June 13, 2023, We left Nicaragua and headed to Costa Rica. We had already made plans to go to Hotel Riu Guanacaste for Eli's birthday but we decided to leave a smidge earlier due to the "aguaceros." First stop, Playa de Cocos, just south of Liberia Airport. Our airbnb needed to have 2 rooms, 3 beds, a kitchen, washer and pool. It had everything we needed. But it wasn't the 20 acre farm in Masatepe with vast amount of land, a view and serenity. This was tight living quarters with one condo right on top of another in a maze of condos, sidewalks and more. Fortunately the pool was immaculate (severely chlorinated) and refreshing. We were also within walking distance of the beach. But we were not "safe" walking distance from anything else. This was not a sidewalk friendly town so we ended up renting a golf cart from Island Golf Cart rentals. Brain, a Canadian, was such a blessing! Super nice guy who gave us a great deal! Talk to him in person and the deals can be made!
We had such fun having a golf cart. The boys loved it, especially Enzo! In fact, Enzo would have rather sit in the golf cart than go back into the condo even if a thunderstorm loomed overhead.
I did find a former affiliate of CrossFit called Coco Gym Fitness. I signed up for 8 classes for $80. That was a hard penny to swallow but hey, I got my fitness in. It took 30 minutes to walk there, which ended up being a nice warm up and "me" time. The workouts were well programmed and the classes were small.
Aside from the congested condos cluttering this beach town, the people were a little different than in Nicaragua. I got whistled at a lot. Someone asked me if I wanted to "Wang Chung Tonight" 😂😂😂and I even once got called "baby."😝 This never happened in Nicaragua. Also, when I went food shopping there were a group of teenagers goofing off loudly inside the grocery store. Again, never in Nicaragua during our stay. Everyone was glued to their phone and didn't really look up to smile or say hi. Costa Rica was very expensive. I spent about $50 on a lunch near the beach, in a crowded restaurant. The area felt like it had a large North American influence. Just a significant difference from our little farm life in Masatepe.
After celebrating Eli's birthday at Hotel Riu we headed to Tamarindo, a place the people of Playa de Cocos called a party town and not for families. Funny, we actually liked Tamarindo way better than Playa de Cocos. We found a townhome squeezed inside another conglomerate of tourist accommodations where going to the pool was a bit of a claustrophobic experience as the pool had no space around it, as the high rise townhomes loomed over the pool area. But the townhome itself was a newly renovated breath of fresh air that we enjoyed during our stay. It was walking distance to everything we needed, a safe walk for everyone, including Enzo! This made Tamarindo a much better place that suited us well. The locals and North Americans mixed well and made our stay enjoyable. Still on the expensive side, we were able to enjoy our stay by visiting the beach every chance we could. This was also where I got to see my sweet friend Jen, who came down to Costa Rica from Colorado. Boy it was so good to see her and her girls before we left for Atenas, in the central mountains of Costa Rica, just 30 minutes north of the San Jose Airport.
Breckyn was so upset her new best friend was already leaving. Eli and Breckyn are besties!
The day we met up with Jen, the water heater went out (and water) at our townhome and we were forced to not be in our home. No water, no toilet, no nothing. Jen, our angel of a friend, offered us to stay at her place. And what a place it was! Complete with a separate building for our family and a yoga deck up high. Our little of family of 4 were well taken care of with the generosity of Jen and her girls.
The kiddos dancing in the rain while we waited for our Argentinian food in Costa Rica 😆
I love love love getting together with good friends.
Enzo could not get enough of the ocean in Tamarindo!
Eli really worked on his skills with the boogie board. He loves it so much! He would have stayed in the water all day and night if he could.
Eli had an extra board for Layla and they had a blast!
Hey Jen, mom time!
Breckyn ran and ran and ran and when we got in the car in a matter of seconds she was asleep! Ahhhh, the life of a little 4 year old!
Mimosa bucket at Noi Bistro in Tamarindo. Not a bad way to start the day....not bad at all! Man, Jen and I did NOT have enough time together! Can't wait to visit her again!
Oops, more pics from Playa de Cocos below.....still learning how to blog....
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