Central America ..Part 1 of Costa Rica....Endless Summer...Pura Vida....Do you know the way to San José (Costa Rica)?.....changing plans on the fly .....is what we do.... standing 2 hours on the bus ...was worth it...Samara!

Prologue

....Travel changes to. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often though, they hurt. .... .......Anthony Bourdain

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Pura Vida from Costa Rica!

Welcome back!  We've moved on from Zihuatanejo, Mexico and have flown into Costa Rica. Our plans are pretty simple...get out of San José quickly and find some of that super natural beauty that Costa Rica is famous for.....

Use the map as a reference

We fly into Juan Santamaria Airport located in Alajuela (outside of San José) and spend the night at a hotel minutes from the airport. 

As usual, we have no real definite plans apart from getting out of the San José area heading west and exploring north, all the while traveling on local buses.

We find a bus station nearby and grab one heading to Puntarenas on the west coast to catch a ferry to the Nicoya Peninsula.

Arriving in Puntarenas, we discover the ferry we want to take is out of service. So, changing plans on the spot, we backtrack to the Pan-Am highway, where there's a bus going north. Our taxi drives rockets along, going down side roads and blasting past police trucks in an effort to get us there in time.

The Bus to Samara (via Nicoya)

Our 2 hour bus ride north to Nicoya is so full, we stand for the entire 2 hour ride! Welcome to local transport.

After we're dropped off on the highway we search for the (our last) bus for Samara beach town.

Samara Town

A 45 minute bus ride takes us to Samara. The busy little town is filled with long termers and more younger people traveling than we've seen in some time, plus horses that wander freely down main street when they are not working... 

Set on a postcard perfect beach front (then....what Costa Rica beach isn't?) Samara town is filled with bars, accommodation and eateries (called 'sodas'). It looks like paradise after our 7 hours on the road.

We find a great, quiet hotel for about $50 (American)....a few blocks off the beach. The only noise that intrudes our room fan are from the howler monkeys in the trees down the block.

We meet some great people and even someone (Sophia) who lives at Christina Lake during the summer, just minutes from our own home town.

Typical bus stop

 Playa Carrillo

As busy as Samara is...Playa Carrillo is tranquillo. The kilometers long stretch of beach is a 7 km bus from Samara town. With little services, apart from chair rentals and take out food that's delivered via motorcycle, it's a perfect spot for local residents to hang out for the day.

Beach vendor

Typical homes... 

Samara eats: granola and yogurt and Gallo pinto (fried rice and beans with eggs,  fried plantains and tortillas) 

This is basically a $10 (American) breakfast

Prices are close to home. Apart from local transport, which is a good deal, everything is on par with anything at home. It feels like Hawaii for Central America.

Despite the cost of living, many people seem to have settled in or winter here.

Street vendors 

A beach visitor

After a week of chillin' and watching iguanas eat leftovers, it's time to leave Samara and continue north. We plan to bus towards Playa Coco- Playa Hermosa and check that area out.

Pura Vida for now.

Shayne y Yvonne 

Random Photos 

Back to Mexico.....Zihuatenejo...(Not the Shawshank Redemption beach)...this little beach town grows on you...

....Throw your dreams into space like a kite... and you do not know what it will bring back.... a new life... a new friend... a new love... a new country .... Anais Nin

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Hola to all......we are back on the road....join us...if you wish...

                                        Mexico....The Beaches...

If the coastline of Mexico is her necklace, then the beaches are her shining gemstones.....a lover's gift....they dazzle and shine....all sizes, shapes... the sand soft to touch....golden, brown...even black...the grains ....fine or coarse...slip through fingers easily...like talcum powder on a naked back ......wild and free.... civilized and tame...the hidden coves ..... glistening bays.... they frame her voluptuous body... showcasing her curves and ...... granting passage to her hidden valleys...rough....smooth....polished...

.....here... the wind....sun.... sea.... burnish the skin bronze....the hair free... thoughts are cleansed... visions enhanced.... futures are crystallized... bodies press...

.....these gems are those places where romance takes hold.....passion erupts... dreams begin....from the long walks on quiet beaches....skirting incoming tides... surrendering to the warm surf and pounding waves.... to a lazy hammock day....the beaches of Mexico are......where a heart beat begins .....and the wonder of the green flash at day's end remains....SK

...Excerpt from our blog... Backpacks and Flipflops....The Highway 200 trip

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Anyway...it's 2018.....and we've decided to revisit .... Zihuatenejo .....one of our favourite beach towns in Mexico.....

Located way south of Puerto Vallarta (PV) ...north of Acapulco... Zihuatenejo is a smaller, less of everything version of PV.

Located on a great bay with a backdrop of mountains that frame the town....this is a place that has it all....sun....beaches....food... entertainment...and less of crowds....noise... traffic....that is starting to overwhelm PV...

Somehow the downtown core continues to hold a small town feel....with great music, food, drink and services all within walking distance.

We're here a little longer than our usual 3-4 days and the town is a great place for long-term stays. We've rented a pretty basic, safe, clean Airbnb called Pino Comfort for about $30 Can/night.  Close to Centro, quiet and there's even a great little cantina around the corner.  Perfect for us.

We even have time for Spanish lessons. With a bit of searching and emails we find a great teacher, Valeria for cinco dias....dos horas por dia.  We meet at the El Rincon Del Cafe over a leisurely meal and coffees.

Zihuatenejo Beaches....

The town has easy access to a number of beaches...

Las Gatas Beach

....located across the bay from Centro....this beach is just a short 50 peso ride from town. You can also walk from Playa La Ropa along a slightly rugged shore-line path.  Gentle water for swimming and lots of palapas and chairs to soak up the sun. The rock boulder breakwater keeps the wave action on the beach to a minimum.

For the more adventurous....there is a sunken statue of Jesus to swim out to offshore. It stands 4 metres tall and is 1.5 metres below the surface of the water with a large floating water bottle marking its spot.  Mornings are best for viewing with calmer waters and less snorkelers. In addition,  there is an historical anchor and bell in the waters in front of the breakwater that are easily seen with a mask and snorkel.

Madera Beach
..... it's an easy 10 minute walk from town along the shore pathway. There's more surf, but still plenty safe for little ones to run around in the water's edge.

Madera is also where a number of long term apartments and hotels can be found. Irma's...one of the original hotels is still in operation overlooking  Madera Beach.

Playa La Ropa
...this is about a 10 minute collectivo ride 8.5 pesos/ or a 40 peso taxi. This the longest of the beaches. Flat for walking or running, it is also home to plenty of lodgings. Night life and entertainment is virtually non existent after the sun goes down. Tranquillo...is the rule ...unless you BYOB.

Finally....there are a number of beaches a short bus or taxi ride from Zihuatanejo.....Ixtapa Island...Troncones....Barra de Potosi....

Zihuatenejo....a town worth considering...

                                                Additional Random Photos

And now, it's on to a new country,  a new adventure...

Hasta Luego 

Shayne  y Yvonne