Hmmm - I've lost track of days...

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Up reasonably early today and into the pool before breakfast. The Scarlett Macaws leave the National Park early in the morning and come down to the mangrove swamps by the sea. This means they fly past or in our case land in the tree outside – 5 giant parrots eating whatever was in the tree outside.and lobbing the rinds on the floor – it was like some scene out of a science fiction film. Particularly as I wanted to get close and take a picture and when I looked right I noticed a giant squirrel hanging from the electric cables. Stupid animal had decided to hold onto both cables – certainly curled it's hair!

Great swim – more butterflies – everyone is different – I imagine this is what the UK was like before we killed all them with pesticides.

We decided to drive to Pura Vidae which is a botantical gardens and place you can see waterfalls. Great drive up – and up – on off-road roads but the place itself didnt excite and as they wanted to charge $20 each - @ 66 quid for a 5 minute walk through the gardens and we couldn't even swim we decided not to bother. But rather than come back we went on and upwards. Didn't meet much traffic and when you see some of the pictures you'll probably understand why. There were parts of the route I wouldn't have cycled down... in fact I had to apply the brakes so often that when we went through some water from a small waterfall the disc brakes were smoking!

We entered our destination of Jaco and wound our way slowly down and down...

We had been warned that Jaco was a den of iniquity – but it just seemed like a town that had maybe developed a little too quickly. You could drive onto the beach and park which was nice as we could keep an eye on the car. We played a bit of ball and lay on the beach – but a few of us that is Matthew, Christopher and I wanted Internet access so we got in the car moved over the beach to outside a restaurant called Carlittas I think and stole a bit of their WiFi – not that subtle really when we are sitting in the car park with the engine running with all the devices connected... but we all got everything done – Facebook updated, Travelblog and pictures updated, emails answered.

We had left Catherine and Eleanor on the beach where they were cooking nicely! It was hot and windy and I did think they were taking longer to join us than expected. They thought we were coming back for them... hmm not while we have an internet connection and we could still see them.

Anyway eventually they came over – and Eleanor and Catherine were a little pink. Drove into Jaco no prostitutes on street corners (maybe a little early?) and eat in a nice-ish Costa Rican restaurant with Wi-Fi so more uploading. Chicken and rice with salad bar – great.

My Mastercard only swipes about 1 in 3 and had to pay with cash so picked up some more on the way back to Tarcoles. Then into the pool for a cool down – though I think we are acclimitising as it doesnt feel so hot. Internet still not fixed so we actually had engineers round working on it and in the house – wow – think about that BT! Still didnt fix it though. We all think its at their end not ours and they have it least confirmed this. Tomorrow they will be working on it in the village. Isn't it Saturday tomorrow though? Wouldn't happen in the UK!

Walked along the beach and took loads of pictures. It is a fully working fishing village – they sell Red Snappers by the side of the road! Boats, fish, birds and light – perfect. Took so many pictures the battery ran flat..

Back to the pool again and we try and decide what to do tomorrow – think it'll be animals.

Then to Chepes for a snack meal – less than £20 for all 5 (including drinks).

Then watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics in the air-conditioned master bedroom. Very good apart from the American adverts every god no how many minutes!

Night all.

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