Back In Tamarindo - Jul 1, 2005 - Las Baulas Marine Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Well I am back in Tamarindo enjoying the good life with The Liddy's. They have been nice enough to have me which means the lap of budget luxury. A bed, air conditioning, hot water, clean sheets, flushable paper toilet, cable television; oh baby the works. It has been great hanging out with John and Deb and the kids. Although at times I wanted to strangle the kids, makes me wonder; 'do I wanna be a dad?' Man. I surfed three outta the five days we were there, I graduated from the foam practice long boards to the fun board by the last time I rented. And yes I was getting up on the fun board, a little more difficult but I did it and I was cutting back a bit and bobbing with my weight. But fuck you gotta be a good swimmer or at least have a bit of endurance to be out there for a few hours and not to mention catching the damn wave and then the battle of the break to get back out there, damn my brothers and sisters, not easy. I don't know what took me so long to enjoy it. But whatever at least I found it right? So as I have been in Costa Rica for a few weeks my budget drains, Costa Rica is not the place to budget travel. Yes it's a great deal cheaper than the States but it is still and expensive coutry due to the amount of travelers from all over the world, Europe and the Americas, it just drives the prices up and up. Internet, food, travel, lodging, you name it, it's more more more, the Euro/American spending machine rolls on and on and on. I have had ablast with my friends and we have had great conversations and yeah life is good. But in the end budget means stretch stretch stretch, cheap and stretch. We had some Euro/American meals that were, more often than not, over priced and average while the local chew was the best value and good food, now it gets a little boring eating chicken and beans and rice three times a day but it certianly fills the stomach and is easy on the wallet, although I did have some tuna at a place that was 'expensive' but awesome, I could have had another piece but again I am an over eating American who doesn't know when to say when. I ahve been on a few runns along the beach, walked along the beach with everyone at low tide which was pretty amazing the coast line was drawn back to way beyond the point at which we were surfing earlier that morning, made me wonder how far back the waterline was back from normal when the Tsunami was in effect, it must have been splendidly bizarre. I was lazy and neglected to take my camera out of my pack, sometimes it's just a pain in the ass carring that thing around. And yeah there will be pictures up soon, I have been lazy and the prices online are high here, whatever. Oh went to my first english speaking meeting on Thursday night here, it was small but great; I actually chaired the meeting. It's hard to not be in gratitude when you are traveling as I am doing, keeps my grateful and present. Met some local English speakers and some other people from the States we chat and rap out sober style. In the moment, gratitude, beqauty of life are in the air. By Saturday I am ready to move on and we pack up for an early morning drive back to San Jose for the Liddy's to catch a flight later in the day, we leave at 3:30 a.m. to avoid traffic, we think the people who told us are being dramatic about the traffic on the roads but when 6 a.m. rolls around and we are getting closer to San Jose we are sure glad we left early and thinking we could have left earlier. The kids think we are stuffed into the Toyota Land Cruiser but I bestow upon them the stories of thirty in a mini van and they just kinda sorta get the picture, but couldn't understand unless they were there. John gets a full break in on the Central American roads on passing and nearly getting hit head on as watch as if I were not in the car eager to see the outcome and Deb covers her and holds her breath. A few near misses and squeezes in between trucks and we make it to their hotel where they are holding up for a few hours before their return. We eat the hotel breakfast and I scam the last of my free hotel meals and load up on coffee, eggs, some cereal, cinnamon rolls, and biscuits; ah free food is the life. I thank John and Deb for allowing me to stow away on their vacation from the 'real' world and sleep in the luxury of the hotels for the past few days, say goodbye to the kids and I grab my pack and head for the local bus and ride into San Jose Central to get a room at a hostel for a few days. I leave for Colombia on Wednesday.