divemaster, and some other Tica's. If we had more days, they would have toured us to some cool off the path places. This would have been fun chance to dive, but there wasn't enough time.

If and when traveling to Costa Rica and you a re looking for a bit of fun and adventure. Look no further then Witches Rock Surf Camp and Hotel to satiate your inner child. I was up in Chicago to hang-out with my sister and her husband for a bit, and was begging them for some ideas for something to do for my upcoming vacation. Jake, my Bro-In-Law, told me that I should go to this small town in Costa Rica named Tamarindo, and to stay at WRSC. AT first I didn’t know… I was going to be traveling alone and didn’t know anyone there. Could this really be a good idea. Jake explained me that this is a great place for single travelers, because many flock here and they are all around the same age bracket (mid twenties – mid thirties). I though it through and realized that I didn’t have any thing better to do and the idea warmed up on me quickly. I looked online at the hotel, which by the way has a great website, and decided that my decision was going to start with a “Y” and end with an “S.” I booked my reservations a week later. Now when you look at the prices on the website they might seem a bit high, but you must remember that this includes your accommodations, boards, and surf instruction and surf tours. Not to mention it also includes any breakfast from the menu while you are there, and they have great breakfast. I know from doing research that you will not find a better deal anywhere else in Tamarindo that has so many things included in the price. The hotel can also put together canopy tours of the rainforest, snorkeling/diving, deep sea fishing, and many other activities at discounted prices to those staying with them. When I got to the hotel I found one of the great things about the hotel is their customer service. I have never seen it this good. When I told them where I would be flying into, they sent a van to pick me up. Sidenote: If you decide to go to Tamarindo then fly into Liberia, CR not San Jose. From Liberia it is only an hour drive. Whereas from San Jose there is a not so fun puddle jumper flight you will have to take. The surf instructors are great teachers and it is usually 1 on 1 with them in the water, which makes it easier to pick-up. You surf during high tide with them and then you party with them at night, they are great fun and love what they do. After surfing and partying the night a way I found myself running out of clothes, but that is a small issue because the cleaning staff will do your laundry folds it and will put it away for you while you are gone. It is unbelievable!!! Now the issue of me being a single traveler here was definitely not one. Between the surf instructors and the almost completely single group of people staying at the hotel it turned out to be a great time all the time. If you wanted your alone time you could have it, if you wanted to hang out in a group there was one. I remember that one time when a group of us went out together they had to rearrange a whole restaurant to fit us in due to the fact that it was small and there were 14 of us. The bottom-line is that if you are looking for an economical, eco-friendly, party/adventure then WRSC is the place to be. Pura Vida & Peace -S

As you might have read in my profile that this was the first trip I took solo.  You know I hate when you try to make travel plans with people just to hear them say "Ahhhh man, I don't think I can go."  Whose heard this one before.  I figured that on this trip I was not going to let that get in the way.  I sad, "This time I am going to exactly what I want" without worrying about negotiating with a travel companion.

So that is what I did.

Costa Rica is a outdoorsmen, beach lovers paradise.  It is perfect for the Eco-Traveler, the Beach Bum, and the Surfer.  At the time I considered myself among all of those options.  When I got to my hotel I didn't know what to expect, but I do not lie to you  when I say I was hanging out with new interesting people within the hour.  For a majority of the trip my travel companions were two canadian men, a female bonds trader from new york, and a smathering of surf guides and instructors that worked out of the place I stayed.  It was always an interesting and fun time.

A more notable story, I believe it was a Wednesday.  The crew that I hung out with and some others heard about a Costa Rican Rodeo going on in a town near by.  It sounding completly awesome, we decided that it was a MUST travel experience.  So the hotel got a couple of vans together to take us over there and bring us back.  I know what youre thinking... SWEET.

So that night we piled into the van and rolled out not knowing what to expect.

sidenote: Costa Rican Rodeo are nothing like what some people consider rodeo.  They are crazy, and people do crazy things, like my ignorant self on the occassion.

Right as we get there it starts to rain.  The group of us start doing the only thing you can do in the situation, find beer, and something to eat.  As we start slamming the Imperials (The CR National Beer) and eating the some what, possibly/probably, still living food.  We diecided it was time to check out the rodeo ring.  If it wasn't raining we would have had much better pictures.  As we walk up to the small ring that is crowded beyond belief we see the bull getting released in.  Now what one expects is to see a guy get tossed off and the clowns distract the bull so the rider can get away.  Seems straight forward.  The only difference here is that members of the audience are the clowns.  OH Yes.  Spectators were actually in the ring taunting the bulls and then running around when they were released.  Naturally this did not look normal, but instead looked pretty "Kick-Ass".  Excuse me, I was drunk at the time...

So myself, and the two Canadians that were thouraghly inebriated decided that this look like good fun and decided to head in the ring.  Now I know most people want to hear some crazy far fetched story about how one of us got trashed by the Bull, but that didn't happen.  He came close but not that close.  We had our fun running around like the village idiot, but in the end we came out unscathed.  Although it was a thrilling experience to run around like a idiot with a Bull chasing me I don't think I will do it again, unless of course I am thourghly drunk.

We wake up excited, and done with relaxation. We have been waking up super early lately and today is not an exception. We decide to do some shopping before we head out to go zip-lining nearby.

The town of Tamarindo is basically one main drag. The main steet runs right along the ocean. The place is packed with hotels and restaurants. Its a really cool little town. Some of the hotels are super high end, and there are also some great little hotels like ours that are affordable and really cool. We stop at this little shack down the street from our hotel that serves fresh fruit drinks. I order a pinnaple smoothie. It is sooo delicious! The girl blends fresh pinnaple, and sugar together along with some coconut milk. She drops some frozen canalope cubes on top. I can get used to this.

We decide to do some shopping, this is a great place to shop! There are cute boutiques all over the place and we love this one shop that sells gold jewelry. I buy some kick ass earings and a vintage looking ring. April buys a really pretty ring too. We check out some other small stores and pick up some beach clothes and purses. I would love to go shopping here again. The prices are reasonable and there are some really unique items for sale.

In the early afternoon we dash back to our hotel and get picked up by the van that is to take us just outside town to a dry forest to go zip-lining. We are excited and a little nervous and are not sure what to expect.

After about a 45 minute drive and picking up other passengers on the way, we arrive at our destination. Everyone piles out of the van and we are warmly welcomed by the excellent staff. There are probably about 25 people here to try ziplining. Most of us have never done anything like this before.

We sit down for the tutorial and safety instructions. The staff is great and answers all of our questions. My stomach is a little nervous now, but I am excited. We are instructed in putting on our harnesses and safety helmets. April and I laugh because we look like we are going on the short bus.

So, we have signed up for 12 different "lines" that start short and slow, and become progressively longer and faster. We are strapped to the safety line and climb the steep stairs to the platform at the top. My stomach flip-flops as the first "victim" slides down the line and gives a Tarzan yell. Now its my turn. I can see the platform only about 25 feet away and the ground beneith me. This isn't so bad! I sit gingerly in the harness and push off-I did it!

We get bolder and scream as we bounce along from platform to platform. April and I do a tandem run and are tied together. This is fun! She even goes across upside down. (Im not that daring!) When we get to the longest and fastest line, its really fun and we are sad that it is over. Everyone is high-fiving and laughing. We meet some cool people, take pictures and head back to Pasatiempo.

At the hotel we quickly change and meet up with our new friends from Indiana. Jaime and John are super fun and we all go out to some crazy reggae club nearby. On the way, a heard of cows is being guided through the streets. The club is packed and beers are cheap. The band plays regae music and there are people of all cultures dancing and having fun. There are a lot of men here.

We get back late and crash, time to drive north and spend our last days at the beach...

Today is the perfect beach day. We wake up early and have breakfast at Pasatiempo. Our waitress is slower than molasses in January. Time just seems to move a lot slower here. We don't mind at all. When we were in Arenal we shook off the whole LA-move fast-I hate traffic aura that people from LA cannot help having.

Its super hot here. Just from being at the pool yesterday, I have a pretty good tan going, and I am super white. April is half Mexican so she is ultra dark now. We decide to drive out to some of the nearby beaches of Tamarindo. The dirt roads are super bumpy (I'm sure glad that we upgraded to a 4x4!) and there are no other cars on the narrow roads. The signs are easy to read and each beach has its own personality. We went to a couple of beaches where we were the only ones there! At one beach, there was no one on the sand, but about 25 surfers chilling out in the water waiting for the perfect wave.

We spent the day driving and exploring the area, and that night got some beers with our new friends from Indiana who are also staying at Pasatiempo.

We are headed to Tamarindo today, and beach town just on the coast. It is quite a drive, so we wake up early to get started. We must start by driving halfway around Lake Arenal and then make our way to the beach.

The drive is beatiful and just after we turn off and head away from the lake, the landscape changes from rainforest to dry and desert-like. We stop for lunch at a little cafe and drive through the hills toward the coast. Finally, we can see the ocean! The water is super blue and the sky clear. What a beautiful day.

We have no reservations for a hotel, but have an idea of where we want to stay. We drive to Hotel Pasatiempo just off the main drag and they have a small room available. We check in and the room is very small and basic, but it has a great pool and a hammock in front of our door. There is also a cute little bar and restaurant that is supposed to have karaoke and dancing. We lounge by the pool for the rest of the day then get dressed to join the rest of town at the Karaoke bar. We meet some fun guys from Indiana (Hi Jaime and John!) and thier friends and dance with them and drink lots of Imperial beer. We decide that we love Tamarindo....

This is one of the most luxurious beach resorts in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. The location (50 meters away from the beach) is simply great, magnificent. This is highly recommended. Every room is in a seperate building or joined with three or four other rooms. Privacy is respected highly.

After a good night rest, we rose at 06:30. Beautiful weather, nice temperatures! We go for breakfast at 07:00 and afterwards set sail for Playa Conchal, where we go for a swim and go to snorkel. We reach the beach in half an hour and run directly into the water. At least Timo does. We’re at a big beach, Playa Brasilito, but you don’t see anything, because of the amount of sand that is in the water; visibility is not even one (1) meter. No ideal circumstances to snorkel. We take the car and drive a beach further to Playa Conchal, which was the first idea to go to. Here the sea is not that rough. Timo first swims alone, sees some little blue fishes, a few striped ones black and yellow and a small sea snake. When Eef joins Timo waves are higher than before and visibility is poor again. We don’t see more fishes, than before. Shells from the beach are in our trousers and sticking all over our body. We lie down a while and check out the brown pelicans, sitting on the rocks and watch a couple of frigate birds fly over. The birds fly on high altitude. Since we have a professional eye now, we can spot them quite easily. After and hour we leave back to Tamarindo, as usual just lying around is not our thing. We remove the shells by taking a shower, write the dairy, drink a beer and make sure we know everything we need to know for the return tomorrow. That is less good news. We rest and swim at the swimming pool. Another quick shower and then we go back to the beach for another beautiful sunset. This second time it is even more beautiful. Today we don’t eat at the hotel’s restaurant, but go out to the village. It is not much of a problem to drive in the dark here, because we already drove this road a few times the last couple of days and it is not that far either. We have a salad, calamari’s with garlic (Timo) a lot of garlic and a big meat brochette with salad for Eef. At 21:00 we’re awfully tired and we go to bed. Timo watches some TV (Mission Impossible II) and sleeps at 22:30.

Rise and shine together with the sun. We didn’t think it would be that easy, but we have no problems with the hour differences, or with rising early and getting to bed early. Maybe returning from here back to Belgium will be a bigger problem. We hadn’t unpacked a lot of things, so we didn’t have to pack a lot. That was easy. We’re ready at 06:45, but breakfast is only served from 07:00, so we go for a stroll and we take some more pictures. Then breakfast: fruit, bread, eggs, rice, coffee, and juices. At 08:00 we leave for Tamarindo. First we need to take the bad road to Liberia, arrive there at 08:45 and at 10:15 we arrive in Tamarindo, again the last few kilometers were over very, very bad road. A short search for the hotel, but find it rather easily. They give us bungalow 314, with a mega-bed, big bathroom and very big bath. Safe, mini-bar, air conditioning, TV, everything is present. This is an ideal way to ending a fantastic vacation. We unpack and at 11:00 we go out to the beach that is very close by. Magnificent, beautiful, unbelievable. We walk to the direction out of Tamarindo and stop for a swim. It is just paradise here. We spot a lot of brown pelicans. After 2 hours we leave the beach and decide to go and visit the village. We stop at the supermarket ‘Dos Piños’ and drink some lemonade and water, we’re very thirsty. Then we try to get money and this time it works. I haven’t seen such a high-tech machine, not even in Belgium: it welcomes us by displaying my name in the screen. We receive the money and get our card back. Cool. We walk around in the village, buy postal cards, cigars, a few souvenirs. We eat a very tasty hamburger at a local bar/restaurant. Just a note: this is the first time we have lunch in Costa Rica, except for the day in Lagarto Lodge. We return to the hotel and buy some beer and water to take. Back in the bungalow we take a shower, wash our hair (yes, we have a hairdryer) and we’re ready at 16:30 to go back to the beach. We see a lot of pelicans and a lot of small crabs, which disappear, when you come too close. We enjoy the beautiful sunset. At 17:30 the sun has set. We stay out on the beach a little longer and start our aperitif on our terrace. At 19:00 we go to the restaurant. Timo has tuna fish with a red pepper sauce; Eef has fish goulash, very strong and with a lot of beans. Before this a cesar salad. We’re tired, but we enjoyed this beautiful day, we go back to the 314, watch some television and go to sleep at 21:00. At 21:00 someone rings at the door?????? We did not sign the paper for our order at the hotel restaurant. We close our eyes again and go back to sleep. Zzzzzz.

auf unserem schildkroeten-ausflug in san juan del sur erzaehlen uns zwei deutsche backpackers, dass sie in costa rica die leatherback-schildkroeten besucht und auch tatsaechlich gesehen haetten. mit diesen neuen infos und noch voellig im schildkroeten-fieber machen wir uns am naechsten tag kurz entschlossen wieder auf zurueck nach costa rica, an den playa tamarindo (auch "tamagringo" gennant, wegen der hohen dichte an amerikanischen touristen und expats) auf der nicoya-halbinsel.

die fahrt zurueck nach cost rica ist aeusserst muehsam und dauert 10h, und an der Grenze stehen neben zahlreichen nach costa rica zurueckkehrenden gastarbeitern aus nicaragua zu hunderten hustler und touts, was den grenzuebergang ziemlich unangenehm und stressig macht. endlich in tamarindo angekommen stellen wir mit erstaunen fest, dass das doerfchen ueberhaupt nicht so schlimm entwickelt und touristisch ist wie ueberall beschrieben (nur ziemlich teuer, so dass wir in einem dorm uebernachten und picknicken), und der strand sogar sehr schoen ist. abends finden wir uns dann bei der cooperative de guias ein, von wo aus um 21 uhr die tours zu den schildkroeten losgehen.

der playa-grande-strand, wo die schildkroeten (meistens ca. 6 pro nacht) eier legen, liegt nur eine flussueberquerung von tamarindo entfernt. am strand angekommen heisst es dann erst mal abwarten, bis die schildkroeten ankommen. pro nacht duerfen bloss 4 tours (zu je 30 personen) losziehen, und jede tourgruppe bekommt eine schildkroete zugewiesen. wir gehoeren zur vierten gruppe, und unsere schildkroete kommt erst um 01.30 uhr an land. wir koennen zusehen, wie sie an mehreren stellen ein nest zu graben versucht. weil der sand zu lose ist scheitert die schildkroete aber immer wieder, bis sie ca. nach 45 minuten aufgibt und sich auf den weg zurueck ins wasser begibt. endsprechend koennen wir leider nicht zusehen wie sie eier legt - der ausflug ist aber trotzdem hoechst eindruecklich. die schildkroete ist mindestens 1.70m gross und hat riesige flossen. die spur im sand vom wasser zur schildkroete ist ueber ein meter breit und leicht erkennbar. leatherbacks gehoeren zudem zu einer hoechst bedrohten art (zur zeit nesten an der playa grande in costa rica nur gerade 65 schildkroeten). sie koennen bis zu 3m gross werden, ueber 1000m tief tauchen und die weibchen aus costa rica reisen nach dem eierlegen immer wieder zu den 4000km entfernten galapagos inseln zurueck, wo sie hauptsaechlich leben.

weil wir erst um 3 Uhr morgens von unserer expedition zurueckkehren, entschieden wir uns nicht wie urspruenglich geplant den 6 uhr bus zurueck an die nicaraguanische grenze zu nehmen, sondern auszuschlafen und einen tag in tamarindo zu bleiben, wo wir uns am schoenen strand von den strapazen der letzten tage erholen.

My girlfriends and I just returned from Tamarindo last week and truly enjoyed our stay! Tues - I read that Hotel Pasatiempo on Tues nights have a live band. Wed - La Barra is salsa/latin dancing Thurs - Babylon is reggae night. Bit of a younger crowd but worth checking out for the music and drinks Fri - Monkey Bar @ Best Western is ladies night and definitely the happening spot on Fri night.