Jaco Highway Blowout!

How to change a bus tire!

We seem to be learning about the bus system here in Costa Rica the hard way, through trial and error or occasionally accident and blowout. Trial and error is when you take what you thought was the San Jose bus from Atenas, only to find yourself heading into Alajuela. That happened a week ago when Layne and I were going into the city to see my dentist and to have my new computer glasses adjusted. Instead of making the turn onto the Panamerican Highway, which leads directly into San Jose, we kept going straight toward the city of Alajuela. Since we had an appointment with my dentist and the shuttle driver was due to pick us up at a particular bus stop, Layne and I looked at each other in dismay, wondering if we had boarded the wrong bus and might be late for our ride. But no, as we soon learned from another rider, the 11:00 a.m. San Jose bus is the only one that makes such an unexpected swing through Alajuela. Live and learn! Fortunately, we made it on time for our shuttle, with a few minutes to spare.

        

Yesterday, the excitement was even more dramatic. Along with our upstairs neighbor Linda and her friend Barb, who is visiting from California, we had gotten up early to catch the 7:30 a.m. Jaco bus for a day at the beach. As we headed up the hill out of Atenas, suddenly there was a huge bang from beneath the rear of the bus and once again, Layne and I turned to each other with an “uh-oh” look in our eyes. Blowout! But with double axles all around, there was no detectable swerve, just a gentle slowing down as the driver realized what had happened and began to pull over. He exited the vehicle, followed by several helpful (or curious) Ticos, and soon we heard the clatter of tools being hauled out and the noise of men getting to work. Linda, Barb and I got out to watch the action and take a few pictures and found that the Quepos bus had stopped behind us and that driver was now helping to change the tire. Fortunately, it was an exterior tire but unfortunately, the lug nuts were on tight. It took some time but with a “cheater” length of pipe for extra leverage and a couple of beefy Ticos giving it their all, we were soon back on the road. Of course, a blowout was nothing compared to the minor crash we lived through last spring. (See blog report for April 14, 2010) So we just roll our eyes at the occasional vehicular adventures and keep counting the money and stress we save by not having a car.

        

Our day in Jaco was a blast! After arriving at the bus station on the main drag of Jaco shortly before 10:00 a.m., having met with no further incidents, we bought our return tickets, then set off by taxi for breakfast at our favorite beachfront hotel, the Hotel Cocal and Casino. Layne and I have stayed there several times and always enjoy the grassy lounge area shaded by tall palms overlooking the ocean as well as the poolside bar with the petite bartender Claudia serving us afternoon cocktails. As we settled in for breakfast, Linda and Barb were delighted with the picturesque ocean view from the dining area. Our charming waitress Katiana was attentive and friendly, practicing her English on us as we returned the favor in our broken Spanish. Linda ordered Huevos Rancheros, Barb opted for Banana Pancakes while Layne and I chose the “Typical” Tico Breakfast of eggs, cheese and Gallo Pinto. Linda couldn’t resist an order of the Jalapeno Poppers to share with us all, but she soon found that her Huevos were hot enough to satisfy her “picante” tastes. The cafe con leche was deliciously strong and our cups were refilled with alacrity.

The Hotel Cocal has an interesting history, having been one of the first oceanside inns in Jaco, built long before the more recent influx of tourist-oriented hotels and surfing shops and knick-knack stores. So far I haven’t managed to fit in an interview with the hotel manager to learn more of that history but when I do, I’ll certainly share the information with you readers.

With the day still young, we headed out to the main street for a little shopping: some souvenirs for Barb, holiday gifts for her family for Linda and a pareu swimsuit cover-up for me at a cost of less than $6. Back to the hotel for a couple of hours relaxing in the shade of the palm trees and watching the surfers try to catch a wave. Our “thirst” soon demanded attention and refreshing cocktails were not far behind. Claudia makes a mean Mojito!

As we enjoyed the afternoon, vendors offering cigars and horseback rides and ceramic vases wandered by and soon a smiling young woman named Joanne stopped with some stunning handmade jewelry. Unable to resist at least a look, we three women joined her at the fence and were soon seduced by the gorgeous amethyst and turquoise, coral and pearl that she presented and claimed to have made herself. I opted for a spectacular turquoise piece, featuring a large oval pendant. Soon after, an older woman came by with similar offerings, which made us question the originality of the ones we had bought. But it turned out, upon questioning her, that Joanne was her niece and that, indeed, the family members had made the jewelry. I completed my ensemble with matching turquoise drop earrings from Joanne’s aunt, the entire set costing only $26.

But the grand finale to our day was an outrageous seafood feast at a sidewalk restaurant called, of all things, Pancho Villa. Unsure where to have dinner before our late afternoon bus ride home, we wandered along the main street, reading menus posted outside the restaurants. At Pancho Villa, a courteous maitre ‘d approached us pointing to a 2-person seafood platter on his menu, assuring us that he could make it for four and that we would love it. He was so right! What an incredible platter of delicious seafood we enjoyed, from a large lobster tail for each of us to mahi-mahi, jumbo prawns, calamari, clams, langoustines alongside mashed potatoes and perfectly steamed vegetables plus a delicious salad. We even had a wandering minstrel serenade us. The price? Less than nine thousand colones, or about $18 per person. Pancho Villa’s was a winner and is definitely on our list for a return trip. As you can see, we all wore our new jewelry to dinner! 

(Remember, you can click on photos to enlarge.)

Mojitos and Mujeres at a Jaco Bar

May 7, 2010

(Click on photos to enlarge)

         With only a few days remaining here in Costa Rica, we managed a quick trip to the beach this week. During our three-month “trial run” of life in CR, we have done very little in typical tourist activities, such as visiting museums, national parks or beaches. Only when friends from the U.S. were here in April did we venture out to Finca Luna Nueva Lodge and later that week to Jaco Beach. But I do love the ocean, the sunshine, playing in the waves, so with some creative thinking, we made our way to Jaco.

         Since we had to go one final time into San Jose to pick up our forwarded mail at the Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR), Layne suggested that we could hop on the San Jose bus to Jaco. Banking on my travel writer credentials, I quickly emailed our favorite Jaco hotel asking about free rooms and sure enough, the manager offered us a complimentary room and breakfast for the next night.

         So on Wednesday, after an hour-long ride into San Jose and a two-block walk to the ARCR office, we took a taxi to the main bus terminal, known as the Coca-Cola station for historical reasons no longer apparent. There is no Coca-Cola bottling company there these days, just a big bustling station with numerous slots for the buses coming and going. Arriving just after 9 a.m. we were dismayed to learn that the Jaco bus had departed only moments before and the next one was not until 11 a.m. A two-hour wait! Enterprising taxi drivers immediately offered us rides but at $90 for the trip, that was not an option. But the Orotina bus was about to leave and since that town is only a short distance from Jaco, we thought we could ride that far and then taxi the rest of the way. Wrong! When we arrived in Orotina we found that taxi ride was still too expensive. Hauling our bags along behind us, we wandered around the central park and soon learned there was a bus about to leave for Jaco, so with only minutes to spare, we jumped onboard.

         Does the term “local” mean anything to you? This bus took an hour and a half to make a 30-mile trip! It stopped for every waving hand along the road, but eventually we arrived on the busy main drag and made our way to the Hotel Cocal and Casino, an historic property located right on Playa Jaco. My first trip to Hotel Cocal was in 2006 when I came to Costa Rica for a dental implant. My darling son Damian insisted on coming along to look after me following the dental surgery until Layne’s arrival a few days later. I was touched by his concern but soon realized that he also had an ulterior motive when we headed straight to Jaco, the best surfing beach in Costa Rica, for my recuperation and his favorite activity! He generously paid for a beachfront room, however, and entertained me with his daily surfing runs while I sucked down Papaya con Leche (a sort of papaya milkshake) to pamper my tender mouth.

         Each time Layne and I have stayed at the Hotel Cocal, we have ended up having a rollicking good time at the poolside bar where we always seem to meet interesting people and enjoy stimulating conversations while we sip exotic cocktails. Plus, with prostitution legal here in Costa Rica, there are usually extremely beautiful “working girls” present as well. Their coquettish advances to male guests can make for amusing visuals, as they try to convey their passions through flashing dark eyes beneath thick lashes or a pink tongue roaming over pouty lips.

         This trip was no exception. After an afternoon on the beach, frolicking in the incredibly warm ocean waters, fighting the current and jumping the waves, then relaxing in the Hotel Cocal’s beachside lounge chairs, Layne and I showered and headed for the bar. Since this is the rainy season, there were few guests around. Plus, Hotel Cocal is in the midst of a major renovation with workers hammering, welding, pouring concrete and resurfacing the swimming pools. Still, the small poolside bar was open with only a couple of customers perched on stools, including one stunning woman in a sexy black sweater notable for the crescent- shaped cutouts on the sides of her full breasts. Her name was Erica and she and I, along with the lovely Nicaraguan bartender Claudia, chatted some in Spanish. Claudia even complimented me on my budding language skills, which seemed somewhat enhanced by the Mojitos I was drinking.

         We were soon joined by a jovial fifty-something Gringo with a ruddy, sun-tanned face and short blond hair named Marc. “That’s Marc with a C,” he informed us. With tongue-in-cheek humor, he sat down by Erica and introduced her as his “wife.” Clearly, they were… uh, previously acquainted, shall we say. His sardonic style got big laughs from all of us and a roll of her pretty eyes from Erica. In the ensuing conversation, we learned that Marc had spent many years working as an aeronautical engineer for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, including during the dramatic days of Apollo 13. We inferred that he has since retired from that profession and had been working to help out at his brother’s company. Three weeks before, Marc had tired of the carping of his mid-manager supervisor and had essentially said: Take this job and shove it! He bought a one-way ticket to San Jose, Costa Rica, and didn’t seem to know - or care - when he might go back.

         Marc had just come from dinner and he raved at length about the Peppercorn Filet Mignon served in the hotel restaurant. Now Layne and I have not been overly impressed with local beef here in Costa Rica. Often it is less flavorful and tender than the well-marbled free-range meat we get in California, but Layne determined to try it. When we went in for our dinner a little later, we had to agree: That steak was fantastic! Fork tender with a peppery sauce that really rocked. Since I tend more to seafood when I can get it fresh, I chose the Blackened Mahi-mahi and it was delicious as well. Accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed veggies, fresh warm bread and a glass of red wine, we were satiated. As we sipped the last of our wine and looked out at the glowing tropical sunset, we once again realized just how very lucky we are. Pura Vida, indeed!