The main image (seen above) is of a few fires we saw the other night. Being in Costa Rica during the dry season means we see fires (or at least smoke) almost every day. It is a bit disconcerting, but they are always well contained and don’t pose a real threat. I’ve never lived anywhere that gets as dry as it has been here, so wild/brush fires aren’t something I’ve had to deal with. While most of the fires are far away from us, it is always uncomfortable when you smell the smoke and even more so when you can see it at night.
Once Katy and Kenzie left, things went (somewhat) back to normal. Noah woke up to a couple packages on Valentine’s Day, one from Ken and I, and the other from my mom who was sneaky and sent a gift back with Ken in January when he had traveled for work.
Since it was a “holiday” AND we were all still pooped from our visitors, Noah and I took another break from school. I temper my worries about his education by reminding myself: he reads at a 3rd or 4th grade level (I haven’t assessed him in awhile), we’ve moved on to 2nd grade math, and he carries on conversation with animal experts on the regular here in Costa Rica. One day of break is fine. Right? Right…
It was a pretty low-key day. We went to lunch at our casado place, hung out around the pool, and relaxed at home. For dinner Ken made reservations at La Dulce Vita. I saw an advertisement earlier in the week for the Pueblito (little plaza/town center near the condo), where a handful of our favorite restaurants are, as well as the condo company office. The restaurants all got together to hire a reggae band from Argentina to perform. Nothing I enjoy more than delicious food AND reggae. So Ken knew it was a win. I also may have taken a screenshot of the advertisement and sent it to him with the message: “Take me here.” The band, Binghiman and the Natives, was really good. The environment was relaxing, and as usual the food was amazing.
Thursday and Friday were regular school days for Noah and me. We followed up our days with walks, the pool, and family time – reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
On Friday we stopped by the office to check in with Jonathan and Anisley and during our conversation we mentioned that we’d be checking out some local beaches over the next couple of free weekends. Jonathan asked us, “Do you like hiking?” Ken and I didn’t realize at the time what this would mean, and to be fair to Jonathan, we didn’t ask for details. We replied, “Yes!” and he proceeded to talk to us about Playa Penca. This beach is remote and a short “hike” from a parking lot, but well worth it. It is only popular with some locals, it has white sand, and clear water. Perfect for a day at the beach. Armed with that information we quickly decided this would be our beach for Saturday.
Friday night, which is usually our movie night, was changed to our “swimming night” because for Valentine’s Day I got Noah a few pool toys, one of which glows when you put it in the water. Clearly this means: Night Swimming! It was fun and Noah had a blast being the only person in the pool at 7pm. He did, however, admit the water was cold. So the swim was short-lived.
Saturday we woke with gusto and excitement! A new beach awaited, and we were ready to explore…Well, we now know what Jonathan means when he says “hike.” He means a mile of steep, dry, rocky terrain. A path with no tree cover, under the blazing sun of Costa Rica. In hindsight it was our fault for not asking questions. As a result we were ill-prepared for what met us when we exited the car. First, we should have worn shoes, not sandals. Second, we didn’t need to haul Noah’s beach toys. Third, more water. A lot more water. Despite the walk through hell… the beach was worth it. Truly beautiful. But you won’t see a picture of it, because I was so tired from the hike we didn’t take a single picture at the beach. To be honest I was just fearing the hike back. Same conditions, but now UPHILL.
We made it back, barely. And Ken, bless him, carried all of the bags for more than halfway back because I have a history of heat-stroke and the symptoms started creeping up on me. Back in the car we laughed. “Do you like to hike?” now has a new measurement for us. Next time we’re asked that question we know to counter with “Is it like Playa Penca?”
After our hike/beach/near death experience, we went on to Playa Panama and ate at a place called Restaurante y Bar Chunco. They were right on the beach and the food was delicious. We were able to cool down, relax, and recharge. After a nice lunch we went to the beach for a second to grab a Churchill. Now full, cooled down, and armed with a sweet treat, we started our drive home. We took a long way around to see some more of the area, and we laughed about our adventure.
When we returned to the Pueblito and stopped by to pick up our laundry, we told Jonathan about our day at Playa Penca. That despite the “hike” the beach was, in fact, beautiful. Once back in the condo, we spoke with Armando (the man who cares for the plants around our section of the complex), and he shared some green mangoes with us! He told Ken that green mangoes are very different from the ripe ones we usually eat, and in Costa Rica the green mangoes are eaten with a little salt or even hot sauce! They were different, but yummy!
Later that night we had a quick dinner of pizza, and vowed to have a relaxing Sunday. We had only one thing to accomplish Sunday: pack. We were about to head off on another trek across Costa Rica!
Fearless Fajardos 