Wed Aug 9
We started our day sitting outside with coffee and German bread, slowly taking in the morning alongside the numerous butterflies and dragonflies and the background cacophony of birds, howler monkeys and dogs. I researched some of the wildlife in the Nicoya Peninsula and I think the massive snake we saw yesterday was either the venomous Terciopelo (Fer-de-Lance) or the harmless Lyre snake.
We decided to revisit Playa Blanca, our closest beach less than a 10 minute walk away. Our gardener’s dog decided to come with us and on our way we attracted another neighbor dog. As soon as we got to the beach, both dogs sprinted to the water. The gardener’s dog was having fun, prancing around in the water, stalking and pouncing on little fish in the shallow pools close to shore.
After setting up our beach bag under a shady tree on the upper slopes, we joined our happily splashing beach pups. Today there were a few people at the beach! We quickly made friends with a local Costa Rican couple. I’m not sure what the man’s name is but his wife is named Patricia. They are newly retired and are enjoying their new chapter in life. We talked about travel (they are very familiar with Spain and Europe) and also about Costa Rica. They further confirmed my general sense that foreigners/tourists are welcomed with open arms. Patricia told me that whenever they meet a foreigner they always make sure to offer them a cerveza, wanting make sure they feel welcome in their country. James and I have decided to forgo alcohol for a bit so we declined their cerveza offerings.
We also met Jay and his two little daughters, Ari and Nala. Ari is 4 and 3 quarters and Nala is turning 8 in a few days. Jay and his wife are Kenyan but they have lived in London for a long time and their kids were born there. Before Costa Rica they were vacationing in Florida at Disney World for a week. We talked a lot about Costa Rica. Apparently we really lucked out- we are in the best beach area on the Guanacaste coast. The beaches are not crowded, beautiful, and the area is safe.
He advised against going to Tamarindo for a day as there isn’t anything special or unique about the beaches there, but the prices are high and it is incredibly touristy. He told us about the arribada: the arrival of the turtles. It is a 3 to 4 day mass nesting event that occurs before each month’s new moon from August to November. Thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles emerge from the ocean to lay their eggs and today was the last night in nearby Ostional. The largest arribadas occur in Mexico, Costa Rica and India and the Ostional arribadas are the second largest after India.
I swam a lot today and saw many tropical fish including more puffer fish. I even saw a spiky sea urchin for the first time, it was pretty big, about the size of my fist. And, drumroll please, I saw a giant sea turtle swimming out in the water! I was a good 20 feet away but I definitely saw its head, large eyes, and shell/body.
Keeping with the Pura Vida hospitality, Jay made us a floating tray (using a kickboard) of freshly made guacamole, pico de gallo and tortilla chips. Today felt really relaxed. Hanging out in the ocean with our new friends Jay and his family from London, Patricia and her husband, and even our Airbnb neighbor showed up with her two dogs. I don’t know her name but I learned that she is originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has been in Costa Rica for 5 months and is considering moving here.
We headed back before sunset as James had a podcast meeting at 5. After his meeting, we went out to dinner at La Ventana del Surfista. We did consider going for the arribada in Ostional but upon further research it was just too far for us today. It is a little over an hour’s drive away and the taxi driver we talked to said it would cost $120 roundtrip. Also, since it is the final day, there wouldn’t be many turtles compared to the first few days. So we decided that we will wait and see the arribada another time.
We biked to La Ventana del Surfista, a short 6 minute journey. This was our second time eating there. We ordered a chimichanga, a fish dinner and a camarones dinner. The chimichanga was actually really, really good. It was essentially a deep fried burrito with a filling of shredded marinated chicken, a bit of shrimp, a bit of ham, and some cheese. I’ve only had Mexican-American style chimichangas in the US so I don’t know much about how they are authentically prepared, but I loved the Costa Rican version.
The camarones dinner consisted of plump, jumbo shrimp sautéed in butter and garlic. It came with some rice and fresh veggies that were cooked a perfect crisp tender. The veggies were green beans, onion, carrot, green bell pepper, and chayote (a type of squash that is similar to zucchini). The fluffy, long-grain rice was the perfect vehicle to soak up all the sauce. The fish plate had a beautifully grilled fresh mahi filet, patacones (twice fried plantains), and a side of rice. All in all, it was another delicious meal. I am really enjoying the food in Costa Rica. There isn’t a huge variety of dishes compared to other cuisines like Italian or Spanish, and yes there aren’t a ton of crazy spices/seasonings, but the food is not bland at all. It is fresh and delicious. Covering up the natural flavors with spices is completely unnecessary, just a little salt, garlic and chili to enhance the taste is all you need. I am thoroughly enjoying the excitement that comes with trying fruits and veggies that I have never seen before.
After paying the bill, we talked to our waitress (the young local girl who was also our waitress last time) about where to purchase produce and if there were any ferias (farmer’s markets) around. She pointed to the white truck parked outside that was currently delivering to them. There aren’t any ferias around here, it is too remote. So we went to the white delivery truck and bought some fruit! The truck comes every Wednesday and Friday, or you can call them. We bought papaya, cantaloupe, apples, and some bananas for 3500 colones. Happy, satisfied and with very full bellies, we biked home for the night.