Thursday, February 8
Today we decided to explore Playa Ocotol, the first beach south of Playa del Coco. We headed out around 4 pm, after the intense heat of mid-day had begun to fade. We flagged a red taxi at the entrance to Las Palmas. The taxi ride from our development to Ocotol took 10-15 minutes and cost $10. Along the way, between Coco and Ocotol, on a paved, but narrow and winding road, we passed communities of Tico homes and roads leading up into the hills to gated communities for tourists and ex-pats. We told the driver that our destination was Father Rooster's - a restaurant we had heard about.
Our driver was very nice, though he presented two challenges: he did not speak English and he drove what seemed to us to be way too fast on this narrow two-way road teeming with people walking or biking along the sides. This road, like many we have seen - even so-called highways - had no shoulder or turnouts and frequently had deep ditches on one or both sides.
The entrance to Playa Ocotol was gated, with a security guard presumably allowing some vehicles through and screening out others. We thought this strange at the time, but when we arrived at Father Rooster's we could better understand why.
The beach is a jewel - a small, curved, unspoiled, black-sand beach set between two high ridges. There are only two establishments on the beach - Father Rooster's toward the north end and a hotel with restaurant and guest villas at the south end. Set back from the beach or in the hills there are private homes and villas or condos for vacationers. This small beach appears to be reserved for guests of these homes and establishments. The south end of the beach seems to be a destination for snorkelers, including those brought in from El Coco by boat. There are many pleasure boats anchored in the small bay.
View of Playa Ocotol from Father Roosters. (Photo by Bob)
Anyway, we were a little shaken by the wild ride here and were eager to leave the taxi. From the moment we set eyes on Father Rooster's, we knew we would like it here. We found our way to a table under a tree on the sand beach and ordered a couple of drinks - a margarita for me and a Long Island iced tea for Bob.
Bob then went to take a photo of the surroundings and discovered that his canvass shoulder bag, containing his iPad/camera was gone. We realized immediately that he had left it in the taxi. Fortunately, the driver had given us his card, in hopes we would call him for the return trip. I had brought our new local cell phone and Bob tried to phone him, but he could not get it to work and was getting increasingly frustrated and anxious. I persuaded him to forget about the cell phone and go ask the restaurant host for help, which he did. The host made the call and informed us that he had reached the taxi driver, who was now on his way back.
While Bob was out front waiting for the taxi, feeling quite anxious about a possible loss of the bag or its contents (which also contained his passport, iPhone, and credit cards among other things), I got involved in a conversation with a young couple, who turned out to be from the Boston area too. The woman told me that cell phones don't work in Ocotol (ah, that explained the apparent cell phone failure), although wifi does (and we had a very good signal there). They also told me that they were down there to attend a wedding, which would happen the following afternoon on the beach. There were 50 guests all staying in a large rented villa up on the hillside. What a beautiful spot for a wedding!
And then, Bob arrived back at the table, bag in hand. Nothing was missing. What luck! What a relief! All was well again.
We relaxed with our drinks and some nachos (homemade and delicious) with salsa and guacamole. Bob began taking pictures. And then, as sunset was beginning to come on, we walked down to the end of the beach, hoping to see the monkeys we were told might be feeding at that end of the beach. Well, no monkeys, but we did see and hear a pair of green parrots high in a tree. We both agreed that this spot fit our pictures of a tropical paradise.
Afternoon and Evening at Playa Ocotol, Costa Rica. (Video by Bob)
Arriving back at Father Rooster's, now lit with strings of multi-colored lights, we found another table outdoors and ordered dinner - fish tacos for Bob and una hamburgesa y cerveza (hamburger and beer) for me. Latin music (recorded) played softly in the background. One song, about a rooster, was repeated several times. What a hoot!
(Father Rooster's at night, Playa Ocotol. (Photo by Bob)
The evening was warm and balmy. Bob took advantage of the strong wifi signal here to check the news and the weather back home, and we learned that a big winter storm - a blizzard - was heading to New England, especially to the coastal areas of Massachusetts, where we live. We felt so grateful to be here in Costa Rica. This is why we chose to come here - to escape at least part of the harsh New England weather. And, it seems, we had done just that.
La Pura Vida!
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What a scene in the video! Even if you didn't have this incredible blog, I doubt seriously if you could ever forget times like that in Playa del Coco.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to hand it to you --- your long range weather forecasting is beyond unbelievable. Perhaps a new career is ahead. Please, plan us an escape with the same timing, please!
But think of what you missed! We only had 16-18 inches of snow here which took the two of us four hours to clear. Pura Vida there but Pura Nieve here.