The Hard Life of a Costa Rica Retiree

The life of a semi-retiree is not easy, no matter what you may have heard. First of all, there are all those books to read. And don't think reading is just a luxury of time on your hands. Hardly. For instance, it was important for me to read Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson in advance of our trip to Galveston with my mother later this month. How else to understand and really appreciate what that city went through in September of 1900 when a massive hurricane struck the totally unprepared island?

And then there are the dinner parties to prepare for or attend. Last night, for instance, with Darlene and Glynn coming over, there was chicken to marinate, cucumber salad to prep and garlic toasts to cook for dipping in hummus. Then tonight we'll be entertaining Marcial and Seidy, as we do most every Friday night. So today I face preparing a salad, working on a new baked French Fried Potato dish and shaping the hamburger "steaks" not to mention frying the bacon to go on top. But even then, I'm not done, for tomorrow is another big Santa Eulalia gang aka "10:27 Club" bash, a Labor Day BBQ at Chris and Sue's house. For that, I have to cook enough baked beans for 14 people. I'm thinking of offering my services to "Iron Chef" on the Food Network!

What a thrill to see a humpback breach!
(Photo courtesy of NPS.gov.)

Keep in mind I'm not a completely retired individual. I still work hard at my travel writing, especially taking those great mostly-free trips that Layne and I enjoy so much. A few days after our friend Brittany left, Layne and I headed out to Dominical, one of our favorite beach towns here in Costa Rica, to stay again at one of our favorite hotels, Villas Rio Mar, a comfortable and affordable eco-lodge. It was Villas Rio Mar that invited us back, this time to take a complimentary whale and dolphin watching tour. It seems they got such a good response from my last story on their hotel in The Costa Rica News (TCRN) that they wanted me to write another piece, this time focused on the upcoming whale season, when hundreds of humpback whales visit the shores of Marino Ballena National Park just down the road from Dominical. Watch for my story on that trip in this Sunday's edition of TCRN.

Then there's our puppy Winston. Yes, he is indeed a great source of joy and his antics make for some funny scenes, but raising a young Lab is not all fun and games. There's his training, for example, which I'm happy to report is now going very well since the addition of "treats" to our curriculum. Boy, does he pay attention to me NOW when I say "heel." He's improved so much we even felt comfortable taking him out with the gang for a hike last weekend, him in a borrowed harness and extendable leash. He loved it! 

Hiking through El Pueblo

Sniff, sniff. And what is THIS?

So many good sniffs to be had, so many new sights to see and so much trouble to try and get into. But with Layne and I heading to the US in a couple of weeks, we have been desperate to figure out the best place for him to stay while we're gone for two months.

"The gang" at lunch after the hike
L to R: Kat, Darlene, Layne, Sue, Chris, Glynn, Bonnie & Stephen (is he asleep?!)

In a major test of one such option, we took Winston up to Chris and Sue's last Monday for a trial run to see how he would get along with the two dogs, Turley and Lola, who live next door. They actually belong to Carmen and Roberto but with them out of the country, Chris and Sue are providing foster care. Another reason for the visit was to try out some of Chef Chris' fabulous homemade pizza. I even got a turn at "working" that dough, per Chris' instructions. And the end result was oh so good.

Yours Truly "doughing" it

Might not be pretty but sure was good! 

Winston seemed to have a great time, too, once Turley stopped "attacking" him as the interloper he was. But they soon discovered how much fun it could be to have a playmate and they spent the rest of the afternoon running and playing all over the large property. 

Those blurs are dogs, Winston the dark one

We are cautiously optimistic that Winnie will be happy there with our good friends and his new doggie pals. Layne and I have been majorly stressed over this issue. Well, Layne doesn't "stress" about much; I do the stressing for both of us. We are so grateful to our friends Darlene and Glynn who cared for him when we went to Dominical, although there were a few problems in his house-training. Now we feel pretty good about him staying with Chris and Sue while we're away.

So if you think we're just hanging out down here in Costa Rica, laying on the beach, reading books, enjoying good dinner parties and hikes... well, you're right. But it ain't easy having so much fun! 

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," now available for FREE at Smashwords.com. High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570 

Parties, Protests and Photo Projects

The "late crowd"

Given how close we live to a "blue zone" here in Costa Rica, one of those areas around the world where people seem to live much longer, you might think that turning seventy would be no big deal. After all, if you're likely to live to be 100 or more, seventy is practically a teenager. Nevertheless, when we learned that our good friend Marc was leaving his sixties behind, it seemed like a good excuse for a party. So on Friday the 2nd of November, Layne and I hosted a big to-do for Marc and about thirty of his friends and it turned out to be a festive event indeed. Even our favorite bus driver Johnny and his wife showed up plus several people we didn't even know were invited!

As luck would have it, just before party starting time, the heavens opened up and we were hit with the kind of downpour that only happens in the tropics. Although it did deter a few people who were coming from a distance, most locals braved the weather and made the trip up to Santa Eulalia. Unfortunately, the inclement evening made dancing on the back patio difficult since chairs were congregated on the "dance floor." 

The crowded "dance floor"

But my spaghetti -- made of course with Marcial's Italian Sausage -- Eroca's eggplant parmesan and Stephen's fabulous salad were welcome treats for the stalwart group. At the birthday boy's request, his cake was the decadent Delicious Temptation chocolate-on-chocolate-topped-with-caramel concoction made by the crew at Kay's Gringo Postre; it was definitely the star attraction of the dinner. Wow, what a cake! 

Marc with that Delicious Temptation cake

The early crowd soon made way for the late crowd and even with Eroca's invaluable help in the kitchen, Layne and I were still cleaning up as midnight came and went.

Eroca on KP

Nevertheless, the extravagance of Friday was no excuse to avoid our walk on Sunday morning but at least we all agreed to push the hour a bit later. At 9:30 a.m. Layne and I were on our way to Marcial and Seidy's, Marc and Eroca's, then on to Stephen and Bonnie's place where we hiked off cross-country toward San Jose Sur, a community up the road toward Palmares from Santa Eulalia. Along the way, we were met by a horde of racing bicyclists as they tore along the back roads, watching carefully to avoid potholes. As some of us took a break on a bridge, we noticed a huge nest in a tree hanging out over the stream, apparently home to a zillion termites. 

Bicyclists heading our way

A home for termites

Stephen under a huge Guanacaste tree

The plan was to time our walk so we could enjoy lunch at the beautiful El Mirador el Pueblo, a glass-enclosed restaurant with killer views that boasts some of the best fish around. The owner is an old friend of Marcial's, as he used to run a small bar and restaurant just around the corner from our house and thus almost across the street from Marcial and Seidy's place. Naturally, we got first-class service at El Mirador. Most of us chose a "casado," a curious Tico term that means "married" but also refers to a typical Costa Rican plate of rice, beans, salad, plantain and your choice of meat. In our case, we opted for the excellent corvina, or sea bass, browned to perfection.

After such an indulgent weekend, Layne and Bonnie and I dragged ourselves to the gym on Monday morning to work off some of the good times. At the grocery store afterwards, we happened to see our friend Eric who runs the organic market here and who informed us of a demonstration set for the next day in San Jose to protest the introduction of genetically modified seeds into Costa Rica. Since Layne and I had plans to go into San Jose anyway, we decided to put on our journalist hats and attend the event in order to write up a report for The Costa Rica News. It turned out to be well worth our time with almost 100 people standing against transgenicos, as genetically modified products are called here. You can read my article in the Eco section of TCRN tomorrow.

"Perro" protester

Our trip into San Jose was originally set up with Felipe, Marcial and Seidy's oldest son, who is interested in photography and had done some excellent wedding photos recently for his friends, using Layne's high-end camera. Layne has been helping him package the photos into a professional-looking portfolio and a wedding album for the newlyweds. This trip was to have high-quality prints made for the album. After the bus trip into town, we walked a few blocks searching for the photography shop, no easy task since, as you recall, there are no street addresses here. But with a phone call by Felipe (in Spanish, of course), we soon located the store and he and Layne gave the instructions for the print sizes. 

Layne and Felipe order prints

The finished product is terrific and today Felipe is delivering the album to his friends. It's been a very satisfying process for Layne and me to help guide this young man in developing his talent in photography. We hope this is the start of a productive and lucrative vocation for Felipe and we're very proud of his hard work. 

  

Good Friends, Gourmet Food and Golf!

Tico chefs

What a whirlwind of activity, travel and parties the last two weeks have been for us! It’s hard to know where to start on our various adventures. There was Francis and Brian’s excellent backyard party mentioned in my last post. We enjoyed dancing to the live music and nibbling on our friend Marcial’s delicious Italian sausages, grilled to perfection by a couple of happy Ticos, plus chicken, veggies, beer and wine. Lots and lots of wine! We met so many of our Santa Eulalia neighbors and several hours into the event, Daniel, my publisher from The Costa Rica News (TCRN), joined us at the festivities. After the music ended and we were satiated with food and wine, Daniel and Layne and I returned to our house for another hour of convivial chat. Oh, and more wine.

Earlier this week we joined a crowd of expats at Mark and Nancy’s lovely home in Guacimo where we enjoyed more good food and wine and made lots of new friends. Then last night we taxied into Atenas with Marcial and his lovely wife Sadie to Colinas del Sol for a wine tasting party featuring the excellent imports of our friends Shannon and Rolando along with delicious appetizers from the restaurant and Marcial’s great sausages again. We saw so many friends there, including our dear former landlords Odie and Eduardo and our former upstairs neighbor Linda. It was a festive evening!

But the high point of recent days was undoubtedly our visit to Hacienda Pinilla, a stunning 4500-acre beach resort and residential community near Tamarindo in Guanacaste province on the Pacific Coast. If you think the place looks nice on their website, you should see it in person. The long-time owner, a North American from Georgia, has developed the property with a commitment to keeping as much of the land and beaches natural and environmentally pristine as possible. They plant thousands of trees each year, preserve acres and acres of the land in its original condition and in many ways, encourage ecological practices in the hotel, the restaurants and in the building practices used in new construction.

The Beach Club

Our bedroom 

Recycling at La Posada Hotel, Hacienda Pinilla

A mention of golf in my column in The Costa Rica News some months ago led to our visit. Their charming young sales director Cynthia apparently read my article, then contacted me and offered a complimentary stay so that we could experience their golf course and other amenities first-hand. How’s that for a stroke of good fortune?

Putting on the 15th hole

And speaking of strokes, I think the Adams Golf clubs that Hacienda Pinilla loaned us for our round took at least a stroke per hole off my game. I was hitting them long and straight. Although I prefer my own Cobra driver (which is, unfortunately, in a bag in Portland, Oregon, at the moment), I really liked the hybrid 5-iron for fairways shots. Over and over, I turned to that club for distance and accuracy. I was also pretty wowed by the putter, which helped me get a par three from a lie just off the green probably seven yards from the cup. Between the broad open fairways and smooth true greens of Hacienda Pinilla and those Adams clubs, I almost felt like a “real” golfer. And when we came to the spectacular oceanside 15th hole, we could imagine what it’s like to play Pebble Beach.

After golf we returned to our big, comfortable suite and were delighted to find a bottle of champagne and birthday greetings for Layne, courtesy of Cynthia, since Saturday the 10th was his big day. Later that evening we enjoyed sipping the bubbly as we gazed up at a full moon above. So romantic!

Then there was the food. Oh. My. Goodness. Gourmet hardly tells the tale. As usual when faced with a huge selection of appetizing options, making the decision of what to eat at each meal was the hard part. Although a tough choice, I’d say my favorite was the Herb-crusted Tuna with Ginger-Basil Aioli that I had at lunch at the Beach Club the first day. It was just delicious. Layne took the chef’s recommendation, Garlic Sea Bass, also excellent. We both so enjoyed the Fried Calamari appetizer with its delicate batter and spicy dip that we had it again the second day.

The Conchal Hotel pool 

Simon and Hilda

When we reluctantly left Hacienda Pinilla, we drove north about forty-five minutes to the tiny beach town of Brasilito and spent the night at the Conchal Hotel, a charming little boutique lodge just a short walk from funky Playa Brasilito, Run by a delightfully low-key couple, Simon and Hilda, it was the perfect place to unwind and relax after the busy two days at the resort. And while we thought the food was good at Hacienda Pinilla, we were simply amazed at the fabulous fare at the Conchal’s cozy Papaya Restaurant. Chef Hilda serves a marvelous array of gourmet seafood and vegetarian dishes. Our one night there was not nearly enough to enjoy all the area offers; we certainly hope to go back soon for a longer visit.

So now we’re home and trying to settle back into our routine, with the feria tomorrow morning, the organic market on Saturday and my TCRN column due next week. But we made enough memories in the last week to sustain us for a while. Pura Vida!

Green Parrots and Monkey Pee

 With the turkey in the oven, the broccoli ready to steam and the hors d’oveures all prepped except for deviling the eggs (which I can’t do early or Layne will eat them!), I’ll take a moment to bring you readers up to date on our latest adventures. Our friend Marcy from California left on Saturday happily sporting her new set of teeth, so the last few days have been filled with writing my column for TheCostaRicaNews.com and preparing for Thanksgiving. The guest list has ranged from a high of perhaps eleven people to the expected seven or so today. Our good friends Patricia and Kevin (featured in my last post’s Halloween report) were planning to join us but, sadly, their beautiful big (and I mean big!) dog Splash is gravely ill. In fact, they may face what Layne and I had to do two years ago with our sweet Emily and have to put him down here during the holidays, making a sad anniversary for the future. Our thoughts are with them today and with Splash.

Last week we enjoyed more festive times with Patricia and Kevin as we took Marcy along on another one of our group gatherings at Playa Doña Ana, the picturesque private beach we like near Puntareñas. Earlier than usual, the capuchin monkeys showed up almost as soon as we arrived, gamboling through the trees and cautiously snatching a piece of banana from our hands before scrambling back up the branches. Marcy was thrilled since seeing monkeys was on the “bucket list” for her Costa Rica trip. As we sat at one of the covered picnic tables, chatting and munching on our snacks, the monkeys boldly climbed on the top of the roof, looking around corners at us with their intense and nearly-human black eyes. Suddenly, a splatter of liquid fell on the table next to me. We looked up to see one of the monkeys recovering from taking a pee right on the concrete table! Layne’s sunglasses took the brunt of it, with my camera barely missing a baptism. All we could do was laugh. Pura Vida indeed!

Life in our new house is comfortable, with plenty of space for the entertaining we so enjoy. We had two dinner parties the first weekend and assorted other drop-bys since then as friends and neighbors are anxious to see our new place. The bus service into Atenas is great with frequent runs throughout the day that take about fifteen minutes; with our cedula and being “seniors,” we get to ride at no charge. By timing our shopping thoughtfully, we can ride into town, shop for an hour or so, then catch the next bus back up the hill to Santa Eulalia. Excellente!

The bird wildlife around here is phenomenal, with dozens of varieties flitting through the skies and singing their melodious songs. But the stars of the show are the gorgeous emerald green parrots that soar through the air in huge flocks of twenty or thirty, screeching loudly in a chorus as they move from feasting in the cornfield below us to perching high in nearby trees. I love them and delight in watching them jet across the backyard, their exuberance a feast for the eyes and a shock to the ears. In jest, Layne says, “Where’s my shotgun?!” He claims their loud cries are too much for him, disturbing his muy tranquilo world. My response: Get over it, buddy. They were here first!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope your life is filled with blessings. Mine certainly is. Pura Vida!

New Digs in the Land of Pura Vida

Out for our first walk

We moved into our new place early last week and almost immediately had to vacate the premises so the new maid could do her work. (It’s awkward to hang around while someone is cleaning your house, you know? But her weekly services are included in the rent, so I’m not complaining!) The next day we had company over for dinner. Our friends Jackie and Neil just moved in down the road from us so we all enjoyed guacamole and hamburgers as we shared our adventures in moving. The day after that, we took the bus into San Jose to pick up our friend Marcy, here for dental work with my own dental implant hero, Dr. Alberto Meza. That weekend we had dinner guests both Saturday and Sunday evenings, meaning lots of work for the cook and dishwasher. That would be me and Layne, in that order. On Monday Layne escorted Marcy back to San Jose for more time with Dr. Meza and I began preparations (translation: liquid diet) for a routine colonoscopy while I worked on my column for The Costa Rica News, deadlined the day after that fun procedure. That would be today. Whew! Busy is a four-letter word.

So now the column is turned in and Marcy is still in the city so I’ll try to entertain you readers with our latest escapades. While we were packing to move, the annual Halloween party at Kay’s Gringo Postre rolled around and we simply had to go, albeit without much in the way of costumes. Layne did manage to stick a “Press” card in his hat, sling his fancy camera over his shoulders and tie a sign around his neck saying: “The Gringo Gazette -- Yesterday’s News Tomorrow!” I put my hair up in a sparkly butterfly clip, donned a short kimono-style jacket and called myself Madame Butterfly. Pretty lame but the best I could do in the midst of a move.

PSYCHO!!

It was a festive gathering with lots of great costumes. It’s amazing what people here can come up with. Some folks, like our friend Nancy, are so into Halloween that they brought costumes from the U.S. when they moved here. Nancy had a terrific Dorothy from the “Wizard of Oz” outfit on -- pigtailed wig, checkered pinafore, carrying her small fluffy dog, dubbed Toto for the evening. She even had the perfect sequined red pumps to click her heels together and complete the picture. But the big winners of the costume contest were Patricia and Kevin, dressed up in elaborate “Psycho” garb, complete with a PVC pipe and tinsel “shower” atop Patricia’s head, “blood” dripping down her shoulders. Kevin topped off the scene dressed as the psychotic Anthony Perkins in dowdy dress and gray wig, totting a big gory knife. It was hilarious! 

The move to the new house went smoothly enough, although we were shocked to need three pickup truck taxi trips to carry things up to Santa Eulalia. Shocked because, after all, we moved to Costa Rica less than two years ago in a couple of big suitcases. Where has all this “stuff” come from? Fortunately, our new place has an abundance of storage space, including a secure and dry concrete basement under the rancho so everything is now in its proper place and we still have a few empty drawers. It seems that, just like in our old apartment, we have gotten lucky here with some great landlords in Isaac and Sonia. They have been very solicitous in asking us if everything is to our satisfaction, adding a fire extinguisher, a bell on our gate to announce guests and trying to get the phone jack in our bedroom to work. Yesterday Sonia even brought over some delicious corn pancakes topped with natilla (sour cream) when we returned from the hospital. Their little dog Chispa (Spark), a sweet Miniature Pinscher, comes for a visit now and then, giving us the pleasures of a dog to pet without the responsibility. All in all, we’re very happy here so far.

Horses in the 'Hood

Flowering Sugarcane

Shade-grown Costa Rican Coffee

We are enjoying the beautiful country roads we have for our morning walks. Spotted with patches of sugarcane, peanuts, corn and coffee between charming Tico houses, the area is an agricultural cornucopia. Little did I know that sugarcane sprouts a huge feathery flower on top when ripening. 

Se Vende = For Sale

If you’re interested in living next door to a peanut patch, then this lot for sale on one of the side roads might be just the one for you. 

All the neighbors have been friendly, as are most Ticos, and we look forward to practicing our Spanish along the way. Already we’ve met and chatted with several Ticos as we were waiting at the bus stop for our “shuttle” into town. The bus drivers know us now so we no longer have to show our cedula (residency card) to ride for free. It seems to be a serious case of Pura Vida in Santa Eulalia de Atenas! 

All's Well that Ends Well, Even If It Takes All Day

It had to happen eventually. After all our months of successful bus and taxi trips traveling around the western part of the Central Valley of Costa Rica, the day had to come when our reliable transportation system just didn’t work. We hit that rough bump in the road last week when we tried to combine a trip to get our Costa Rican driver’s licenses with another run to Heredia to meet with the Partido Verde Ecologista (Green Political Party) guys and my publisher at The Costa Rica News. The meeting was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and the license issuing office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. so we weren’t entirely nuts to think we could do both in one day. But that logic failed to consider both the charmingly slow and inefficient Tico bureaucracy as well as the possibility of bad traffic. Add in for good measure the absence of street signs or numbers, a rainy day and a taxi driver that was clueless and I suppose it was inevitable that the day would be fouled up.

We planned to be among the first in line at Coseví, the driver’s license bureau located on the main road through Uruca, a suburb of San Jose, because we had been warned that the process could be slow. But surely, we thought, three hours would be enough and then we could easily get to Heredia in time for the meeting at 1:00 p.m. We had learned from the ARCR folks that we could catch a cab at the bus stop in front of Hospital Mexico, along the San Jose bus route that we use often, and be at Coseví within minutes. So we were up early to catch the 6:50 a.m. bus into the city, expecting to arrive at the Hospital Mexico stop well before 8:00 a.m. But traffic along the Panamerican highway at that hour was a bear, much worse than we expected, so it was already past 8 o’clock when Hospital Mexico came into view. OK, so we won’t be the first in line. Not that it mattered as we soon discovered.

Coseví is a big complex but we were quickly met by an English-speaking Tico in front who instructed us to walk to the last building on the right to apply for a first-time license. It was quite a distance and I was, unfortunately, not in comfortable walking shoes, but we hurried along anyway, still hoping for a place at the front of the line. When we reached the Coseví office, looking a little bewildered no doubt, as I was mentally formulating the needed Spanish phrases, a Tica was quick to offer help -- in English, thank goodness. She led us up to the official-looking fellow at the door who, after checking over our paperwork, informed us that although we had the right documents -- our California licenses, our Costa Rican cedulas (residency cards) and our medical forms, which had been completed by our local medic, Doctor Candy -- we also needed copies of these documents. The place to do that was all the way back at the main entrance where we had started.

We walked...

And walked...

And walked!

Finally... the Cosevi office!

We thanked our Tica Samaritan and began the hike back up the sidewalk to the front where the copy office was. Copies made, we hiked back to the Coseví office (our third trip, now) and were seated in the back row of a hospital-sterile room with five rows of perhaps 15 seats each. As we watched, persons in the first four rows quickly moved along, as lights came on above one of several cubicles where the first set of bureaucrats was waiting. But our row never moved at all. After a half hour of this, Layne and I looked at each other with concern. Were we in the lepers’ row or something? What was the deal? A young Nicaraguan man sitting next to me seemed to have the same question and when he asked the Tico next to him, we learned that foreigners wait until the locals file through. With a shrug of our shoulders, we settled in for a long wait.

So we waited. And waited. Until finally, at about 10:15 the uniformed official led the first four people from our row to the upstairs office. When it was our turn, Layne and I watched as a bored bureaucrat stamped our papers, then scrawled his very intricate and time-consuming signature.

But we were far from done. The next step involved our fourth walk back out to the main road to pay our 4000 colones, or about $8.00, at a bank. First we went to Banco de Costa Rica, but there we found all the windows closed for lunch. We hurried on to Banco Nacional, paid our fees, and once again, trudged back down the long sidewalk to the Coseví office, where we at last had our photos taken and got our new licenses.

But by now, it was after noon and we would be hard-pressed to make our 1 o’clock meeting. We hopped in a taxi for what we thought would be a quick trip to the Heredia bus station in San Jose. Silly us. Even at noon, traffic in the city was a nightmare. Our taxi driver turned down one street only to find a big truck blocking the entire street as it eased backwards into a driveway. Minutes ticked by, as did the taxi meter, while our driver tried to squeeze through the pile of cars. Finally, the truck moved enough for us to pass and on we went to the location we thought was the right one. But when we arrived, it was not the Herediana bus company so we urged our driver on, hoping to find the yellow buses, which would take us directly to our destination. We wandered aimlessly it seemed to us but eventually, the driver found the buses and finally we were on our way to Heredia.

We arrived at The Costa Rica News, amazingly only 25 minutes late, and spent a couple of hours discussing how to help the Green Party raise the money they need for an upcoming trip to Brazil, where they will be inducted into the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas, quite a big coup for them. As the meeting ended, torrential rains began. Oh great. Layne and I had not had lunch so huddled under our umbrellas, we scurried into the next-door restaurant for a bite to wait out the rains. Another big mistake.

By the time we caught our bus, it was rush hour and the bus was frequently delayed in our drive across the city to the Alajuela bus station, hoping to catch the 5:30 bus back to Atenas. Not a chance. In fact, with the rain storm, streets full of traffic and apparently an accident ahead that had us at a standstill for many long minutes, we were actually lucky to get to the station in time for the 6:30 bus. When we finally made it back to our cozy little apartment, we sighed in relief. At times like this, Pura Vida is an elusive concept. 

Arenal Adventures and Jaco Tacos

It seems like all I do lately is sit here at the computer screen checking airfares to the U.S. With summer just around the corner, Layne and I are trying to make plans but the air ticket prices are just ridiculous! (See my latest column for TheCostaRicaNews.com for more on this.) And it’s a moving target. Just when I think I’ve found a reasonable fare on something other than a “red-eye,” the next day the cost has gone up another $25 or more. It’s nuts!

But since this is such a quiet week here in Costa Rica with Semana Santa (Easter Week) closing everything down like a nuclear disaster, it seems a good time to continue my report on our vacation trip with Sue and Christine. After such a wonderful few days at Bahia Rica (see my last post for details), we reluctantly headed for the ferry again on Sunday morning in time for Thomas to pick up the next arriving sport-fishing guests. Once on the Puntarenas side, we taxied to our rental car pick-up spot and headed up the road toward Lake Arenal.

Lake Arenal

Angling northwest from the magnificent and still active Arenal Volcano, the lake is the largest land-locked body of water in Costa Rica, with a surface covering nearly 33 square miles and a depth of some 200 feet. The hydroelectric dam, which tripled the size of the original lake back in 1979, now provides about 12% of the country’s electric energy. The beautiful rolling pastureland and green forests that surround the lake attract a large number of tourists and also provide home to many expats who prefer the area’s cooler temperatures. With dependable winds for much of the year, the lake is a magnet for windsurfers and sailboarders. Because of the popularity of kayaking on the vast waters, we thought we would be able to tackle another paddling adventure during our stay there.

The dramatic facade of Hotel Tilawa

But this was not to be. Our choice of Hotel Tilawa turned out to be a mini-disaster. In working on his novel, Layne had researched hotels in the Arenal area because one of the book’s main characters owns property there. This hotel had come to his attention via the Internet and one of the scenes in the novel takes place there. Photos of the hotel and activities offered on the website made it sound ideal for our three-day stay. Although Hotel Tilawa has an interesting history, features a dramatic Minoan theme and some nice views, the website definitely exaggerated the facilities. Too windy for kayaking, no direct access to the Lake, a spa that needed an hour to warm up and pool cues that lacked tips: these were just some of the challenges we faced. And incredibly, with dozens of rooms on two floors, a large sitting area with a working fireplace, huge swimming pool, organic garden, microbrewery on the premises and more, we were the only guests! The eccentric proprietor J.P., who built the place 18 years ago, and his family live there, along with a few Tico workers but that’s about it. J.P. quickly made it clear that he is tired of running the hotel and his children seem uninterested in taking over from him. No wonder the place has gone to seed. As Sue and Christine, who are budding screenplay writers, described it: Hotel Tilawa was "The Shining" meets "Night of the Iguana" via a minotaur's labyrinth, complete with murals of bare breasted Cretan maidens jumping over bulls!

J.P. is in his early forties, a tall, rangy man  of very strong opinions who displayed a fast-talking, insensitive and cynical nature that I particularly found annoying. Try to ask him a question and before you can finish, he is speeding ahead, talking over you, assuming he knows what you want. His focus seems to be perfecting the recipes for his microbrewery, and by the way, sampling those products frequently throughout the day. Layne and I spent an interesting hour talking with him and his brewmaster after dinner discussing beer-making, politics and the internships advertised on the hotel website. Whereas we had once entertained the idea of applying for one, we soon changed our minds.

Our reservation was for a two-bedroom suite, but that turned out to be unsuitable because there was only one bed in each room and Sue and Christine preferred not to share. J.P. was kind enough to offer us separate rooms at the same price, but when Sue and Christine looked at this second choice, they discovered that the bathroom was infested with small ants. When we mentioned this to J.P., he shrugged and said, “Well, they were here first,” adding, “There are lots of bugs in Costa Rica. Most won’t hurt you.” No offer of a different room despite the fact they were all empty. Go figure.

As cocktail hour arrived, we asked for ice. None was available but J.P.’s wife valiantly stabbed at a frozen chunk in a bowl, reducing it to pieces still somewhat large for a glass. Nevertheless, we managed to mix drinks in our room before coming down for dinner. As the only guests, we were painfully aware of just how much staff was required for only four people. No wonder J.P. seemed happy to see us leave the next day, cutting short our visit.

The morning hike downhill; watch for barbed wire!

The best part of Hotel Tilawa was Gabriel, an altogether pleasant young Tico who works very hard to make guests feel comfortable. Friendly and personable, he built a fire for us and sat chatting enthusiastically about the various tours he could arrange. But by then we were leery about the place so we put off a decision, opting instead for a hike down to the lake the next morning. After searching around for the trail, we headed down the steep and densely wooded hill, crawling through barbed wire fences, only to discover there was no access to the lake. ICE, the electricity company that owns Lake Arenal, has fenced around it. J.P. had neglected to mention that when we got to the road, we should turn right to reach an entrance. No wonder Hotel Tilawa’s former popularity with windsurfers has dwindled to nothing.

Needless to say, the hike was aborted and Sue and I headed quickly back uphill to check out, get the car and return to pick up Layne and Christine. Halfway up the slope, huffing and puffing, we realized the other two had our room keys and Layne had the car key! But those difficulties were short-lived and with apologies to J.P. (who actually seemed relieved), we were soon off in our rental car, heading for the beach. Onward to Jaco, where we always have a good time. This trip was no exception. 

Pool and courtyard at the Flamboyant Hotel

"Flamboyant" Orchids

Sisters Sue and Christine on their balcony

We discovered a new hotel, the Flamboyant, located right on the beach, with lovely gardens, a great pool and a guarded parking lot. With a friendly and courteous staff, the Flamoyant is our new favorite. We also found a cool taco bar nearby, cleverly named Taco Bar, with fabulous fish tacos and a great breakfast. After two comfortable nights at the Flamboyant, a couple of delicious seafood dinners and hours lounging by the pool, we were ready for the trip back to Atenas.

Dinner out in Jaco

Jaco Surfer

Sunset at Jaco Beach

 Unfortunately, the second morning in Jaco, Layne awoke with a sore throat, which developed into a major sinus infection and put him out of commission. Within days, I was also a bit under the weather as well. That turn of events meant that Sue and Christine spent the last few days of their visit off in San Jose without us. But at least they were able to enjoy several excellent tours of cool tourist spots and museums that they had hoped to visit. All in all, it was a fun trip with good friends.