Nosara Sunset

Last Day in Paradise

After hearing the latest weather report for Michigan, I'm officially NOT looking forward to returning home. It's bad enough that Midland is nowhere NEAR a rainforest or a nice sunset, but going home to snow and cold temperatures in April is not my idea of a welcome back to spring. Maybe I should just stay and see where the tide takes me... the idea is very tempting...

Yesterday Hayley and I and the kiddies went to a stunning beach a little further down the coast, called Playa Ostional - it's only about a half hour drive away, but the beach is totally different than the others along this coast - the sand is mostly comprised of volcanic rock so it's very black (and very hot when it's 34 degrees out), but thick and so soft your feet disappear as soon as you step into it. THis beach is now a nature preserve because every full moon during the spring (actually it will be tonight), the big sea turtles come up to lay their eggs on the beach - they dig a hole in the sand and lay all their eggs, cover them up and a couple days later they all hatch, leaving the beach covered with the fragile white shells... it's very cool...I'd love to actually see the turtles when they come ashore.

We went to another smaller beach after that, called Playa Palada, which is a more protected beach with interesting tidal pools filled with all sorts of small sea creatures - the waves were still huge though and we got completely bowled over a few times by the force of the water. I still marvel at the fact that the sea is the temperature of a lukewarm bath.. no holding your breath to get in!

I've also been enjoying the great Costa Rica dining fare while I've been here - we've eaten at a fabulous Italian place, called La Dolce Vita, which could have been in Italy, the food was so good (owned by a jovial Italian guy named BoBo). We ate one night at a great "Tico" restaurant and tasted some local fare - arrozo con pollo (rice w/ chicken) and gallo pinto (rice & beans) - and of course, as per most tropical countries, the fruit is delicious and mouthwatering-ly sweet - papayas, mangoes, watermelon, you name it.. no chance of getting scurvy here!

I also went to an early morning yoga class one morning at the Nosara Yoga Institute it was a very unique experience - the class starts at 8 a.m. and is held in the middle of the jungle, in this outdoor studio, so you meditate on the singing birds and monkeys.. it's great.

I leave today, but will definitely be back to this spectacular spot again soon.

Adios

Hold onto your hats - the Gunacaste winds are blowin'

Apparently, I am experiencing a bit of an unusual weather anomaly this week during my stay... the famed Gunacaste winds, which usually blow during the winter months of Jan/Feb (and which draw surfers to Costa Rica) are making a rare appearance this week - just for me! So, the winds have been blowing like crazy - up to 75 km/hr at some points... and with Hayley's place at the top of the rainforest, it's great for cooling off, but at night it sounds like a jet engine roaring through the house.. However, they are very warm, temperatures are still close to 100... they make for great waves in the ocean though - Oceanna (Hayley's 5-year old) and I spent some of the day yesterday jumping through the surf and dodging jellyfish and other interesting sea creatures.

We spent most of the afternoon at a close friend of Hayley's, who just built this stunning house (I use the term loosely, more like a villa) with an infinity edge pool (those kind that look like they are falling off the side of the patio) way up in the trees - views galore. it's a good routine - morning in the ocean, afternoon lounging by the pool - it's like being on an all-inclusive (except free) vacation - without the tourists..

We went down to the beach for sunset last night, where most of the Nosara community gathers every night to watch the sunset together... it sets really early, and is completely dark by 6:00, which is actually ok, because after 12 hours of blazing sun, it's a bit of a relief for some shade. Anyway, the beach was unbelievably beautiful last night - there was this thick humid mist rolling along the shore that gave the whole thing this kind of dreamlike quality - then there were tons of surfers catching their last minute wave against the brilliant sun, lots of dogs running loose and playing in the surf, plus all the onlookers just chilling out waiting for the inevitable setting of the sun... it was amazing... there's definitely something to be said for this type of lifestyle, let me tell you - no cell phones blaring or rush hour traffic.

And, in spite of the crazy wind, I've been sleeping like a baby every night and waking up early to sometimes catch the sunrise or just listening to the parrots and monkeys sounding their morning alarm. There is a flock of parrots living in the treetops nearby so I'm starting to recognize their calls. It still seems very strange to see this flurry of colour while they all take flight right outside the window.

Anyway, another day in paradise beckons, so I'm off..

Adios

Holy Hotness Batman!

Okay - so maybe I don't need the long pants and the jean jacket I threw in at the last minute... I hate packing for warm weather destinations from cold ones, b/c you always forget how hot hot can be!

I landed at the Liberia airport in northern Costa Rica, to temperatures of 39 degrees (105F) and hot tropical winds - the airport was a one room hangar with the world's largest ceiling fan and no walls! Must be in the tropics now... It was a bit of a hot dusty drive from Liberia down the Nicoya Peninsula to Nosara - the roads leave much to be desired - most of them are not paved and are mainly washboard rock and clay so the vehicles here take a major beating... all you Michiganders would be well prepared here with your big 4 wheel drives, that are so useful in the cornfields of mid-Michigan...

My friend lives in the most gorgeous spot imaginable - her house is way up in this amazing rainforest at the top of a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the entire rainforest canopy. There are monkeys in the trees, snakes threading their way through the jungle and we even killed a scorpion last night in the house (very exciting!) The view is really to die for though - last night we watched the sunset from her balcony, and it was this huge red fireball sinking into the water, following by brilliant pink, blue and orange skies..

This is a big mecca for surfers, as well - and although it is now low season so there aren't many people around, the surfers are a constant at various times during the day. The beach here, Playa Giuones, is massive - and deserted - it's a sort of black sand beach, not sandy and white, but very flat and hard, but reminds me of the west coast of Canada - sort of like Tofino, except a thousand times hotter... all I know is the 5 year old I'm staying with can probably surf better than I can, but hopefully I'll remedy this before I leave.

Anyway, the day is calling... so I must sign off... stay tuned for more...
Nancy

Journey to the Rainforest - Ola Costa Rica!

One more week and I'm off to the jewel of Central America - Costa Rica. Sandwiched between Nicaragua to the north and by Panama in the southeast Costa Rica has both a Caribbean and a Pacific coast, so any trip there ensures plenty of beach time.

I'm headed to the Pacific coast, to a fabulous spot on the southwest coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, called Nosara, where my friend Hayley and her husband have a house high up in the rainforest. Coincidentally, I have already had the good fortune to have visited Nosara in the past. In 2000, my sister and I travelled for several weeks in CR, mainly the Nicoya Peninsula, and Nosara was our favourite spot on the entire coast - how lucky that my friends keep having the good sense to set up house in the best locations!

My plan isn't too ambitious - I feel the need for serious chill-time, I'm in winter recovery mode and Costa Rica is just the pace I'm looking for at the moment.

Stay tuned for more about my adventures with the Ticos..and visits with the monkeys.