Playa Langosta and Rock Pools
Costa Rica Day 2
hola!
it's been a great day and i honestly feel like i was meant to come here. it feels really easy to feel at home here (Tamarindo).
i slept until 10am :-[] these black out shades are really working. went to El Sol for brunch (again) and got to see Ericka (owner) and spoke some spanish with the gal behind the bar who waited on me. She said I did well speaking spanish (so THERE dad!) and that was kinda cool to hear! Jairo was working again so I said hello - we chatted and when he asked what I was doing for the day, I asked what he'd recommend -- he said Playa Langosta! Earlier, he'd showed me a photo of him at his favorite spot nearby and now he says that was at Playa Langosta. He works until 2p and then has a break until they start working the next shift at 5p and asked if I'd like to join him walking over to Playa Langosta (it's walkable from where we are by beach). After weighing the risk for a moment, I said yes!
Went down to the beach after those delish breakfast tacos and matcha latte (thought I'd ordered another chai latte, woops) and it was freakin gorgeous with the sun out. I walked north along the beach this time to check out what it looked like up thattaway. The crowd and restaurants thin out but some surfers keep walking which got me curious. I asked a couple gals who were helping each other carry their boards if the surfing was better that way or something and they said yes because it's less crowded. She went on to say that you can take a small boat for about $4 US dollars over so it's easy and when I asked why take a boat, she said there's crocs! I didn't realize up ahead is where the river meets the ocean - and that's where they are. spookyyyy. we chatted a moment or two longer to learn that they're from Houston but lives in Amsterdam and the other lives in Belgium, but that they're there for a surf camp called DreamSea. The one from Belgium is volunteering for the camp, so she's even able to take lessons for free! Have to check DreamSea out.
Took a dip once I got all the way back to the main beach again (FAR away from the croc location) and it was sooo nice in the water. nothin better but i'd love to figure out a way to swim without holding my bag above my head! haha. next time, drop the bag off at home and head to the beach without everything but my keys.
Met up with Jairo at 2p and walked the beach to Playa Langosta! It was really fun talking with him - as we said earlier that we'd help each other practice our respective languages - Spanish and English. So even though I was being *super safe @ mom & dad*, it so easy to get engaged in conversation with him and learning about his background that it really made the trek pass by! he is in CR for half the year and then he goes back to Barcelona (!) and lives/works there for the other half - so he gets summer in both places. so cool. he shared how he got to be working at El Sol specifically and how he's helped Ericka and her boyfriend who owns El Santuario next door, Juan Carlos, improve their services and sales in order for it to be worthwhile for him to work there instead of Agua Salada. super interesting.
The rock pools are dope! Jairo was spot on in his description and it reminds me of a spot I went to with my family in Australia- wollongong beach? we walked out and it is very coral-y (sp?) so you have to be careful! that or just wait until you have your beach feet good to go. i took a little longer to get out there (due to coral) and by the time i got there, pretty sure Jairo was already in the water chillin! so so cool. the tide is still out (partially) so that basically there's about the size of a large hot tub that you can hop in and it's formed by the natural rocks. i sat on the side with my feet in the water but Jairo was all in and loving it (we both were). he said it's the first time he's gotten to get in the water in a week! i get how it is, it's busy season here and when you have a break from work between shifts, you want to eat/sleep/rest and not force yourself out there. but with another person, it's so much easier to DO stuff cause you've made a plan or are excited to show someone a new place or whatnot. we talked a lot about the sea and it's energy, how it makes us feel so good, basically it's healing powers. to de-stress from life, he likes to go out on his board at sunset and relax. after he explained this ritual of his, I asked if he meditates at all. he asked what meditation is and after I explained, we both started laughing because that is EXACTLY what he does on his own while sitting out on his board! a fun chat. Jairo also brought up something that i just haven't heard in a while outside of the Surfrider Foundation volunteering i've been doing, and even still it's not verbatim the way he described, that is- respect for the ocean. he goes on to say that some days, you'll want to go out there, however the ocean is aggressive and basically letting you know that it's a no-go. while others, you go out and you can tell that it's a 'happy' sea (that IS verbatim!). I loved this, saying how i've never heard the sea described as 'happy'. recalling it writing this now puts a smirk on my face as it was just to genuine how he expressed it and i know that sometimes i'll go to the water in the future and think of the sea as happy when it's that temperament.
what else... we walk back along the roads this time, when i ask why not the beach since it's prettier, he says he wants to show me this natural pathway to get off the beach. it was pretty neat but when we get out of there to the dirt road, my foot's bleeding just a little as i remembered stepping on something sharp right as we left our beach spot. Jairo was so nice, immediately asking if i'm okay as he noticed me take a look at my foot and i was surprised seeing the blood. he pours some of his water bottle's water onto my foot to wash off the sand and blood, and got out the tiny little black thorn that got me. after getting back to town, he asks if i've been to El Mercadito (i haven't) and says follow this way. It's beautiful back there! Sebastian, one of the people who works the Villas Macondo reception desk, recommended it to me yesterday, but i hadn't been back there yet. Jairo says that Ericka and Juan Carlos own the Mercadito too. it's massive! they have a total power spot between El Sol, El Santuario and El Mercadito. The best way to describe El Mercadito at the end of a day in the sun is it's an upscale, outdoor food court with nature all around you. vibes are good. Jairo's grabbing some food there before his shift and said he'd already paid and asked if i'd like to share his lasagna. i watch our stuff while he goes to shower and get ready before shift. they're playing Jack Johnson out there which my mom would love, and then 'Gone' comes on and i'm feeling very serendipitously happy, as i got really back into Black Eyed Peas' (shout out 90's kids) 'Gone Going' last year which has some JJ in it. Jairo's back just as the pasta is ready and then i grabbed the sushi he'd ordered too. he gets a special discount being an employee. we chowed the bolognese pasta and rainbow roll and he's off! i walk around the corner back to Villas Macondo to drop my stuff and grab my uke quick to go catch sunset on the beach. didn't end up playing the uke but had a great beach sesh between photographing sunset and walking along the water a bit. happy :) . but BTW watch out for the caballo poo!! i think the first time i've remarked anything remotely non-positive since i got here haha - didn't step in it but it was dusk and i was all of the sudden right upon it! close call.
back to the villa for a shower, to rest for a moment, write this note and now feeling rejuvenated to pop out once more to grab a small bite and mezcal (goes back to my afternoon conversation with Jairo ~~ mezcal is a good digestive! i knew it was good as it's natural from agave but didn't know this!). as if i needed a reason to feel good about having mezcal after dinner ;)
toodle-loo!
8:50pm CR, 2 Jan 2023