The last couple weeks with my parents have been a blast, trying to make the most of their time in Costa Rica. While we had a great time showing them around and going on a variety of day adventures, their visit also came with some new challenges for Chelsea and I – namely finding the best cheap red wine for my mom and an appropriate substitute for my dad’s usual “blue drinks” (VEX electric lemonade vodka coolers). Their visit also meant a nice change for us – a couple weeks of eating better food, staying in fancy-schmancy rental properties (with hot showers, hooray!), and the experience of Costa Rican driving with our rental car.
The first week we stayed at a condo in Playas Del Coco, about an hours’ drive south of Tamarindo. The guy who drove us into town introduced the place as “a drinking town with a fishing problem” and we quickly saw why. The main part of town was a stretch of road packed with restaurants and bars, each with large signs boasting their “happy hour” deals. One bar on the far end of the beach had a “wall of fame”, showcasing their current record-holders for the most beers drank in a single day – one of whom we were told was a ninety pound Canadian chica who slammed back 30 or more beers and still managed to head out to go dancing afterward. Way to represent! The main beach at Coco was packed with fishermen and their rigs, as well as local kids playing football (soccer) and random dogs running amuck.
We spent a few days relaxing at Playa del Coco and a couple of the neighboring beaches, at each new location sampling their Pina Colada in Chelsea’s extensive search for the very best. My dad and I also managed to pack in a morning of ocean fishing, which was a nice treat. Our boat was followed by a couple pods of spotted dolphins, and we managed to catch (although we did very little of the actual fishing part) a beautiful mahi-mahi, which took us a few meals to eat our share of. We also spent an afternoon relaxing and surfing at Playa Grande (thanks Christie & Sebsters for the recommendation!) which was by far the highlight of the week for us. The waves were perfect for learning and we all (except for the mimsy) had some success catching some gnarly surf (but limited success in picking up on the surfer lingo).
Although Playas del Coco was not exactly the nicest beach or town we’ve seen so far, it was great to spend the week relaxing, eating, drinking, playing cards and catching up with the parents.
The next week we spent at an awesome rental house in Neuvo Arenal, which was recommended to us by April’s parents (thanks Janice & Gord!). The house was gorgeous, complete with two king-size beds, an extra bedroom, four washrooms, a swimming pool, beautiful garden & terrace, and fully-stocked kitchen (with a blender for mastering our Pina Colada skills). We did a lot of driving around to check out the sights, which were incredible. We spent an afternoon hiking around Arenal Volcano, during which my mom impressed us all with her rock-hopping skills. We awoke every morning to howling monkeys (which to us sound more like pissed-off dinosaurs than monkeys), though we didn’t see any until our drive back to the airport on the final day.
The two weeks flew right by, and we were sad to see my parents off. We also can’t believe it’s already December – it will be tough for us to be away from our families over Christmas.
Some of the highlights of the last couple weeks:
- exploring random dirt roads in our rental golf cart
- feeding the mocking-jays at Playa Ocotal
- Scuba diving at Playas del Coco and experiencing the intense chill of the thermoclines
- exploring random dirt roads in our rental golf cart
- feeding the mocking-jays at Playa Ocotal
- Scuba diving at Playas del Coco and experiencing the intense chill of the thermoclines
- catching mad curls at Playa Grande in Tamarindo
- fishing for mahi-mahi at Playas del Coco
- searching for the best pina colada, and finally achieving perfection for ourselves
- hiking through the jungle around Arenal Volcano
- relaxing in the hot springs river near La Fortuna
- fishing for mahi-mahi at Playas del Coco
- searching for the best pina colada, and finally achieving perfection for ourselves
- hiking through the jungle around Arenal Volcano
- relaxing in the hot springs river near La Fortuna
- driving along a random gravel road and spotting spider monkeys
- playing lots of card games and learning a new game together (All Fours)
- horseback riding around the hills near Nuevo Arenal
Thanks again, Mimsy & Pimsy, for coming to see us! Hope to see you in Africa next year! =)
Pura Vida,
Mandrew & Chelsea
- playing lots of card games and learning a new game together (All Fours)
- horseback riding around the hills near Nuevo Arenal
Thanks again, Mimsy & Pimsy, for coming to see us! Hope to see you in Africa next year! =)
Pura Vida,
Mandrew & Chelsea
Week 1 - Playas Del Coco
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Week 2 - NuevO Arenal
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