Already we are losing track of time. One day melts into another. But today is Day 4 in El Coco, and it is Friday, February 1st. As I begin to write this post, It is 2:45 pm on a hot, sunny, windy, cloudless day. Bob and I are sitting in the shade by the pool, both with iPads in hand. We have had a refreshing dip in the pool, and our still-wet bathing suits help to prevent us from getting too hot.
This morning, we woke up early, but not early enough. We wanted to take a long walk in the cool of the morning, and perhaps catch sight of some monkeys and some exotic (to us) tropical birds. By the time we got going, it was 7 am and heating up.
We have since learned that there are three troops of howler monkeys in Playas del Coco. The biggest troop (about 25) live in town in a huge tree in a protected area. The best time to see them, we are told, is very early in the morning, between 5:00-6:00 am, or late afternoon, between 5:00-6:00 pm. Perhaps we'll catch sight of them later this afternoon. The other two troops live on the fringes of town and are not sighted as often.
We had three breakfasts this morning, though this was not intentional. First, we had some fruit at home. Next, we stopped by the Creperie in the Las Palmas Pueblito for a cup of coffee, where I also had fruit and a bagel. I also wanted to connect with their wifi, which seems stronger than the one at the condo, to upload two blog posts that I had not been able to publish from our unit. Bob was not yet ready for breakfast, so we finished our computer business and moved on.
We again walked the beach to the village. What a glorious morning!
In the village, on the south end of the beach, we discovered a rickety bridge leading to a bar called La Vida Loca. Not open of course. Too early. But it had some interesting statuary and a casual local ambiance. Perhaps we'll go there some night for a beer, though I suspect this place caters to a much younger crowd.
Connie on rickety bridge leading to La Vida Loca, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)
La Vida Loca, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
Retracing our steps to the main street in town, we walked a block or so to a bistro called Woody's. A condo neighbor had recommended this place for breakfast. This is an very well-maintained open-air restaurant that clearly caters to Americans. Bob finally got his full breakfast, a delicious combination of huevos (eggs), sausage, rice & beans, tortilla, pineapple, and fried plantains. And, of course, more cafe por dos.
Woody's Bistro, El Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
At Woody's, we met Woody, himself, and his son. Woody is a fascinating man - a true man of the world - born in England, American by nature, an entrepreneurial restauranteur who has started and run restaurants in many parts of the world. He now lives in El Coco and is about to open two more restaurants here. We chatted for a while and learned many helpful things about the area. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Service and ambience were great. We will come back many times, I'm sure - perhaps this Super Bowl Sunday, which Woody has designed as an American-style Super Bowl party.
After this third and final breakfast, we went in search of a phone store and then a supermarket. Our adventure in trying to buy a cell phone is described in a separate blog.
After that, we pushed on to the biggest and newest shopping center in town, with the biggest supermarket, called the AutoMercado. By this time, we were whipped - exhausted from a fairly long walk in the hot sun. But we needed groceries and we were finally here, so we stayed and shopped. And, to our delight, the market was air conditioned! In no time, these two wilted humans were restored.
Shopping for food labeled in Spanish was a challenge, especially for me. We bought mostly produce, and read labels fairly successfully. But I got stymied trying to buy canned white albacore tuna packed in water. Bob did not have his reading glasses with him and could not read the small print on the cans. We'll save this purchase for another day.
By the time we finished, it was high noon and the hottest part of the day. We caught a taxi back to the condo. We have taken three taxis while we have been in El Coco. Two were local, unofficial taxis and they both charged 1000 colones ($2) for a ride between town and our condo. This taxi was an "official" red taxi, and the fare was 2000 colones ($4). All rides were fine. We are learning.
Back home, we feasted on the fresh bread, cheese, roasted chicken, and veggies we had bought at the market. Then, it was siesta time for Bob and email time for me. Now, after a refreshing swim and more than an hour of blogging, it is time to stop and "suit up" for our afternoon walk and evening meal. Who knows what will come next?
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