see as i saw

You quickly find that standard operating procedure is a bit different down here.  Random dogs roam freely around the beach; some are stray and some are domesticated yet independent.  Horses also trod on along the shore.  Boats come ashore at high tide and stay beached until the tide returns.  Nearly everything seems to be done with a certain sense of patience and laid-back nonchalance.  You can't help but slow your pace and keep your eyes off of the time.  The word most often used to describe your day here is "tranquilo".  That shouldn't even require a translation.

The setting sun looks so much bigger in Sámara.  Since this is a crescent shaped beach, facing mainly due south, the sun sets behind that jut of land from any angle you look.  That means we get the early view of the setting sun, when the oranges tones are just beginning to creep through the sky.  As soon as the sun goes below the treeline, there's a short period before dusk where the beach is bathed in a soft, orange radiance.

I've heard that some amazing sunsets can be seen in Playa Carillo, the next beach south of Sámara.  Perhaps sometimes during my three-week stint I'll navigate my way down there by bus.  Until then, I have no qualms watching this one every night.  Tonight was particularly amazing, without a cloud in the sky.  Life doesn't suck at the beach.

After another dysfunctional foray with the Costa Rican public bus system, and an unexpected but necessary expensive taxi ride, I finally found my way to the blue waters of the Pacific.  The marks the start of three weeks of beach time.  As I sat staring out across the water, it suddenly occurred to me that I can't think of a time when I've been still for three weeks straight.  I guess I'll play it by ear.

As I took my first of many strolls down the beach, I noticed that coconuts had dropped everywhere.  I don't remember that being the case last time I was in Sámara, so perhaps this is a high time for coconuts? Something about this particular coconut chilling in the surf struck my fancy.

The water is so warm and the ocean breezes so perfect.  Unfortunately the sunscreen is being sold at highway robbery prices.  Why is it so expensive to try and prevent skin cancer?  If anyone wants to ship me a bottle of cheap No-Ad sunscreen, feel free :)

As has become customary for me already, it was another morning of waking up before 6:00am.  This time it was to catch the earliest shuttle to Reserva Santa Elena for hiking.  I wanted to get there early to ensure a peaceful and solitary ramble with nature.  That's also the reason I chose Santa Elena over Monteverde.  Though nearly equidistant from town, Monteverde is somewhat larger and the more established tourist haven.

After a brief fifteen minute rain shower, I struck out on a hike that traversed two trails and came out to around three hours.  Although I didn't have any luck spotting birds or other forest creatures on my foray, the surroundings had my senses piqued the entire time.  Wind in the trees.  Water in the streams.  Birds calling all around.  That post-rain smell, only heightened by the dense jungle surroundings.

Today was my last day in the hills.  Tomorrow I'll be leaving on a 6:00am bus (surprise, surprise) to take my elevation down a few notches and cart myself to the Pacific coast.  It's almost time to lounge!

It was already dark when I arrived in Santa Elena last night, so the view was virtually non-existent.  I awoke close to sunrise this morning though, as the light was beginning to creep into the valleys.  This view is actually what I could see from my bed, by merely parting the curtains.  Unfortunately there's a communal balcony outside of my curtains and that could've been awkward.  So I grabbed some of the complimentary continental breakfast and a cup of Tico coffee, then settle in and watch the sun rise from the communal kitchen that offers the same vista.

From this vantage point, what you're seeing off on the horizon is the city of Puntarenas and the Golfo de Nicoya.  They're at the western end of the country, a journey approximately 50 miles long...but taking nearly three hours to complete.  Seems absurd until you take into consideration the change in elevation, from 4,000+ feet to 13 feet.

In other activities today, I managed to buy two days worth of groceries for under $6 (and things are marked up in this town because it's heavily touristy).  I also spent some time suspended over the cloud forest canopy and wandering through the flora.  It wasn't exactly a hike, more like a walk with occasionally exaggerated heights.  The perspective was interesting though.  I think tomorrow's actual hike will be more my speed.

For two hours the bus wound around the mountainside, sometimes feeling ominously close to tumbling down.  If you're afraid of heights, it's probably the last vista you want to see.  Otherwise, the vast expanse of green valleys and mountain tops was surreal and exhilarating.  From the opposite side of the bus, you could see the sun setting.  They just don't have views like this in Chicago.

Overall, it was another interesting day of misadventure in Costa Rica busing.  I've determined that it's one of those things that everyone should do at least once in their life (on the same list as serving tables and working in retail), because it gives you a new perspective and appreciation.  Having to wait five extra minutes for a CTA bus doesn't seem like a despicable and unfair act after waiting four and half hours in the 90 degree heat with a 23 pound pack.

Needless to say, I arrived in Santa Elena too late and too exhausted for exploring.  Tomorrow I strike out to explore this mountain town and what it has to offer.  Oh, and if I ever decide to write a book, I'm strongly considering a rather remote mountainside locale.