Back to Libera - Playa Del Coco

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Since the first travel blog we sent out on our first few days in Costa Rica did not include pictures (we did not publish them properly), and are included in this blog. Since we came back to the same place, I have included what we missed in this blog.

Our last 4 days are spent back at Playa Del Coco at Rancho Armadillo, the estate we started our trip from. This place is great and our host/owner, Rick is terrific. Originally from Detroit, and a retired chef, he bought this estate over 7 years ago. He is well known by the locals as a great guy. He even sets up your tours for free. There are 3 bungalows that have a fantastic view of the pacific. The centre of the grounds you have the pool, bar, eating area, and upper lounge. So different than a big resort, it is very comfortable and you are able to get to know the other guests. We lived daily with Iguanas, scorpions, parrots, and gecko's.

After a week of travelling through several provinces it was time to wind down. On Dec. 31st we were on our way back.

The town of Coco was getting ready for New Years festivities. The locals park their cars in town to get a spot for the evening. For a small town, they packed in over 8,000 people New Years Eve. We watched the fireworks light up the sky over the pacific ocean that evening from the Ranch. We heard from our estate owner that they were still dancing in the street at 6:00 am that morning. The streets the following day said it all.

New Years day was a hang out day, doing nothing but sunning and swimming. We headed out with a young couple from San Fransico the next day to a local bar on the beach in the village of Ocotal called Father Roosters. They made great drinks. Ocotal is set up on the hillside and reminds you of a little village in Italy, with beautiful homes spread across the bay. We did a good shop that day in Playa Del Coco. It's not cheap in Costa Rica. The food, clothing, jewellery, etc were close to U.S. prices. The property values are extremely high as well. These areas along the coast are getting built up as tourism rises, so does the prices. You can find cheap places to eat if you look for typical Costa Rican type fare, not American style.

On our last day, we heaed to a beach about an hour away. If the roads had of been good, it would have taken a lot less time. What a journey. The roads are rougher than rough. We drove through a river - yes a river, to cross over to the other side of the road. We got lost of course, but when we finally found the beach (it was a black sand beach)we were looking for, it was desserted. There was one couple there (so almost desserted). No parking lot...just park wherever. After a stay at the beach we drove another hour to a town called Guatil which is know for its hand made pottery. The local artisans bake and create their wares right out of their homes. There must of been 15 to 20 places to shop in. The stuff was beautiful, but unfortunatley you can only haul so much of it back. Darlene (pro pottery shopper) bought as much as possible. More stuff!

Our last morning at Rancho Armadillo was a hot one. Temperatures have been in the high 90's and up. We have had a great journey through this country and as usual you need more time. Costa Rica is a lovely place. It is expensive, however, the people are friendly and helpful, especially when it comes to trying to speaking spanish. Enjoy the rest of our pictures.

Pura Vida!

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Photos

Rancho Armadillo
View from the ranch

Rancho Armadillo 2
Double bungalow