We lost wifi yesterday afternoon, so here is a recap of the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, January 30.
in late morning, we walked from the condo to El Coco village, taking a route along the beach. This walk from the condo to the village, which we will do many times while we are here, is about a mile and takes about half an hour at an ambling pace. Of this 30 minutes, approximately half is the walk from the condo to the beach and half is from that point on the beach to the village.
The beach is set in a crescent between two sets of hills. Las Palmas development, where we are, is toward the north end of the beach. The village of El Coco is approximately in the middle of the crescent. This beach is composed of black sand, probably volcanic in origin. As beaches go, it does not seem that desirable for sunbathing. But the beach is in a sheltered cove, which makes it more protected for swimming. Evidently, there are riptides at all the beaches along the Pacific coast, but this beach may have fewer than most. We have not yet taken a swim in the ocean, only in the pool that is right outside our door.
By the time we reached the village, it was getting pretty hot, and we were both feeling thirsty, hungry, and low energy, so we began looking for a good spot to have lunch. There is one main street in El Coco, leading from the entrance to town down to the beach. This strip is maybe a mile long. Most of the shops, services, tour operators, bar, and restaurants are lined up along this road.
Street scene, El Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
We wandered along the street, passing colorful clothing and souvenir stores (tiendas de ropas), dive shops, and eateries of various kinds until we found a restaurant that seemed especially appealing - Papagayo Seafood.
Bob at lunch at Papagayo Seafood, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)
At Papgayo Seafood, we were revived with three bottles of water, una cerveza (beer - Imperial), and delicious fresh fish dinners. Bob had grilled mahi mahi with pesto and I had grilled red snapper with roasted garlic. Both dinners came with a small caesar salad, a fresh vegetable medley, and white rice. By the time we were finished, it was almost 3:30, and we decided that this would be our main meal of the day.
Next, we headed to the nearby market (SuperCompro) to do some grocery shopping. There are two mini-markets right near our condo. They both have some necessities, but the prices are a little high. There are also three larger markets in town - this SuperCompro, a Luperon, and the AutoMercado, which is the largest one and the one most similar to an American market. We will try that one next time. Today, we bought about four bags of groceries. The storage space for food in our condo is very limited, so we have decided that we will have to shop for our food for meals about one day at a time - the European way, I guess.
Our strategy, it seems, will be that we will have small meals and snacks at home, but mostly go out for larger meals, which will be harder to prepare in our galley kitchen. We'll see. We're still learning what works best. What we do know is that food - whether purchased in stores or at restaurants - is expensive here, and we will probably be spending more than we do at home. We have yet to find the bargain spots for eating - the "sodas" - which serve local foods at prices much lower than at the tourist eateries.
So, with our groceries, we took a taxi back to our condo. The taxi ride to or from town costs 1000 colones ($2) and no tip is required. What a relief it was to avoid this long walk back to the condo in the heat of the day carrying four bags of groceries!
After an afternoon rest and a dip in the pool to cool off, we decided to walk down to the beach to watch the sunset. We arrived at the beach at 5:50pm, just a little late to catch the actual sunset. Tomorrow, we said, we will go earlier. We strolled the beach towards town, enjoying the sight of boats bobbing in the bay.
After walking around town a little, we took a side street that led to a hotel-restaurant-mini-market complex - the Hotel Coco Palms. By this time, it was dark and we decided to check out this Tico-style hotel. We ended up in an outdoor bar near a fountain and the pool, surrounded by palm trees and flowering shrubs - very romantic. We each had a Mohito and shared a plate of chicken wings. And this was our supper. Every meal we have had since we arrived has been al fresco, and each location very charming in its unique way. We love this casual, outdoor dining!
Coco Palms dining area, daytime. El Coco, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)
We decided to take a taxi back to the condo. Just outside the hotel, there was a security guard who offered to call one for us. While waiting for quite a while for the taxi to arrive (I guess he was on "Tico time"!), we observed the guard, who carried a large shotgun. This was a private security guard for the hotel and attached mini-market.
The Las Palmas development, where we live, employs several security guards to patrol all the properties, and they all carry holstered handguns. This makes me feel both protected and concerned. Is this country so lawless that this level of security is necessary? Is it necessary for us to be concerned about theft at all times, even in upscale areas such as Las Palmas? I guess we will find out in time.
Once home, we were exhausted and ready for bed. But there were distractions. Outside, a group of neighbors were gathered around the spa pool, drinking wine and beer and talking loudly. Another group nearby was finishing their dinner meal outdoors at a long table. We hoped all this noise would end early, and it did. But then, the A/C in our bedroom was not working well, and it was still very hot in the condo. So, sleep was hard won, but it came, eventually, despite these little challenges. Buenos noches!
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We were thrilled with the Auto Mercado and used the Super Compro as well. Some items, especially those that appeal to the tourists are pricey. Most of the time in the restaurants though we were able to find good value for our money. Remember the beach areas are the vacation areas (even for the Ticos) and that is one reason for higher prices. I suspect that in your phase two back inland and in the mountains that you will find many open air markets and even find that local food costs are lower in Costa Rica than back in the USA.
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