Costa Rica

We arrived in Costa Rica after a heck of a 24 hours-so much for those clear window weather reports! At least 8 of those hours I thought we were gonna die. We had confused seas( waves that hit from more than one area at a time ours were on the front and the sides) and whipping winds of at least 30 mph, nothing in the main cabin was safe, including the sofa that I was sitting on, as I slid 4 ft across the floor. I told Paul that if the rest of the way is like this TURN HER AROUND NOW. which lucky for us we have only had 1 more patch of bad stuff like that since. We arrived in Cocos which is a main port of entry for CR, I heard so many people who rave about CR and yet here is the dirtiest place I have seen since the ghettos of inner city New York, or maybe Phila., it was awful there is a lot of crime and you really don't feel safe walking the streets. The paperwork cha-cha as it fondly referred to what a hassle and a half-the officials were extremely nice though. We stayed 1 day and headed out-we stopped in a couple of bays-but really found nothing, except pretty beaches-nothing to go a shore for though. We met up with our friends Lynne & Paul on the Beaudacious a 47' sailing vessel and started traveling with them. At Los Suenos we found some life, wonderful restaurants Wahoo!! no more cooking for a day or so. We wanted to get a slip at the marina but a $220 tab for 1 night was outrageous and a no way so we fueled and headed out on our way again. Stopping at Quepos for a few days we took the bus ride up to Manuel Antonio National Park-WOW what a place we hire a guide at $20 a head and it was so worth every penny. We would be walking along and he would stop, set up his telescope and point out animals, birds, and reptiles that we never could have seen in a million years. The park has quite a few monkeys which if you are not careful will steal your food or open you backpack and raid it. We spent about 4-5 hours with Henry and had a blast! We stopped at the little restaurant, for a drink, outside the park and a hugemongeous iguana came walking in-so the lady who owns it starts tossing him pieces of bread then the really huge iguana came out-way over my limit for reptiles but cute none the less. You would love him Johnny! on the way back we hopped off the bus early and went to eat at a restaurant which is a plane and the rest is built around it (see upcoming pics) it is really cool and sits off the side of the mtn so you are over looking the bay below. We continued on to Golfito, which used to be the main shipping/processing port for the United Fruit Company until it's demise in the mid 1900s. Thats were dole and chiquita got most of their bananas. Now it is a little port where the US Coast Guard still has a presence and a lot of sport fishing happens. We stayed at the Banana Bay Marina, which has a nice little rest. and a hot tub! There is not much tourism here-so shopping is for necessities only but the people are really nice. by this time our friends Irene and Georgio from the sail boat ARGO had joined us, we 3 ladies went shopping to provision for the upcoming sail to Panama and the local market Piersons actually loaded all our bags into their delivery van and took us back to the marina. A first for us but nice since we would have been taxi hailing otherwise. Our last night in Golfito we went over to the Fish Hook Marina and had an elaberate dinner with all 6 of us-Great place and they have ice cream YEAHHHH you would be surprised at to what you miss from the states and what we take for granite. most places do not have a freezer that can keep ice cream so when you find some youbetter get it then because you may not see it for quite some time again. Well were off for Panama next-'til then