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Published: September 7th 2007
Our first beach!
250 meters from our apartment in Playa Flamingo.As many of you have read the past few days, actually weeks, have been a whirlwind of new and interesting adventures. Since reviewing the comments and looking over our last couple of entries it seems like the last day of August would best be spent taking it easy…if a person can do that with two young and enthusiastic children in tow. We really have appreciated the comments and private messages. Nataghia and I were discussing our predisposition (addiction) to using the internet. We have decided that as long as it is keeping us in contact with our friends and family we have no problem with needing the computer and all its wonders. Did I mention how much we love the comments and hearing from everyone?
As previously decided we did take a day off from any ambitious endeavors. We relaxed until mid-morning and then headed off to Alajuela’s parque central. On our way we ran into Norman, who was coming from the farmer’s market, which occurs Friday through Sunday one block south of the park. Norman told us that there was a Peruvian band playing in the park and that he hoped we were heading there. Where else would we
Playa Brasilito
Our second beach. be going? Since we don’t really know anywhere else to go and the park is a great place to be amused by the theater of life. We hung out at the park for a couple hours and were entertained by a clown who made things from balloons, the Peruvian band playing classic pop love songs with traditional instruments, and of course feeding and chasing the ubiquitous pigeons. Of course no matter how easy a person wants to take life, one must always feed oneself and family. I popped into the Super Mercado and bought some spaghetti and sauce, a small sleeve of cookies, a two liter Coca Lite, and a 750 ml of Centenario Rum for a grand total of $17. Not too bad for lunch, dessert, and evening drinks for a couple of weeks. We went back to Vida Tropical, cooked our lunch, and then began packing, organizing, and planning our next week.
With some handy dandy internet searching and some assistance in Spanish from Isabel I found us a place to stay in Playa Flamingo from September 2nd - 9th for $250 US. Apartementos Massai are a deal! It should be noted that any prices I quote
Playa Conchal
Or third and favorite beach in the Playa Flamingo area. are in US funds and that is just the way it is when you travel. We specifically wanted to go to Playa Flamingo because the fellow who has the house in Arenal also has one available there and who wouldn’t consider living at the beach if they could? Of course we would have to spend a week there to get a feel for the place and see if it was somewhere we would like ;-). As I have mentioned in a prior journal we are also going to Esparsa to check it out, but we are being hosted there. Friday night was a quiet ordeal with the only event being another wonderful meal at Jalapeños and a quick stop at the English bookstore.
Saturday morning and we are off to the bus terminal. We missed the bus we were planning to catch by about a minute and were told by a taxi driver that there would be another in two hours. BUT he could drive us to Esparsa for $40. We declined and believe it or not another bus rolled up about five minutes later and it just happened to being going through our destination enroute. Note: take whatever
Our Apartment
Apartementos Massai has been a great find. the taxi drivers tell you with a grain of salt. While some of us suffered a bit on the ride we must say that the scenery was magnificent. When leaving the central valley and heading west the road twisted and turned among greenery and fantastic views of the mountains. Two hours and one barf bag later we were sitting on the side of the road exactly where the director of Sanctis Spiritus Private Academy told us to get off.
It was 11:45 AM and although we weren’t hungry yet, heading off into the unknown on an empty stomach is never a good idea…especially when children are involved. I walked across the street and bought a Casado from a soda for $3 and off we walked following the directions given to us-- at the hottest time of the day with our backpacks, our laptop, and a hot meal in my hands. After a fifteen minute walk and a couple of stops to confirm our direction we arrived at the school. I was soaked with sweat as it is about 10 degrees warmer in Esparsa than in Alajuela and I was wearing my hiking shoes and long pants because of my
Our Patio View
Easy living on the ground floor. interview. Thankfully, Adriana, the school director, offered the boys a swim in the school swimming pool. With the boys occupied and Nataghia sitting comfortably under the shade of an orange tree I sat down at a nearby picnic table and had my interview.
The interview got off to an auspicious start as some boys playing volleyball discover a rat and began chasing it and it ended up in the pool. The director’s sister and the caretaker captured it and slay it poolside while the boys played in the shallow end. Adriana tell me she cannot believe it and that her sister is her hero. Three hours, two sandwiches, and a couple of ice cold cokes later I was offered a job as the Head English teacher for grades 1-11. After having a lengthy discussion in Spanish they quoted me a salary that is more than what the principal makes and include free tuition for both Benjamin and Owen. They also tell me that Nataghia is also welcome to work there as well if she wants some work. There is another English teacher at the school but they offer English in a variety of courses including: conversation, reading, grammar, and
translation. I told them I would have to think about their offer as we have had a lot to absorb in the past week.
I will explain a little about the school now but will save some details for later. The school is owned by a family whose father was a writer, poet, and teacher. His work is renowned in Costa Rica and Central and South America. His children started the school as a tribute to him. Of the four siblings, two are active in running the school and their backgrounds are in civil engineering and administration. The other two are busy with their careers as a pediatrician and politician. While I was being interviewed there was a birthday party for the 12 year old child of Shirley, the civil engineer. This is the reason why the cokes and sandwiches were available during my interview. We were to spend the night at Shirley’s home. The party lasted from around noon until six. First there were sandwiches and finger food, then hotdogs, then pizza, then cake and ice cream, and finally a bigger cake, which had candles that were blown out by the birthday boy. After he blew out the
The pool
Our boys are becoming great swimmers. candles his face was ceremoniously shoved into the cake, a tradition.
Completely exhausted we got to Shirley’s home at around seven and what a home it is! Beautifully laid out and furnished with a spare room that had two double beds and a single. Shirley designed the house herself and it is amazing. In the backyard there is a basketball court and a small soccer pitch. The boy who had his birthday has three hundred gold medals in swimming and has just come of age to join the national swim team. His older brother, who is fifteen, is the nation triathlon champion. No, not for his age group, he is THE national champion. Their oldest boy, aged 18, is a very good dancer, and musician in addition to being a very good tour guide. He took us on a brief tour of Esparsa after my interview. We crashed hard at about 8:30 and after a good rest we were off to catch the bus to Playa Flamingo.
The bus from San Jose to Playa Flamingo was supposed to stop in Esparsa at 7:30 unless it was full. If it was full it would just keep on driving past
Dinner on the beach
We found a sweet restaurant on the beach in Brasilto. Camaron Dorado. the stop. We watched the bus roll by right on time. Not to be dismayed, as our other bussing experiences have taught us, we caught a different bus going to a different place and were off in the general direction of our desired destination. Some six hours and three buses later we arrived in Playa Flamingo where we found out that our thirty dollar a night apartamento was not just a great deal but very, very nice. Judy and Lee, think the Dolores Alba in Merida with warmer water in the pool and no traffic, pollution, or major city within two hours and beaches all around.
What can I say about the Playa Flamingo area to do it justice without writing another page for you to read? Here is the list in no particular order.
1. Beautiful beaches every three to seven kilometers for a hundred kilometers to the north and south. Specifically Playa Brasilito and Playa Conchal to the south and Playa Potreo and Flamingo aka Blanco to the north.
2. Buses to take us to the beach located 100 meters from our private gated oasis for $1.20 total cost for the family.
3. Very quiet time of
the year because it is the rainy season, but, it doesn’t rain that often. Only one major downpour since we arrived on Sunday.
4. Wi Fi in many of the restaurants.
5. Casados that offer very fresh seafood as an option in addition to beef and chicken.
6. Our kitchenette and the Super Mercado 100 meters from our place.
7. Friendly people and nobody pestering us to buy stuff. Except the realtors who have signs everywhere but they are easy to ignore.
8. Unbeatable sunsets
I think you get the picture. We have decided we could live here longer than until the end of this week despite the crappy reviews from the Lonely Planet Guidebook. BUT…we have also decided that if we live here it will have to be after we’re finished the school year at Sanctis Spiritus (November 30th). On Wednesday evening we decided that the opportunity for us our family to e immersed in Costa Rican culture while earning a decent wage and being close to the major beach and urban destinations was too god to pass up. Given the length of this particular installment I won’t give you the details until next time as it is
time for bed. Until then, if you’re looking for us we’ll be at the beach or poolside. PURA VIDA!
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Gail and the gang
non-member comment
The cliches I could come up with
Everything happens for a reason, every cloud has...nevermind. I think your open and flexible attitude on this adventure is paying off. The Esparza job sounds too good to be true and you're right--too good to pass up! That places you where at Chrismas? Hope you're enjoying your beach week while the rest of us get back onto the "back to school" and other activities merry-go-round.