The Real Costa Rica
Well we are here, a little over a full 24 hours and this is what we have learned so far.
1. There is a lot of poverty here, at least there was during the drive from the airport to Flamingo.
2. It is very beautiful around here, especially here in Playa Flamingo.
3. It is hot and it has been windy (Thank you Lord) the whole time we have been here.
4. There are iguanas and monkeys around here, and we have seen both. We have not seen the snakes or jaugars or other creatures yet.
5. There are a lot of ants around here, a lot! And I hate ants, so they are dying as fast as I can find them, but they keep coming back.
6. I still get very sunburned very quickly, and Tracy does a little and she likes it, I don’t.
7. Finally, driving here is very very interesting; and adventure in and of itself. Apparently, double yellow lines mean the opposite of what they do in America, you MUST pass! No matter if you are a 30 foot bus or motorcycle on a blind of corner, that is a good time to pass. Further, the roads are “hangouts” for the locals. Not the side of the road, but right on the road. See a friend, stop in the middle of the road and start chatting. No one cares, no one honks, they just drive right by. Oh and the speed limit is in kilometers, but again, I think whatever the posted speed limit is, you are suppose to triple that. So if the speed limit is 60 kilometers, which is common, then you should drive around 180 kilometers, and the skinnier and more packed the road is with people, the faster you should drive, especially if you are in a giant bus.
Yes we are having a great time, driving keeps me on my toes, but everything else is very relaxing. Most of the people have been very friendlly and we had an awesome meal tonight at El Coconut in Tamarindo. We can hear the waves on the beach from our house, and it takes about 5 minutes walking to get to the beach from our house. We brought home with us four cantelopes for $2.00, and I could have got them for cheaper, but it was about a 12 year old kid selling em, so I gave him full price. It has been a culture shock for sure, but with every hour that passes, we like it more and more, except for my head burning. We will keep you updated.
Now onto some pics of our journey so far.
Scenes from the drive to Flamingo
more scenes from our first drive
Mr. Black iguana was in our driveway to greet us
Views from our place
Enjoying the pool, very hot.
From our patio right outside our door
Self portrait near our pool
Mano Congo near a shop we went to.
If you look closely you should see 5 or 6 manos.
I think I can feel the sun…I think it’s the sun, maybe it just the personal heater coming on.
Enjoy your trip guys…
February 21, 2009 at 10:36 pm
We are trying, we have to take a day off from the sun today, I got fried yesterday, so we will explore.
February 22, 2009 at 5:58 am
Hey glenn,
It appears there are many driving similarities between costa rica and sri lanka.. I’ve thought i was going to meet my end countless times here. The poverty is definitely a shock, but also pretty handy when you have some American dollars. Hope you don’t get too burned! I know i am..
-Brad
February 22, 2009 at 3:51 am
Wow! That is an amazing view! I’m so happy for you guys. (or is it jealousy?…)
February 22, 2009 at 5:56 am
It is pretty phenomenal, and the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach below, pretty annoying.
February 22, 2009 at 5:57 am
How much did that plate of food cost?
February 22, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Wow, your place looks impossibly wonderful! I can imagine all of your cares and worries could easily blow away in the wind. It has been so sunny here but sill about +25 degrees. We went to Homer yesterday but stayed inside most of the time. We enjoy reading about your trip!
Pastor
February 22, 2009 at 1:57 pm
It us a pretty amazing view and pool and beach! Too bad I got charred already. More to come tonight.
February 22, 2009 at 3:55 pm
What a beautiful Costa Rican home base you found; love the pool, patio and beach… and am so happy to hear that you’re having such a wonderful time. It sounds like the food has been fantastic as well. Tracy, you are such a beautiful lady! And it’s lovely that your husband says so as well. Continued safe travel to you both. Thanks for sharing!
March 4, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Thanks Terri! She is quite a cutie, and it is her birthday today, so we are going to her favorite restaurant, Mar Y Sol, it is excellent. Great to hear from you and we have tons more pics and videos when we get home, way too many to put on the blog.
March 5, 2009 at 5:50 am
Glad you two can enjoy such a special vacation in a unique part of the world. This is a far cry from our Alaska winter right now. Quite the adventure you two have been experiencing!
March 4, 2009 at 11:11 pm
It has been good for us for sure. If we could figure out how to pack up our kids, friends and church, we would bring you all down here and stay!! There are boars and deer for hunting you know.
March 5, 2009 at 5:49 am
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