Monterico

---

We entered town and turned toward the beach. When we paused to gain our bearings and choose a course of action, a cute, little, local girl ran up to the window to suggest some places to stay. She was about nine years old and a hard worker, running ahead of the truck, directing us to various establishments. We checked out a couple before checking into the Marlin hotel. A color changing pool, cheep rooms and pool table were the main selling points. We put on our board shorts, waxed our skim boards and headed to the beach. The shore break was quite large, pounding the black sand with a fierce, crashing roar, but we skim boarded anyway. A few times I was engulfed in a wave then slammed against the shore, but nothing too bad. We met some English chaps staying at our hotel, who informed us that the proprietor, Johnny could get us any type of drug we desired and demonstrated the game of getting drunk, running and jumping on a knee board, trying to skim across the pool. Near sunset we walked down the beach, found a fancy resort and decided to get a cup of coffee at their beach front restaurant and watch the sunset. Back at the Marlin, we drank some beers, smoked a little pot and swam in the semi psychedelic color changing pool. We wanted to play pool, but they never ended up opening the bar upstairs where the table was located. As a consolation the son Johnny Jr. offered us some hard drugs that we graciously turned down. Before going to sleep we arranged an early morning mangrove tour by canoe with one of the hotel employees.

The morning mangrove tour was very relaxing and enjoyable as we slowly glided through the glassy water among the mangroves. We squeezed through narrow overgrown passages and through green tunnels of branches. Back at the hotel we made some breakfast, potatoes, onions, bell peppers and eggs, then packed up the truck. Over all the experience was fun, but the owner and his son were a little drugged out and we never got to play pool.

---