What a way to begin our last day here - we saw monkeys again and more up close than ever before!
We awoke at 5:00 am and by 5:30 we were on the way to the beach. The air was comfortable - almost cool - and a great relief from the intense heat of the past few days. On the beach at dawn, we were taking our last morning photographs of Playas del Coco.
Bob photographing the beach at dawn, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
We strolled towards the far end of the beach, and came upon several monkeys feeding in the trees right over the path. We saw two big monkeys who were doing the howling sounds (not too loudly) and maybe five or six smaller monkeys including two babies. We were close enough to see their colorations and occasionally even their faces. I tried to get good photos, but without a telephoto lens I really couldn't. This was my best shot.
Howler Monkey in tree at beach, Playas del Coco. (Photo by Connie)
For our last breakfast here, we went to one of our favorite spots, the patio at Coco Palms Hotel. Once again, we enjoyed a delicious meal, the beautiful atmosphere, and the strong wifi signal.
Bob photographing fountain at Hotel Coco Palms, Playas del Coco. (Photo by Connie)
Afternoon was spent packing and tidying up. We lost our water for several hours in the morning and early afternoon, but finally, around 3pm, it came back and I was able to do laundry while Bob exercised.
At dinner time, we stepped out of the condo, on our way to dinner, and discovered that it was "raining" black ashes. There was a big field burn going on somewhere nearby and we were getting the fallout. For a while, the ashes came down as thick as snow. But after a half hour or so, it stopped.
We had our last meal in El Coco at La Dolce Vita. It has a charming atmosphere and good food. The owner is welcoming and charming. This was the place where we had our first dinner when we arrived, and it somehow seemed fitting to have our last here as well.
La Dolce Vita Courtyard, Playas del Coco. (Photo by Connie)
Connie and Bob at La Dolce Vita on last evening in El Coco.
On first walking about Costa Rica, (in this case, Playas del Coco), I am struck by the prevalence of courtyard or security fencing surrounding most homes.
Courtyard fencing
The typical Spanish style courtyard fence is usually a masonry wall across the street side of the property with decorative features.
Often, a narrow roof of Spanish tiles covers the entrances and, perhaps, the length of the wall.
This painted gate provides am interesting variation.
The sides of the property off the street show fencing as well, usually cement block with healthy colonies of mildew.
Security fencing
Security fencing of chain link
and barbed wire represent the lower budget substitutes for the masonry wall.
The standard American response to courtyard fencing in CR
Americans are often charmed by the Spanish courtyard, the cool, shady tropical garden, the fountain, and the feeling of protection from an unpredictable, often shabby outside world.
This photo shows a courtyard restaurant.
The standard American response to security fencing in CR
Americans respond to the masonry walls as charming and the security fencing as erected in response to crime, especially house breaking and theft of personal property. The conclusion: crime is common in Costa Rica, more so than the US.
An alternative construction
Perhaps the walls, rather than representing rampant crime, represent the successful prevention of crime. Perhaps the Costa Rican culture puts the responsibility for the security of one's possessions on the individual, rather than placing, on the police, the responsibility for catching and successfully prosecuting thieves.
This could help explain the statistics showing that the US has the highest rate of incarceration on the planet. My minimal amount of research found that the US locks up 738 criminals per 100k residents vs. Costa Rica's 181 per 100k residents.
No doubt, the story behind these statistics is much complicated than I have the energy to present here.
My point, without any supporting data, is that locking-up our stuff to deter thieves could be a much better approach to Theft than leaving our stuff available to thieves and then asking the police to catch, convict, and lockup the culprits.
I am not sure which approach works better, locking stuff or locking people. Certainly, low cost security fencing is less attractive than no security fencing. Courtyard fencing can be very appealing, but expensive to build and maintain.
Beyond cost and esthetics stands an underlying philosophy regarding the scope of the power and the scope of the responsibility of government. My sense of it is that, Costa Ricans are comfortable lower levels of government power and responsibility than are Americans. Perhaps a small government sentiment is one of the elements of Pura Vida.
After a very hot, lazy day, in which we were like slugs, we perked up in the late afternoon and set off for town for dinner with a walk on the beach first.
Once again, as we have done a few times before, we located a few Howler Monkeys near the beach, just a short while before sunset, and stopped to watch for a while. They stay high up in the trees and are almost impossible to spot when they are resting. But they get active for an hour or so in the early morning and again for an hour or so before sunset. This is the time to go looking for them.
This evening, we decided to have a progressive dinner, with a part of our meal in each of three places. One would be new to us, the other two are return favorites.
Our first stop was Coconutz, a popular bar on the main street that advertises a great Happy Hour (4-7 pm) Special - beer or margaritas for $1.40 each. We had been in El Coco for a month and had never come here for a drink or meal. it was now or never.
It was dark by the time we arrived, and the monkeys that often frequent this place had already retired for the night. So, we sat on the upstairs deck, under the trees, ordered dos cervezas, Imperial, and watched the scene below and on the street. The night was still hot, and those cold beers just hit the spot.
Happy Hour at Coconutz. A conversation about monkeys. (Video by Bob)
Next, we walked up the street to Las Olas restaurant. We had been here once before. The food had been surprisingly good, and we were drawn to return one last time. We shared a dinner of Shrimp Coconutz (fried coconut shrimp) with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed vegetables - delicious! Though this restaurant sits on the main drag and does not have much curb appeal, the interior is quite interesting. And the overhead fans made all the difference on this still hot evening.
Our last stop was one we have made several times before. We went to the Helandria (ice cream store) for gelato. We are both becoming gelato devotees. This is not surprising for me - ice cream has always been my favorite food. But it is surprising for Bob, who has not been much of a dessert fan. His favorite flavor is Limon (lemon), while my favorite seems to vary, but almost always includes chocolate in some form.
Our days in Playas del Coco are coming down to a precious few. We have two more full days here before we leave on Friday. We have enjoyed our time here. We have been living here for a month, have made acquaintances and friends, have discovered many "favorite spots", and have developed a lifestyle and a daily rhythm. It will feel strange to leave, I'm sure.
This day has been a "lazy day". It was hot when we woke up and has been even hotter since. We spent the morning hanging out in our air-conditioned condo. We attempted to start a load of laundry around 8 am, only to discover that we had no water. It happens occasionally that the water supply is shut off for a while. We are not sure if this is a problem of water supply or water pressure. it could be either. Well, it was one o'clock before the water and pressure were sufficient to do a load of laundry, and almost three o'clock before we got it dried and folded.
We then took a taxi over to the Pacifico development where Bob worked out at the gym (air-conditioned) and I had an iced coffee in Congo, an air-conditioned cafe & store and read and answered emails.
Back at the condo, an afternoon siesta and a dip in the pool rounded out the afternoon.
Evening was a different story. See the next post, Progressive Dinner in El Coco.
For a town, region, and country that is tropical and the weather is warm to hot every day, it may seem strange for me to mention that we are having a heat wave. But we are. Since we have been here, from the end of January to now, the typical high for the day has been in the high 80's or low 90's. But this week, the highs are ranging from 95-99, with a possible 100 degrees Fahrenheit in our near future! This, in my mind, is a HEAT WAVE.
Our friends, Janet and Richard, left early this morning (4:45 am) to fly back to Massachusetts where the temperatures are in the 30-40-degree range and there will be snow on the ground if not in the air. Today, here, this almost sounds appealing. Almost!
Right now (almost 8 pm) we are having dinner in an outdoor restaurant. There are overhead fans blowing, but there is no A/C. The temperature is still in the low 90's, while back home in Massachusetts, the reported temperature is 32 F. Though neither extreme is pleasant, given the choice, I would prefer being a little too hot to being too cold. So be it!
P.S. there was an unusual amount of cloud cover this evening. This created the most beautiful sunset we have had since we arrived!
Sunset in Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Our friends, Janet and Richard have been visiting with us for almost a week, and we've had a great time. Tomorrow, they are flying home, hopefully to a day without snow. But we still have this beautiful day to enjoy, and we took a trip by taxi to Playa Hermosa (one beach north of Playas del Coco) for dinner.
We spent a lovely, but hot, afternoon at Playa Hermosa, trying to stay cool in the shade at the beach.
Bob, Janet, and Richard, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Today is Richard's birthday. Feliz Compleanos, Ricardo!
Our final meal together was a celebration dinner for Richard at the Ginger restaurant in Playa Hermosa. This was a Tapas meal and we shared several different dishes - all delicious. For dessert, we had molten chocolate lava cake with a scoop of chocolate gelato on top. And, yes, there was a candle and the traditional Happy Birthday song, with neighboring tables joining in. What fun!
Richard & Janet at Ginger, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Saturday am - We are fledglings out of the nest. Knowing little Spanish and being without our "tour guides", Connie and Bob, we booked our first trip alone. We arranged to be picked up and taken to the location of Witch's Rock Canopy Tour on Papagayo peninsula, which is 30 minutes north of Playas del Coco.
My goals were two: to manage our way through unfamiliar country without getting lost and, more importantly, to come back alive. We had never tried zip lines, but we knew that this trip would be a "once in a lifetime" thrill. It was a now-or-never opportunity that we were not going to miss.
As luck would have it, we were picked up in El Coco by the owner of the company. Chuck was born and raised in Pittsburgh, was a hippie during the Vietnam era, and was present during the Kent State shootings. He is now a successful architect who has designed homes for the stars in the USA and in Europe.
So, we had lots to talk about on our trip. Chuck's zip lines were the first in the country to be licensed and insured. In fact, all subsequent zip lines have been fashioned after his unique safety measures. That put me at ease.
Then we learned that over 200 celebrities have enjoyed his zip lines. Here are some of the celebrity photos we saw: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Douglas with Catherine Zeta-Jones and kids, Charlie Sheen with his former wife, Jason Alexander, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stalone, Steven Tyler, former presidents of various South American countries, and sports figures such as Roger Clemens. I was comforted by being in the company of such notable people, so this place was probably safe and I would walk out intact. However, my false sense of security was short-lived.
Before we started, our first task was to sign a full-page liability waiver covering equipment failure and staff irresponsibilities. My heart was in my throat, but I was undaunted.
After suiting up, the group awaited our instructions and practice. I surmised about 30 minutes for this, given that our safety is paramount. As it turned out, our guide quickly ran through everything once, which lasted all of 5 minutes. He then ushered us to our first platform at the top of an incline.
Conditions: It was brutally hot, my heart by now was pounding wildly out of control, and I questioned my sanity as I peered at my goal - a tiny platform far away in the distance. What was I thinking???
I have to say, when you are flying along a cable high above a chasm, you are truly alone. There is no one whispering in your ear, "Good job. You'll make it." But make it, I did - and the next, and the next - 12 cables in all, the longest stretching 1,485 feet.
Aside from almost blacking out from heat exhaustion (the guides sent extra water to me, which I promptly poured over my head and down my tee shirt), I did just fine and avoided slamming into any trees. What kept me going was knowing that the oldest participant in previous months was a 93-year-old woman (who had just retired as a columnist for the New York Times), who completed all but the two longest cables on the course. I was NOT going to let her best me!
I have to say, it was a thrilling day - but not for the faint of heart. For anyone who would like to soar above the trees and to see the world as a bird, this is for you. For me, it was a challenging adventure that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. I'm exhilarated and feel like I can accomplish anything. Today we shop for my superwoman cape.
Richard and Janet, survivors of the Witch's Rock Canopy Tour, Papagayo peninsula, Costa Rica. [Photo by Connie]
Late this morning, we took a taxi over the Playa Ocotol, the next beach south of Playas del Coco. We headed for Father Rooster's for lunch.
Entrance to Father Rooster's, Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Father Rooster's, we all agreed, is the epitome of what we imagine a beach bar to be. It was lovely sitting at an outdoor table on the sand, just in front of the restaurant.
Outdoor seating at Father Rooster's, Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Lunch among the four of us included nachos with salsa and guacamole, fish tacos, una hamburguesa, coconut fried shrimp, grilled shrimp kabob, iced tea and Imperiel beer. Everything was delicious. After lunch, we spent some time exploring the beach and relaxing.
Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. Notice the massage table under the trees. (Photo by Bob)
While waiting for the taxi to pick us up, Bob climbed up into a treehouse outside the restaurant and we took some pictures.
Treehouse at Father Rooster's, Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. Can you spot Bob? (Photo by Connie)
Bob's take on treehouse at Father Rooster's, Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)
Janet and Richard at Father Rooster's, Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
A relaxing, low-key day began with Bob, Richard, and I walking down the beach into town and to the Soda Jardin Tropical for breakfast, while Janet stayed back and relaxed around the pool. Breakfast at this open-air soda was a typical Tico breakfast, with rice and beans, eggs, tortilla, fresh fruit, and coffee. Haunting the customers in this small soda was a Costa Rican Bluejay that perched nearby and waited for a chance to snatch a bite - no such luck, sorry bud!
Afterwards we walked half a mile or so to the Pacifico complex and the big supermarket there, the Auto Mercado. And then we took a taxi back to the condo with our groceries.
We had a lazy afternoon, grazing lunch when we felt like eating, taking a siesta, reading, swimming in the pool. Mid-afternoon, the truck from the German Bakery came by, and Janet and I looked over their wares and purchased several tasty items to sample - apple cheesecake, lemon cake, coconut square and chocolate sandwich cookies.... yum!
Late afternoon, after the heat of the day had passed, we walked to the beach with the intention of heading into town. But then, we heard the sounds of the Howler Monkeys not too far away and followed their deep-throated guttural howls to the trees where they were. Two large male Howlers were making a racket and at first we thought they were challenging each other. But after a while, we saw what was causing the ruckus. A smaller monkey appeared on a lower branch and we realized that it wasn't a Howler. It was a white-faced monkey (a Capuchin), apparently alone.
This was an anomaly. White-faced monkeys are not known to be inhabitants of El Coco. And this was only one monkey, not a troop. My theory is that someone had a pet monkey and let it loose here. It is not likely to survive the challenge of a troop of Howlers. While the male Howlers were threatening the intruder, the two female Howlers were gathering their babies and moving them further away. We left the scene before the stand-off was resolved and before dark, when the monkeys settle down for the night. We are all wondering how this wildlife drama played itself out.
After exploring the town a little, we settled on a new restaurant to try - Casa del Mar, which is located in the Coco Beach Hotel. It's an outdoor restaurant on the second floor with a view of the street. We had delicious seafood, excellent service, wonderful conversation, and an entertaining view of the main street in town. It was a fun evening.
Richard, Janet, Connie, and Bob at Casa del Mar restaurant, El Coco, Costa Rica.
We rise, but not quite shine, at 5:00am and we are at the van pickup site by 5:45, just barely light. Our friends, Janet and Richard, and Bob and I have booked a long day trip to Monteverde National Park. We are going with Coco Tours, a small tour company in El Coco. We are joined by a woman staying at Coco Sunset, a development right next to Las Palmas. Cheryl is about our age, athletic, friendly, and spunky. Our driver is Geraldo (pronounced hair-all-doh). He speaks good English and is friendly, entertaining, and informative. We are a congenial group traveling in an air-conditioned van.
Bob and our driver Geraldo at Monteverde, Costa Rico. (Photo by Connie)
On the Road
The ride to Monteverde was long (about 4 hours) and eventful. The first hour and a half was in the flat lowlands and was on paved road. The remainder was on very bumpy, narrow gravel roads that wound snakelike up into the mountains. There were many curves, sometimes hairpin, on roads almost too narrow for two vehicles to pass, and with deep ditches or steep drop-offs on one or both sides - no guard rails. And, to add to the fun, the van had very poor shock absorbers. It was almost like riding a bucking bronco in spots, where you had to hold on to something in order to avoid hitting your head on the ceiling!
But the views were spectacular! We had a clear, sunny day, even when we reached the cloud forest. The climb took us from sea level to 8,000 feet! Along the way, we saw beautiful scenery and many interesting things. The Monteverde area is coffee-growing country. We stopped to take a look at one hillside of coffee bushes, and Bob took a video:
Countryside and coffee plantation, on the way to Monteverde, Costa Rica. (Video by Bob)
Monteverde: Hummingbird Exhibit
The first thing we did upon arrival was to visit the hummingbird exhibit. This is basically a courtyard in which several hummingbird feeders have been placed. This garden attracts 14 different species of hummingbirds, as shown in the photo below.
Hummingbird identification poster, Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Hummingbirds at feeders, Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Video by Bob)
Monteverde: Sky Walk
After the hummingbird exhibit, we set off on the Sky Walk. This is a trail through the rainforest that includes eight suspension foot bridges, most at the level of, or over, the forest canopy. The walk took us about two hours. We saw lots of interesting forest vegetation, but we were disappointed not to see any birds or animals. The vegetation was very dense. Bob's video provides a sense of the walk:
Sky Walk - rainforest trail and hanging bridges - Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Video by Bob)
After the walk, we had a tasty Costa Rican lunch at the park lodge. During lunch, we spied the only animal we saw outside the exhibits - an anteater ambling through the garden. (No photo, unfortunately.)
Lodge at Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Monteverde: Butterfly Exhibit
After lunch came two guided tours. The first was the tour through the butterfly enclosure. A guide took us through, describing the butterfly life cycle, identifying the species we saw, and helping us to spot the camoflaged ones at rest.
Janet and Bob with guide in the butterfly enclosure, Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Guide describing coloration of the Morpho butterfly, Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
The enclosure was filled with gorgeous plantings and fountains and such, but we all agreed that the butterflies were fairly sparse compared to other places like this that we had seen. Still, it was an interesting 45 minutes.
Butterfly exhibit, Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Richard photographing in butterfly exhibit, Monteverde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Monteverde: Reptile Exhibit
Next we had a guided tour of the Reptile Exhibit. All the animals were in secure glass enclosures. (Whew!) No flash photography allowed. We did not take pictures.
We saw mostly snakes, but a few frogs and lizards. Most interesting was learning the distinction between vipers ( poisonous snakes) and other snakes (non-poisonous). There are about 200 species of snakes in Costa Rica. We saw about eighteen. We learned that there were typically 5-10 deaths a year from snake bites, mostly workers in the sugar cane fields and coffee plantations.
One interesting factoid was learning the difference between the Coral Snake (poisonous) and the False Coral (non-poisonous). The False Coral is banded in a pattern of red and black together; the Coral Snake is banded with yellow between the red and black. The guide taught us this ditty: "Red and black, he's a friend, Jack; red next to yellow, will kill a fellow." (No photos - too bad.) Other snakes we saw included a Boa Constrictor, a Fer-de-Lance (considered the most dangerous because it is aggressive and has a longer strike range than other snakes), a Costa Rican Rattlesnake, and a little green tree snake that lives in bushes and is particularly harmful to coffee pickers. The most fatal bite, it appears, comes from the Coral Snake. The venom will paralyze all body systems within 30 minutes. (Enough about snakes!)
Also very interesting were the Poisonous Dart Frogs. First, they are very tiny - maybe the size of a fingernail. They are hard to spot unless you know where to look. Second, they can be plain green or they can be very colorful. Different kinds have different markings in reds, blacks, a vibrant blue. Their skin exudes a poison that can kill an animal if ingested. If a human were to hold one on a finger, he would be OK provided he washed his hands thoroughly afterwards.
The Return Trip
Finally, it was time to leave. Geraldo had discovered that a tire had gone flat on the drive up (no wonder!). He had replaced it with a spare, but we still had to stop at a nearby village on the mountain to get it repaired. This took about 45 minutes.
Van tire being repaired, near Monteverde, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
On our way again, still coming down off the high mountain, we spotted a rainstorm on another mountain. We stopped to enjoy the view and Bob took a video. See if you can see the rainbow, which looked quite vivid to us.
Storm on distant mountain, near Monteverde, Costa Rica. Look for the rainbow. (Video by Bob)
Coming down the mountain was a scary, exhilarating, white-knuckle ride. Fortunately, we got down into the flat land before dark. It was a long ride home, about four and a half hours including the tire-repair stop. We did stop briefly for a snack in Canas, and Bob and I both had delicious fruit smoothies from a local smoothie stand. We are addicted to these smoothies, so popular here in Costa Rica, whether made with fruits, vegetables, or coffees!
Finally, at about 8:00 pm we are home - four exhausted gringos! What a great day. La Pura Vida.
We have been anticipating our visit with our friends, Janet and Richard, from Massachusetts, and now they have arrived. It was a long day for them, but they actually landed at the Liberia airport about 30 minutes ahead of schedule last night. They left cold and snow behind, and landed in the land of hot-hotter-VERY hot! Right now they are sacked out in siesta, recovering from the long trip and drastic change in climate.
Not long after they arrived we went to the office of Coco Tours and booked a trip to Monteverde National Park for tomorrow. (These Gringos don't let any grass grow under their feet!). We leave at 6:00 am!
For lunch, we went into town to a local soda by the beach and ordered Casadas (full plate meals with rice, beans, salad, and a protein of your choice) and refreshing drinks.
Bob, Janet, and Richard at Soda in Playas del Coco. (Photo by Connie)
What a delightful day we had! After spending a lazy Sunday morning and early afternoon at home, we took a taxi to the Pacifico development in El Coco, where Bob exercised at the gym while I read a few chapters in an exciting novel (Trapeze by Simon Mawer). We then had these delightful cold coffee drinks at Congo, a store/cafe in the same complex. From there, we hailed a taxi and headed for Playa Hermosa, the next beach north of Playas del Coco.
The ride over to Hermosa was beautiful. For the first time, we were up on the ridge dividing Coco from Hermosa and we had a wonderful view of the bay and little town of Hermosa as we approached. The town is not as developed as El Coco and has a tidier, more aesthetic, appeal.
We never did see much of the town. The taxi driver dropped us off at the beach around 4:30 in the afternoon. We took a stroll along the beach to the south, towards Coco, and then turned and walked most of the beach in the other direction. It was late afternoon and low tide, and walking barefoot along the beach was a delight.
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
We have seen four different northern Pacific Costa Rican beaches now, and it is clear that each one is different, has its own unique look and charm. So far, Playa Hermosa has become our favorite. The landscape is lovely, the beach is clean and there is a wide stretch of flat sand, the ocean provides some wave action but is not overpowering, and there is plenty of shade along the whole stretch of beach.
Late afternoon we settled into the beach bar at El Velaro Hotel, ordered a couple of margaritas, and relaxed into the approaching sunset.
Margaritas at El Velaro Hotel, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
A little later, we moved into the outdoor restaurant, photographed the sunset, then ordered our dinner: Caesar salad, pollo Russo (chicken Kiev), and a brownie sin (without) a la mode (they were out of ice cream).
Bob in the Hotel El Valero Restaurante, Playa Hermosa. (Photo by Connie)
Here is Bob's video of the sunset at El Valero:
Sunset time at Hotel El Valero, Playa Hermosa. (Video by Bob)
For the month of February, we are living in a rented condo in Playas del Coco. This condo is situated in a large development which is almost a village within the larger town of El Coco. It is a community unto itself, named Playas de las Palmas. The entrance sign calls it an "urbanizacion".
Entrance sign for Las Palmas, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. [Photo by Connie.]
As you enter the development, past the sign and the guard tower behind it, you would find two small commercial centers, or pueblitos. One the left is a large white building called Pueblito Norte. This building is set up like a mini strip mall. Here you will find a small grocery store, Luperon - a scaled-down version of another larger Luperon in town along the main drag. Also here there is a small wifi hotspot - the Java Cafe - and a few offices for realtors, management companies, and the private security force, Jocimes.
Entrance to Pueblito Norte, Las Palmas Community, Playas del Coco. [Photo by Connie]
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