Nicoya Adventure - Part 3

---

Christian told us before we left that Santa Theresa was his favorite beach in all of Costa Rica, so we had pretty high expectations - and they were easily met and exceeded. It basically requires a 4WD vehicle to get there (big potholes dominate the road). The white sand beach stretches forever and the waves are big - apparently some of largest and most consistent anywhere in the country. There was a surfing competition going on while we were there, which the boys thought was pretty cool. They weren't as excited about swimming in the surf with Steve. The current and riptide were quite strong and the waves knocked them around pretty good. So, Steve got to have some fun in the ocean while the boys played in the sand and Nancy finished off another Harry Potter book (she is hooked).

The town is a collection of surf shops, little restaurants, stores, and a wide ranging collection of hotels - everything from hostels to cheap hotels where surfers crash for like $10 a day to luxurious condos. Our choice - Casa Azul - was fantastic. Being the slow season, we just drove up without a reservation and got a great room with a private shower. But it was the pool, just steps from the ocean, that was the big hit. Nancy was worried that Kyle and Sam might actually grow gills given the amount of time they spent in the water. Everyone did take a break long enough to go down to the beach for a spectacular sunset - complete with surfers getting in a few more rides before dark. We decided that the owner (a guy from Wisconsin who lives down here several months out of the year during the winter) had a pretty good gig going. This is definitely the kind of place where you could embrace that idyllic life you hear about in books - too bad those Lotto numbers never hit!

The trip home was relatively uneventful. We timed the return ferry much better and Kyle spotted a crested caracara - a very handsome bird of prey sitting on a roadside fence post. And so, our first big excursion was a success and we returned Sunday night with a little sunburn, sand in our shoes, and great memories. Then on Monday morning it was back to school and the clinic (Steve started helping out, too). More on all of that in the next post.

---