Costa Rica 2024 - Visit with Fran and Bob Pleska

 

Tuesday Feb 27:   Fran & Bob arrive just after sunset.  They have traveled from Ft. Myers Florida to Charlotte NC to Liberia CR to get here.   A long trip.   Enjoyed guacamole and prosecco for appetizers followed by beef tenderloin on the grille with roasted potatoes (and more prosecco).  Great to see them!

Wednesday Feb 28:  Off to Playa Carrillo to introduce Fran & Bob to our morning ritual walking on the beach.   Three  miles followed by an enjoyable and lingering swim in the ocean.   

Off to Samara for lunch at Gusto Beach and a bit of a shop.   

That evening dinner at Kalima restaurant in Samara.   Beautiful pool side dining.   Great Bar.   Live music provided by 'Ron from Vancouver'.   One man band featuring keyboard, guitar, saxophone and "Loop Pro" on his Ipad.   He says he breaks even - bit enjoys doing gigs in beautiful places.  Regardless, very entertaining.   During his encore about 15 people formed a conga line!

Junga and wine back at the Casa.

Thursday Feb 29th:   AM walk on the beach along with a swim with Fran Bob, Liz & Jon.   Omelets for breakfast.   Saw whales frolicking off shore about 11 AM.  Liz and Bob and Fran off to Samara for a grocery shop.  

At 3 PM Samara Adventures picked us up at the gate for our late afternoon kayak adventure through the mangroves along the River Ora.   We launched the kayaks from a sand bar just below the Ora river bridge and paddled downstream to Camaronal beach.

A delightful gentle paddle with birds aplenty.   We saw ibis, kingfisher, a black hawk, a Tiger Herron, etc.  Paddled back upriver on the high tide.  

 

Back after dark.   Fran and Bob cooked a lovely chicken/shrimp stir fry for dinner (which they had preped before our river adventure).

Friday March 1st:  Up early and left the house to drive to Punta Islita and the Macaw Recovery Network to see the Scarlet Macaws.  Traveled there with reservations but for the wrong day (Jon had made reseervations but forgot about leap year) - but we went anyway.   When we got there Martha (the tour guide) told us it was a private tour today - but she would see if she could get us in.   Fran & Bob recognized her from their tour in 2023 - and guessed that the private group was a Backroads tour).   They started swaping names of Backroad guides they knew and next thing we were invited to be part of the 'private' tour.

We had a lot of fun watching these magnificent and colorful birds.  We just stayed long enough to see Martha feed the 8 Macaws then made our exit.   Afterward drove to the Punta Islita and ended up at the Marriott where we enjoyed a Bloody Mary.    Fran got texting a friend who she knew was in the middle of buying a house somewhere in CR.   Turned out 1) that we had just missed her husband who was at the Liberia airport retuning back to California after doing the final home inspection; and 2) the house was in Punta Islita; and 3) after a bit of sluthing we figured the house was right across from us - within sight of where we were sitting having drinks!  small world

Back home for a quick lunch, then walked down the tidal pool (low tide).   

Turned out not to be such a good plan.   Liz and I had been there once before but we didn't do a good job preparing Fran & Bob what to expect and next thing you know Bob slipped on the rocks and landed on his backside!  A frantic scurry to reach him.   A tense moment or two all of us praying he hadn't hit his head or wrenched his shoulder.   And Bob a bit stunned with waves crashing all around him.    

We took a few minutes let him catch his breath and assess the situation.  Bob had been walking on wet rocks and his wet flip flops just weren't up to the task.     Fortunately no serious injury.   

We took our time helping Bob across the rocks, through the pool. over a bunch of boulders, back down onto the beach and finally up the path back to the car.   Fran had the brilliant idea to lay a towel down on each rock to give him better traction.   Liz ran back to the house and got the car.   

A bruise and some abraisions but sobering none the less.   It could have been much worse!

Bob made a nice recovery.   We all enjoyed dinner and sunset at Puesto del Sol in Puerto Carrillo.  Best restaurant we've found!  Excellent Asian/Peruvian seafood fusion!   Seranaded by a gentleman playing latin music on a Spanish guitar.

   

Saturday March 2nd:   Walked on beach first thing in the morning along with a swim.   Relaxed brunch, then hung at pool.  Planned to go back to the beach but then Jon got stung by bee.   Since Jon had some previous reactions to bee stings he sat and took it easy while watching for any reaction.  Fortunately no swelling, no blotching, no difficulty breathing, no light headedness or numbness, no nausea.   Pulse & respirations steady.   No reaction whatsoever.   

Liz, Fran & Bob off to Samara looking for coffee.  They stopped for Pipa fria (coconut water).  Fran charmed the vendor into letting her hold the machette!  Yikes!

Watched the sunset from Mirador El Sur followed by a pleasant dinner at Colibri.

Sunday March 3rd;  Fran & Bob's last day.   Up early for walk on the beach.   Calm - no breeze - but big waves crashing.  High tide.  

Jon and Bob took a swim at a spot on the beach where the waves were more reasonable.   

Back for Breakfast.   Driver from Samara Adventures arrived at 11 AM in the van to take Fran and Bob back to the airport.  Tough to see them go, but a fun 5 days!