Nosara and home

We had planned to spend our second to last night in Manuel Antonio Nat’l Park, but then realized that it would require a lot of time driving, probably not worth it for just one night’s stay.  So we decided instead to spend a night in Nosara, a small town south of Playa Flamingo that came highly recommended by some friends.  We reluctantly left the cushy Playa Flamingo for another drive, all on paved roads except for the last half hour.  Not a bad drive, except for the squabbling from the back seat.  Once we arrived in Nosara, we experienced the worst roads of our trip.  We learned that evening at dinner that this was the worst time to be in Nosara, and it had rained for 5 days straight before we arrived, which wreaks havoc on the already rough roads. Puddles nearly engulfed the road in some spots, and little rivers flowed across.  Our trusty Kia made it through however.  

With some effort and driving around the confusing maze of sketchy roads, we found the Gilded Iguana, recommended in our guide book under the “Inexpensive” section.  There we got a very fine room that slept 6 for $60.  In the room was a surfboard rack, indicative of why many come to Nosara.  Our friends and guide book had both told us that Nosara is known for surfing and yoga.   We also had heard about the Montessori school here, the Del Mar Academy, so we made a pilgrimage to check it out, even though it was Saturday and no school was in session. We walked around the grounds and peeked in the windows to see the very familiar looking materials.   It would be a dream for all 3 of our kids to finish the school year here (it goes through 6^th grade), but at $1000 per kid per month, it’s just not quite in line with our plan to live frugally.  We also took a spin through the town of Nosara that is several miles from the coast.  Here we saw the little airport and stopped at the grocery store.  Otherwise there did not seem to be much to the town itself.  We spent some time at the beach, which was lovely, and enjoyed a most magical sunset.

Del Mar Academy Montessori school in Nosara

Nosara sunset, with picturesque puddle in foreground.

In our room was a sign about why the hotel does not provide bottled water.  Basically, 1) bottled water is killing our planet, and 2) the water here in the Nicoya Peninsula is safe to drink and actually quite healthful due to high levels of calcium and magnesium, possibly contributing to the Blue Zone effect.  People here just live longer.  Cool!  Read more here: http://www.bluezones.com/live-longer/education/expeditions/nicoya-costa-rica/

We read that the Gilded Iguana is a popular expat hangout, and we ran into two groups of expats at dinner. One was a group of Swiss/ French families who are the owners of Cafe de Paris in Nosara, and whose kids attend Del Mar.  The other was a retired American couple who built a very large house in the hills above Nosara.  All loved Nosara and Costa Rica in general.

The next morning before breakfast we have the pleasure of a small earthquake.  It was quite short, and we learned later that it was magnitude 4.6.  Just a temblor, an aftershock to the 7.6 earthquake on September 5, centered not far from Nosara.

Breakfast at the Gilded Iguana.  Sully plays boules in background.

Hearty "Tico surfer" breakfast.

On our last full day in Costa Rica, we drove back across the Nicoya Peninsula and back to San Jose.  We made a side trip further down the coast first to check out Samara and Playa Carrillo, both small beach towns, reminiscent of Manzanita in Oregon.  Unlike Nosara, the roads in and around these towns were completely paved.   Perhaps “Nosarans” prefer to keep their roads unpaved and their town a little less accessible.  Seems that the roads have not kept the visitors away!

We had some impressive rain on the drive back along the Pan American Highway to San Jose, but it had let up by the time we stopped for a quick driving tour of Grecia and Sarchi.  We noted that Grecia would be a good place to buy a car, as there were an impressive number of used car dealers on the road in.  The hills around these parts were lovely, with coffee and sugar cane growing in harmony.

Our last night, spent in a Hampton Inn near the airport, rather made us feel that we were already back in the US.  We skipped the Denny’s however and chose the Rosti Pollo for dinner.  Although a chain restaurant, it was a Costa Rican chain restaurant!  The kids and I had an early flight, so Nik dropped us at the airport, then returned to the hotel for more sleep and what sounded like the most amazing Hampton Inn breakfast I’ve ever heard of, including gallo pinto.

We were sad to leave Costa Rica, but knowing that we will be back in a few months was quite exciting.  It is a beautiful country that just seems to seep into your soul.  This trip was a perfect introduction, and we are eager to experience the country, culture, and super friendly people more deeply by living here for a while.