Dawn of Day Two in El Coco

January 30 at 5:45am

We awaken to the sounds of many different kinds of birds. One sounds like the crow of roosters. Some are songbirds. Some just chatter. I wish I could identify them. And in the distance is the sound we were hoping for - the wail of the howler monkeys (los monos aulladores). The sound comes from far away. They are not right here in the village. My guess is that they must be up in the hills that surround Playas del Coco. Apparently, this is their wake-up call each morning.

The day is clear. There was a full moon last night. It was quite hot when we went to bed, and we had the AC on last night, just in the bedroom, not the whole condo. We actually needed to pull up the duvet cover at some point during the night. It felt as though we were back in Rockport on a cold winter night.

We spent last evening unpacking and settling in. Although this is a very nice two-bedroom condo, there is very little storage space. There is one small closet in the whole place, and no bureaus. We are using our suitcases for clothing storage. I am grateful now that we only brought one large suitcase and a carry-on. Where would we put it all? Actually, Bob and I are accustomed to living in a small space. Our condo at home only has one bedroom and one bath (and one closet). This condo has two bedrooms and baths.

We are eager to get out early and walk, before it gets too hot. Soon we will head out, searching for some good Costa Rican coffee.