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| Costa Rica Honeymoon, Fall 2000: Tamarindo, Day 6
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Saturday, October 28, 2000: Hitting the beach
Our first Saturday in Costa Rica has dawned, and like all the other days so it was far, hot, sunny, and wonderful. David and I are waking up bright and early for some reason--probably because we're actually getting to sleep around 10 p.m. every night, and also because dawn comes around near 5 a.m. down here. Whatever the reason, it's nice not to feel like giant slugs on our honeymoon.
Later that morning, we met "Surf Patti," a co-owner of the hotel who also runs their surf shop. She was a kick. A fortyish blond who definitely looks like she's spent her time in the sun, she lived in Hawaii, left in the early '90s when a hurricane wiped out her condo business, sailed to Costa Rica via San Diego, and settled here for a couple of years. She then moved to the Virgin Islands, where she captained tourist boats for a while. She returned to Costa Rica in 1997, bought into the hotel, and has been there ever since.
That evening, we again met up with Kati and Erik for dinner, this time at a great little Italian restaurant called Pachanga (and owned by an American from Sacramento). Excellent food! We're definitely going back.
Then it was back to the hotel for a little of David's ubiquitous soccer, and another early night. |
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We met Kati and Erik for breakfast at the hotel, then spent the morning exploring Tamarindo, buying a couple of sarongs (including one for Dave, who's going island-style in a big way) and a few other odds and ends. We spent an hour at the Internet cafe we'd discovered on our first exploration venture; I sent a long, rambling e-mail to friends and family catching them up on our adventure.
Anyway, she told us a bit about the local breaks, the best conditions, etc., and then gave us a good rental deal on a pair of boards -- $160 for both for five days (normally, it's $25 a day). Dave and I hit the beach around 2 p.m., but had disappointing waves. We got a few rides, but nothing remarkable. Dave especially was bummed; he'd had a great day Friday and had hoped to repeat the experience.
Afterward, we drove around the area in Kati and Erik's rental car and did some more exploring. It was amazing -- hidden away in the twists and turns beyond Tamarindo, near Playa Langosta, were the most amazing private homes and villas. It was like driving through upscale Florida in some spots--a big contrast to the run-down, ramshackle dwellings of the true locals. Peach stucco, sweeping roof lines, winding driveways, gated entrances, tasteful landscaping...totally surreal, especially given the run-down town nearby. There are lots of U.S. retirees in Costa Rica, and I guess we found one of their enclaves.