Road to Retiring- Day 5

 

View of the swell from the hilltop looking down at Playa Hermosa

2/12

Off to the beach at 7AM .  The swell has really gone down 1-2 foot, still clean lines though with very low tide which was tending to close a lot of waves, so you had to be more picky on the wave choice.  There were some spectacular views of folk not making the drop or going over the falls.  But we laugh as any bad day of surf here equals a good day of surf in Florida.

There are these very cool little sea critters that create the coolest graphics in the wet sand.  They have a small shell but don't look like crabs, having more of a snail like fin that propels them and a moustache like aperture that comes up for air and food I'd suppose.  Anyone know what they are called?  

Playa Hermosa is also wonderful for families and this little one playing in the sand with Dad is a common sight as well as teaching youngsters to surf.

2 hours in the water and we head back to eat the last of the package of eggs and pack up.  We travel pretty smart and it takes no time at all.  A last, little conversation with Scarlett and Lincoln and we are off.  We will miss this beautiful beach as well as new friends, including Popeye the Kitten Man who can consume his weight in raw fish!

Janoul, the real estate agent,  has called Scarlett and given directions to the Spanish man's house in Manzanillo and we also are given directions for a way to Cobano and the ferry without having to head back to Santa Teresa.  We find the property in Manzanillo no problem and the owner, Geordie,  is in.  Again broken English, broken Spanish but my Pimsleur approach tapes are paying off and I'm doing ok in communicating. He shows us around and it's a pretty Spartan Tico home of a kitchen, bathroom and a loft sleeping area, plus a large cabin with 2 separate rooms each with a bathroom that he rents out.  The property is big and clean.  The reason he wants someone there is that he has on his property the well for the whole neighborhood and it must be protected from vandals and contamination.  Makes sense.  But John is thinking we might want to settle in for the first 6 months to a year in a little nicer digs. 

The road to Cobano going this way is nice and very pretty though still hard packed gravel.  We will remember this way for sure!  Gassing up in Cobano at over $5 a gallon- one of the other "not cheaper" Costa Rico expenses. We make the 2 PM ferry and get ready to finally find that damn toll highway to Escazu where we are staying tonight.

Success on the highway- which is very nicely maintained- but we get to Santa Ana and we are totally lost and our GPS won't find our hotel.  We can't find a pay phone so we stop at a paint and hardware store with 2 employees and a guard at the front door.  I ask - in Spanish- where the hotel is and they don't know.  So I ask for a telephone and they dial up our relocation service, Great Sunrise.  David Marquez answers and comes to our rescue, driving to the store and leading us to the hotel.  It's nice, Los Candiles, servicing mostly business types.  And we've internet.  Whoo!  The weather, by the way, is beautiful in the San Jose area answering why it's a popular relocation location.

We head out for an easy dinner, but end up at a Mexican place where steak tacos, 4 beers and a large sandwich with pork and avocado comes to $35.  Everywhere, outside of the little sodas serving casados, there is 13% Tax and $10% service added.  That’s 23% on top of what the menu price says. Sigh!  Eating out will be a luxury in Costa Rica but since I like to cook, I don't care. Early to bed after driving all day.  Lawyers and paperwork tomorrow.

Share this post