Costa Rica ’19 Day Two

On deck early again (truth be told Monica woke us up at 5:30 AM) to get started on our first day on the ground in Jaco (pr. Haw-ko). Our digs are right on the beach… The pounding of surf all night was sweet background music for sleeping. I think the plan was to catch a sunrise on the rooftop terrace (I had visions of the Widows Walk in Canso with palm trees added). What a peaceful morning… Coffee (Britt) freshly made, lots of bird calls / sightings and fishing boats in the distance off the surf. Kind of surreal! Breakfast was at 7:00 on the shaded balcony overlooking the pool. Already 30 degrees… prepping with sunblock for when that creamy white skin gets its first blasts of radiation!

Janie and Monica took first dips in the ocean and pool this morning… Really before anyone was on the move beyond fitness enthusiasts and dog walkers. Both the ocean and pool were noted as very warm! Then off to town for a look in the daylight and fill the larder. The town was just starting to wake up, but getting ready for a busy Sunday. Costa Ricans from the capital city, San Jose, make the trek to the nearest coastline (being Jaco Beach) on weekends. Nabor’s take on it was Sunday is the busiest day of the week here, as locals flock for parking near the beach resulting in “crazy” traffic. Thus, we hit the Masxmenos (grocery store) shortly after 9:00 AM and gathered what we thought we’d need for the next day or so to avoid that fray. In many ways… Just like home! Lots of drink, fruits, veggies, breads and vino that we can prepare at home.

Might as well talk dollars and cents a bit since we’re talking shopping. The currency here is the Colon… Although we haven’t seen it yet! The American dollar here seems to rule the day, with $1 US exchanging for 600 Colones. We paid for accommodations and our driver last night in US bucks. BTW… The one way private transport was $100 US. Could probably have paid much less, but really for us it’s $25 each for private, safe, on time, air conditioned commuting door to door. Don’t mind paying for that kind of service! We brought a fair hunk of US for these specific costs. As expected, credit card (VISA with ID) was readily accepted at the grocery store so no cash necessary there! We hope that converting money won’t have to happen during our visit… Blogs suggest American purchased at home will give best rate of exchange.

So in Jamaica we spent a lot of time in the water and I had the very cool opportunity to highlight a tropical fish a day. Since landing here in Costa Rica, it’s gotta be birds that are going to take the hit! So we’re going to try and select a bird that we see each day to do a brief write up. So… this afternoon, after a couple of beers on the veranda, we saw the “big fancy” fly by our building. No time to grab a photo so snatched a picture from the Internet… The Scarlet Macaw! Brilliantly red in the sunshine, it flew directly towards us and over the rooftop. Lovely to see it in the wild as opposed to a cage somewhere!

When the sun got to its highest, we all scurried away to the bunk! A refreshing afternoon siesta, blessed by the AC, cut through the warmest part of the day. The afternoon sun here is intense, and it really makes sense for us to avoid any major activities this time of the day. By about 5:00 ish we were on foot again, waiting to catch a glimpse of the sunset in the western sky from the rooftop. It’s quite a show… You can actually watch the sun move and it happens quickly. By 5:48, it’s all over! I can see why people come to see it! Rattling palm trees, rolling surf, the hazy glow of the sky… Almost like a little concert with everything in tune.

We had designs on eating out for supper, and headed directly to a restaurant that Nabor had recommended, Morales Grill House. Just several blocks away, it proved a relaxing evening walk. We had seafood on our minds, and the meal didn’t disappoint! Even got some pics Mike! Everyone ordered differently and we sampled off each other’s plates. Everything from Grilled Tuna, to Red Snapper, a Seafood Platter and Shrimp Fettuccine. The meals and service were excellent. We’re beginning to get a feel for Jaco and feeling more comfort in navigating.

After supper it was home to relax and settle in for the evening. A quiet day really, but we needed to rest and put our heads/bodies back in order! Looking forward to an early start, some time on the beach and another laid back day Monday! Oh… And Happy St Paddy’s! Didn’t see any green beer here anywhere. I think it’s been a good 10 years or so since we’ve tipped a March 17th pint at home in Nova Scotia… It has always been a part of March Break. Cheers…

… Costa Rica ’19 Day Three