Peninsula de Nicoya...wrapped.

Meet Nelle and Derek. Pictured here at Playa Tamarindo

 Before I jump into my weekend of laughter, sun, bugs and MONKEYS, it's important I give a little background and a lot of credit to these two. (I can just imagine these two squirming about the mushiness I am about to give, but too bad, HAPPENING) Nelle and Derek have been traveling, working, and volunteering the last two and half years in southern and central America. They both earned TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and started working in Buenos Aires. From BA they made their way up to central America, traveling and volunteering in between work. They then stationed themselves in Panama City for more teaching and this last month volunteered on a farm in Costa Rica using machetes to cut down bananas, creating grey water systems and barely escaping GIANT TARANTULAS. If you haven't already decided yet, I'll decide for you, Nelle and Derek are really cool, and truly inspiring. I can honestly say if it had not been for these two world travelers I would not have had the guts to venture out on my own. I met both of them in Eugene while I was attending school and working and we have become very close throughout the years. They have both been tremendous resources and support for my plans to come central...since our first music festival together in 2010  we have had a running joke where I will call them Mom and Dad. (It's the cute version of third wheel) ;)  It was really important to me and I'll speak for them, Nelle and Derek, that we get some time together abroad since I have been talking and drooling over their photos and stories for so long! Also, as you will view via photos, if you ever get the opportunity to be in a kitchen with these two, do not pass it up! Derek is an incredible cook!

Our adventure began in San Jose where Nelle and Derek stayed in Galileo Hostel and I met them there from my house. You know you're in good company when seeing each other feels so right and as much as you have missed them,  you pick up right where you left off, laughing and sharing and celebrating!!! We walked around a bit and ended up drinking a few beers at the hostel and was treated to a hot fudge pickle shot (treated is not the right word, but it was free, so we took it) and said our see you laters fairly early. We had a 5:00 am wake up call to catch the bus to Montezuma on Wednesday morning. San Jose to Montezuma was close to four hours on a bus, with a two hour ferry ride in between. The trip to Montezuma cost 7,500 colones (about $15)

   I instantly fell in love with Montezuma !! A perfect get-away hot spot and while we were there, not too busy! 

This was our Montezuma paradise for two nights! CASACOLORES

Photo credit Delly. Our blue cabin at Casacolores

The view from the left at our cabin.

This guy! Dog of the hostel owners, he came around every time we started cooking!

First Montezuma dinner-gluten free pasta with pesto and salad. (The dog wasn't impressed with this meal, but WE WERE)

Poolside!

Paradise!

He's back. I think this photo documents the first wrap meal of our vacation. Nelle counted a total of 7 wraps per person by the end of our time spent working on our stomachs.

Breakfast in Paradise at our blue house-eggs and sausage wrap with coffee and fruit smoothie!

We spent Wednesday in Montezuma, after the long trip, thinking about food and enjoying the pool. For lunch we ate at a restaurant where I had my first hamburger, my first red meat, since I've been here! It was really good, I have been having dreams about red meat so I'm glad I could finally make it happen.  We bought our dinner groceries and spent the rest of Wednesday at our hostel. Not only have I walked away from this trip with laugh lines and heat rash, but Derek and Nelle also taught me a few card games that kept us highly entertained. (Really entertaining the first two nights because I kept on winning) ;) The juegas de cartas included King's corners , President , and Golf. I also spent both evenings in Montezuma swatting at large flying beetle bugs that sounded like helicopters coming towards you and a constant fear a bat was going to slam right into my face. It never happened, but I was on edge, Sangria helped the fear. On Thursday, Nelle and her expertise at planning, had read about waterfalls we had to check out while we were in Montezuma. We weren't in any rush and ended up taking more advantage of the pool in the morning for a couple of hours, it was really hard to say no to pool time. Eventually nature and moving around started calling us, and so happy it did because we found the spot! The walk to the waterfalls was ROUGH, three long steep hills, but honestly, I don't even remember that part now, how sticky I was, how jello my legs felt, because halfway through the second steep hill, we heard and saw MONKEYS!!! You can see video of the monkeys we saw here compliment of Derek. On Thursday night we went into town to check out the nightlife. We ended up bonding with a dog, drinking a couple of beers and then getting a ride back to our hostel in a taxi. The taxi driver proceeded to drive the taxi in reverse the 1 km to our hostel because he was almost out of gas!

MONKEYS!

Photo credit Delly. Nelle and I waiting for the bus by our hostel to get closer to the falls.

 

Rope swing action in the waterfall swimming hole!

Photo credit Delly. On top of Montezuma, on our way to the waterfall swimming hole.

MONTEZUMA!!! Photo credit Delly.

True love!!!

As I mentioned it only cost about $15.00 to get to Montezuma from San Jose taking public transportation. Trying to exit Montezuma to head to our next spot turned out to be a bit of an adventure and a little more money. 

Playa Tamarindo  

After investigating several tourist shuttles, studying maps and talking with the hostel owner we decided to rent a car from Montezuma to Tamarindo. It was going to cost the three of us the same amount to take a shuttle so we decided to add a private road trip to our Costa Rica vacay. 

Things I learned from our rental car experience:  

I can be a naive gringa princess. I didn't carry a copy or my passport with me because I thought, hey, we aren't leaving Costa Rica, I won't need it. WRONG. Siempre Siempre (Always Always) have a copy or original with you at all times. Just because I know I didn't enter the country illegally, doesn't mean the policia know, yes, I have a stamp! I was giving too much credit to my friendly face. I was asked to show my passport by the rental car company and that's when I realized, wow, yeah I should have that with me. Thankfully I have wonderful room mates and Danny took photos and sent them to my e-mail so I had a computer copy handy. Also thankfully, my nice, warm and friendly face and demeanor allowed Harry, our rental car associate, to still let us rent the car and I could send the photos later! (or it could have been the fact he already drove an hour to deliver the car, either way either way, thank you vacation gods!) 

There are no wrong turns when you are in good company. We headed out one way, turned around a couple of times, ended up at a ferry at one point, and stopped several times to ask for directions. Thankfully Derek is and was a great driver and Nelle is and was a great navigator. I was stationed in the back for comedic relief. ;) It took us longer to get to Tamarindo than we had thought, but it didn't matter, because awaiting us was a great hostel with a pool and a kitchen for Derek to cook in! Yeeeeeeee! 

 

Photo credit Delly. Our room in Tamarindo. The Chocolate Hostel

 

Delicious fruit salad prepared by Nelle!

FEAST!!! Cous cous hidden under a melody of veggies, including fried eggplant! Thank you Derek! Both Derek and Nelle inspired me to do more in the kitchen than rice & beans!

After this delicious dinner, pool time and more card game action we decided to venture out and see what the night life of Tamarindo had to offer. We ended up at a bar called Monkeys N Midgets. It wasn't PC but it did have cheap beer and a dance floor surrouned by a rock wall. While we were there, we did not see any Monkeys or Midgets...just so you know. 

 

 

We left Monkeys n Midgets a little after 1:00 am and decided it was be a good time to check out the beach we were going to spend the day at on Saturday. Derek had more in mind than just checking out the beach, he decided to drop his drawers, yell out PURA VIDA and streak to swim the ocean. ADVENTURE !!! Nelle and I were in complete shock and we laughed ourselves silly on the walk back to the hostel. 

Saturday we spent the entire day at the beach! It was a perfect last day together. We swam in the bath water ocean, we played Frisbee with a Tupperware container, I climbed on things and we had a lot of fun on those beach swings! After a lot of fun in the sun we were famished! (We did have delicious breakfast wraps in the morning made by Derek, but laughing and sunning and swimming takes a lot out of you!) We ate at BBQ place. I had smoked fish tacos with tropical coleslaw, YUM! Nelle and Derek also got the fish tacos and split a pulled-pork sandwich that was really tasty! Tamarindo was an extreme tourist spot compared to Montezuma. There were more shops, different variety of food, BBQ for example, a lot of which were owned by gringos. It is low season in Costa Rica so there were not a lot of people in either locations. I had the best time exploring these two places in Costa Rica because I had the best company! We ended our vacation in Liberia. Nelle and Derek flew out on Sunday and they are now in Guatemala on their last leg of their 2.5 year abroad. I arrived back in San Jose by bus.  In case you're wondering...yes we did have a wrap Saturday night and for breakfast Sunday morning. I am on an all wrap and meat diet.

My next Costa Rica move is to go here as a volunteer, I am leaving Friday. I am really looking forward to my time at the farm! Stay tuned for farm life stories and pictures. PURA VIDA