Hotel ManGaby Playa Hermosa

... front of our hotel this morning. It was our first time surfing out front. It was a solid 6-8 feet and definitely the most heavy wave I surfed. I wiped out on a huge set and was held under for more than 30 seconds. Surfing Costa Rica....no risk no reward. pics/vids coming soon

... the valve covers and adjust the rocker-arm and valve clearances, inspect spark plugs, and change the final drive fluid, but the Pan-American Pebble Pounder (the bike (or Malin), submitted via blog comment by marachuck!) is running great so I think an oil change will suffice until we get back stateside. It was so much fun...I forget how much I love to wrench on stuff!!...and it feels good to give a little tender loving care to the vehicle that provides us with so many smiles!

... it was getting dark so we decided to stop at Playa Hermosa which is just 5 kms past the Benidorm of Costa Rica - Jaco. All the area is full of surfers hostels, shops and restaurants. One immediately understands why when you look at the size of the waves coming into the beach. So, against our principles of avoiding "surfers" places as they are way too cool for us (all that talking of waves and boards and listening to Robert Marley is just way ...

Okay this is my first entry and I've already come back from the trip....so lets see how my memory works! Actually now that I think about it, I'm just going to do an over view of the trip. Thursday Jan 31st, We (Ryan, myself and 13 other friends and family) left Calgary airport early in the morning and had a direct flight to Liberia, arriving mid afternoon. We were picked up by shuttle and off to the Grand Papagayo ...

... Faced Monkeys climbing and playing in the trees above us, but no toucans yet. After two weeks in Hermosa we felt we needed to see some more of the country, so we packed up our day packs, stored our big packs at Las Olas, and drove down to Quepos, a small town an hour south of Hermosa. Quepos we used as our base for our visit to Manuel Antonio National Park. While in Quepos we continued our search for a head cleaning tape for our video camera. We already looked everywhere in Jaco ...

... were coming down from the 1st class area of cushioned reclining seats, free foot and head massages, stewardesses, free drinks and a swimming pool (all wicked lies of course). Desperation to sleep overtook so I just sneaked on the floor under the seat and tried to get as comfy as possible with feet kicking me, boxes digging into my back and after hearing a strange sound near my ears realised I was sleeping with a chicken next to my head. Me and the chicken ended up getting a few ...

... was actually founded by Quakers and we benefit from their mastery of cheese every time I come with a group. And we all get drunk on wine... On the personal side of things, almost all of my friends are engaged, getting engaged, getting married, having babies, etc. I feel so left behind, but I also feel way too young for any of that. I don't understand how they could be moving so quickly! I feel like I am getting so much done ...

... friends riding on the backs of the same waves. Big groups of fish going to school. Sharks making sure they get there on time. Spotted sting rays that look like they´re flying through the water with their wings. The sting rays are not my friends. They sting me. Then I have to leave my friend the ocean. I have to go see Mr. Pain. I don´t like Mr. Pain, he hurts me. But a bucket of boiling water burns away Mr. Pain. And my skin. I think I need some new friends. The End.

... onto for support (more than once, my skull). After more side trips through tiny villages than I could keep track of on the map, we finally arrived in Tamarindo, a bustling little town that reminded me of Playa del Carmen in Mexico. It's not quite that touristy yet, but it's trying. I also saw my one and only glimpse of a pig in Costa Rica, being walked in one of the villages. Considering all the pork-centric dishes, we were starting to wonder if their definition of "pig ...

... the horizon. When you see them from a distance they look like a three-headed monster. This morning I went for a lengthy swim myself. I heard and felt a disconcerting splash behind me. I turned and this big bloody black dog was staring me right in the face. He scared the be-jeebers out of me. And yesterday while scuba diving I reported seeing a 10-foot white tip shark. The Divemaster said it was four foot, maybe five foot, tops. Everything looks bigger underwater. Sometimes on the shore too.