The matchess Mal Pais

Good afternoon everyone!

This morning Robert and I admired the iguanas in the trees off our deck as they leaped from limb to limb catching whatever bugs they could for breakfast. We were meanwhile enjoying our own repast -- Costa Rican coffee (absolutely delicious), toast and fruit. Thus fortified, we were off like a herd of turtles (everyone moves a little slowly here) aboard our ATV to visit the matchess town of Mal Pais.

This is one of the most famous surf areas in Costa Rica, and Robert and I were instantly charmed. The downtown area of town (as it were) consisted of a few huts where fishermen were bringing in their local catch. They piled the guts and other undesirable bits into large buckets they poured onto the rocks for the wheeling birds of exotic lineage and enormous wingspan. The surf itself was breathtaking, though the surfers were few -- mostly just some kids playing around on boogie boards -- so we wandered the beach by ourselves, and snapped cheezy pics. We dipped our toes in the tidepools, and admired the wildlife around us.

We lunched at a local soda (cafe) and spent siesta time snoozing in the wonderful heat and refreshing ocean breezes. I explored a bit more on the ATV this afternoon, going north along the coast until the dusty dirt road finally gave out and there was nothing left but ocean expanse in front of me. A moment to always remember :-)

Tomorrow we are off at an unreasonably early hour for our transport (van-ferry-van) to the Arenal Volcano area. We are really excited to see the monkeys!

Love T