We arrived in Tamarindo on the Pacific coast a little before noon.  Evie, Tom, Leah and Karen had left Nuevo Arenal around the same time as us, but they were planning on stopping for some groceries before picking up the keys to our new home away from home.  That left us with time to kill, and for me, that always means time to chill at a restaurant/bar.  And today, it would be an oceanside restaurant/bar.

Arriving at Casa Banyan we were mistakenly feeling a little let down.  Having just stayed four days at the eco paradise on Lake Arenal, it would be difficult not to feel that way.  But these feelings were short lived as we settled in to our little beach house.

The interior of the house was nice, spacious, not glamorous, but very functional.  Beth and I were fortunate to draw the long straw and opted for the private poolside apartment complete with its own kitchen and dining area.  Unfortunately, we didn’t think enough to take some pictures inside.

Outdoor covered sitting area above the poolside apartment

The grounds outside were quite spectatular.  Colorful tropical plants and different types of palms lined the pool and the perimeter walls making us feel quite secluded.  And, just outside the rear gate was… the beach.

Because our casa was situated about a mile from the main strip of Tamarindo, it seemed necessary to get us some transportation that was a little more appropriate than the big SUV.

No, not an old VW bus.  But that would have been pretty cool.

Nearly everyday all 7 of us would cram into the 6 seat electric car and head into town for lunch, dinner or some shopping.  Although a few meals were prepared and eaten at our casa, we usually took advantage of the great oceanside  restaurants.

It would be uncommon if a dog didn’t join you for a meal

Always with rice and beans

Our final supper together

Guess what Beth found…. taco stand!  Eat My Taco!

Most mornings the others opted to eat breakfast at our place; Beth and I had other plans.  Each morning, after a swim and some coffee, we hopped in the “scooter” and cruised down to Joe’s Surf Diner for huevos racheros, waffles and fresh fruit.  The food was good, coffee was great, and atmosphere, fantastic.

Over several days of going into town or just hanging out on the beach, through observations and perhaps some prejudices, my mind seemed to have lumped all of the people into 3 categories:  The resident Ticos; the young ex-pats (sometimes old ex-pats); and, of course, the tourists.  For some strange reason, the tourist seem to be the lowest on the hierarchy.

The young ex-pats all seem to have embraced the surfer lifestyle.  Working in the bars and restaurants, or giving surfing instruction, they make just enough money to perpetuate living down in this tropical paradise.  One might think that their lives were unproductive or lacked real world experience and education.  I wonder if they might be doing life right.  It’s difficult to not feel a little envious.

On our final day, I spent some time alone in the shade of a palm tree with the sand between my toes.  I watched the neighboring surf school practice what they’ve learned on their longboards while contemplating deeper thoughts.  It was a great opportunity to reflect.

Every morning here, I awoke before dawn as the light begins to take over the darkness.  At 5:30, right around sunrise, it seemed nearly impossible to resist the call of the ocean’s waves.  Okay, so I’m not out there with a freshly waxed board, but it was still enjoyable to bust through the breakers to reach the calm water and do a little meditative floating while gazing up at the morning moon.

During the later part of every morning, there had been very little reasoning and forethought as to what to do and when to do it.  More swimming in the ocean?  Sure, why not.  A little floating in the pool before lunch?  Certainly sounds like a good idea.  Honestly, the only reason to have a look at the clock is to determine when it is acceptable to eat again.

Leah, “Hey, that looks like Uncle Douwe on horse!”  Yup, walk into town; ride back on a horse.

Afternoons have been occupied by quick naps, long naps, a little reading, or perhaps some writing.  Sometimes sun; sometimes shade.  And almost always a couple more good soaks.

One of the things that the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is famous for is spectacular sunsets.  And I, like most people, have an affinity for a beautiful sunset.  Having sorted through a hundred photos of the westward sky, I narrowed it down to these few.

Every evening, the sun set sometime between 5 and 6; although the exact time, I never really verified.  As darkness quickly reclaimed it place it seemed inevitable that within 3 to 4 hours our bodies were telling us that it was time to sleep.  “Good Lord, its only 8:30!”

At home, the enumeration of time is most important.  We have jobs to do, schedules to keep, and places to be.  In this place, time, the numbers on the clock, seems to have little importance.  Eliminate the stress and our internal clocks revert back to a solar time table.  Every day we spent in Costa Rica followed this pattern and, yes,  I kind of liked it.

Pura Vita!

When planning a trip to Costa Rica there are so many different things to consider, and so many decisions to be made.  Because of its geographical, economic, and climate diversity you will find yourself asking many such questions:  Do you want the typical beachside holiday or an adventure in the mountains?  Do  want luxury or rustic accommodations?  Relaxation or adrenaline pumping adventure?  Shuttle buses or car rental?  Dry season, wet season?

Our vacation strategy, this time, was going to follow the one we used in Cambodia — choosing a couple locations from different parts of the country.  We were certain that we wanted to spend some time on the beach, but also time near the mountains and volcanoes.  The first four nights were booked at the beautiful Villa Encantada on the northwest side of Lake Arenal.  This location was perfect for day trips to explore the Arenal and La Fortuna areas.

Against the suggestions of many vloggers on YouTube, we chose to rent a Toyota Fortuner from Alamo Car Rental.  It has been said that the car rental and insurance process was difficult and costly.  We really didn’t find it to be an issue — a full size SUV for nine days for under $900.  They also said that the roads were in rough shape and the drivers crazy — meh, I live in Michigan.   Every day, we loaded up the Fortuner in search of fun, food and adventure.

Costa Rica has so many exciting excursions for casual adventurist to the adrenaline-addicted thrill seeker:  hiking, canyoning, zip-lining, etc.  We chose white water rafting and horseback riding.  Glenn, the owner of Villa Encantada, provided suggestions for both and even made our reservations.

Monday, we were booked for a half day tour through Wave Expeditions to raft down the Balsa River.  Only Tom and Evie had actually done this before.  But with Class 2 to Class 3 rapids, we were in for a relatively leisurely float… Or so I thought.

During the 45 minute drive, we received a little instruction as to the commands we would be given from our guides.  Six simple commands, which included “get down!” in which you throw yourself onto the floor of the boat so as to not get ejected.  We would certainly never hear those words.

Down on the banks we posed for a few pics, had a few laughs,  and split into 2 rafts.   Looking at the river,  I was regretting not signing us up for a Class 3-4.

Five minutes in… my only thought was “holy shit!”  Then we hear “GET DOWN!”; leisure river float,  nope.  For the next hour, other than a few intermissions of calm,  we hammered the rapids in quick succession.

Now I don’t want to mislead.  It was a little scary and a lot of work,  but it was fun as hell!  Even Beth was having a great time.

Tom, Evie, Leah and Karen were also tearing it up in the other boat!  Lots of excitement; perhaps, too much excitement.  Early into it, they crashed hard sideways into a rock and Evie was jettisoned into the river.  It was a pretty serious situation as she had gotten pinned between a rock and the raft, much of the time underwater.  Fortunately, the others were able to get ahold of her and pull her back into the boat.  Other than a little whiplash, bumps, bruises, and a pretty damn good scare, she came out unscathed.

Midway through the trip, all of the rafts from the company pulled off on the right bank for a little rest and refreshment.  The timing was near perfect because we were all pretty wore out at that point.  The guides flipped one of the rafts and began making quick work carving a half dozen pineapples and watermelons.  It was some well need sugar and hydration.

Evie lost a watersock during her “swim”

The rafting tour concluded with a stop at  a local organic farm for lunch and a small demonstration of local organic coffee, fruits, sugar cane and sugar cane “moonshine”.   The food, served on a banana leaf, included a curry-like chicken, rice, beans, yucca, green papaya mash and homemade corn tortillas.  It was fantastic, and probably the best food of the trip.

Tuesday we had planned for an excursion that would be a little more tame — horseback riding around the Arenal Volcano.  Most of us had been horseback riding before, but never in a setting as incredible.  Rocky streams, hills on the side of the volcano, and even a little waterfall were the backdrop for this amazing ride.

Despite being her first time, Beth took to it quite well

Karen’s horse loved to play in the water

Arenal Volcano

At Don Tobias Cabalgata, the horses were very well cared for and the guides were friendly and knowledgeable.  They really seemed to follow much of Costa Rica’s philosophy of caring for their environment, the animals, and the planet, in general.

Wednesday brought about a little sadness in having to leave the Arenal region and Villa Encantada,  we had a lot of fun there and were quite accustomed to the climate.  But we had much to look forward to as our next 4 to 5 days were going to be spent on the beach.