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August 15, 2007
Pura Vida - Día Uno
For those that don't know, I spent the last week of July on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica en La Playa Tamarindo (well, actually La Playa Langosta, just beyond Tamarindo). Over the next few days I'll try to write everything that you really didn't want to know about the trip..
The overall flight to Costa Rica was a bit shorter than I thought it would be. Obviously it is a short flight from Charleston to Atlanta. In Atlanta we had a long enough layover to grab a bite to eat before boarding our flight to Liberia, Costa Rica. Note to all of you who might one day go to Costa Rica in the future (take me!): Eat at the airport before you leave. Other than some snacks on the plane it's likely going to be the last good chance to eat for a while. The flight from Atlanta was about 3.5 hours--and very comfortable due to the lack of passengers.
I'll admit that I expected a bit more from the airport. The airport consists of not much more than a couple hangars with some really big fans and a small control tower. The hangar on the left housed the 'boarding gates' on one side and check-in on the other. The hangar on the right side was used for immigration, baggage claim, and customs. With only one plane coming in at a time our trip through immigration and customs was fairly quick. Once through customs you enter the gauntlet of Tico's trying to sell you stuff. We were picked up here to be taken to the rental car company. Here's another tip. It's a good idea to pay your $26 Exit Tax at the airport when you arrive because it will likely be quicker than when you leave and are trying not to miss your flight. You may also be able to be pay this in the town in which you are staying (we payed it in Tamarindo).
Renting a car in Costa Rica seemed a bit worse than actually buying a car..or a house. The selection was nothing to write home about.
The trip from Liberia to Tamarindo is slow going..though the narrow road is actually paved the whole way (no painted lines however). The drive takes a little over an hour and there isn't much to stop and see along the way, excluding the only 2 gas stations between Tamarindo and Liberia.
The main street in Tamarindo is made of paving blocks. The rest of the unnamed roads consist of potholes and dirt..mud when it rains. This time of the year is known as the wet/rainy season so we saw our fair share of muddy roads. I so wish I had my Jeep on several occasions.
Upon arriving in Tamarindo, we sought out food in an outdoor (that's a common theme) restaurant called the Copacabana, no relation to the nightclub. The food was good, but it brings about another tip for those traveling to Costa Rica. Be Patient. Nothing in Costa Rica is quick.
After food we checked into our villa. When you walk through the private gate the first thing you see is a pool with a fountain and a sitting area where you could enjoy the sun, heat, and humidity of Costa Rica. The downstairs consisted of a tv room/living area, dining room, full kitchen, and master suite. Upstairs were two bedrooms that each slept two. The main problem with the house was the lack of central air. The three bedrooms were the only climate controlled rooms. Of the four bathrooms in the house, none had AC, and three were practically outside. When it rained, you could just about take a shower without turning on the water..
We made a trip to the Supermercado for some food and snacks where we tried to figure out how best to convert colons to dollars so we knew how much we were paying for our Cheerios. Luckily most everywhere took Visa and Mastercard, and if they didn't, they would take US dollars (a lot of prices in some stores and restaurants were actually in dollars).
Just before the sun went down we took a short walk on the beach. Despite the two hour time difference, the sun came up and set close the the same time it does in South Carolina. So the sun rises and sets very early in Costa Rica. As the sun went down, so did we.
Posted by mhader at August 15, 2007 6:30 PM
Comments
You're back! And I am so jealous of your trip. I would like to be magically transported to that villa so I can spend today out by the pool.
Posted by: Mary at August 16, 2007 9:39 AM
Any chance we'll get a gallery update from your trip as well?
Posted by: Jeremy at August 16, 2007 11:41 AM
There will not likely be a gallery update any time soon. I need to switch web hosts so I have enough space to upload pictures. I only have 50MB free..I will however make my pictures available soon.
Posted by: michael at August 16, 2007 6:21 PM