Costa Rica Journal 2013: Our Last Day in El Coco

Thursday, February 28

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.