Tag Archives: Bahia Herradura

A Visit with Dad

Happy Dad: Rain, Avocados, Sodas & Casadas

My dad came for a short visit and delivered a suitcase full of boat parts.  We were thrilled to host him in Costa Rica even though we were not staying on the boat.

We decided to rent a car to pick him up at the San Jose airport (3 hours away) and to do some recognizance shopping.  At some point before we “splash” we will need to provision the boat and stock up on staples so we wanted to find good “box stores”.  In addition, we were looking for hardware stores (Ferraterias), car stores (PepBoys type places), and big box stores (Wallmart).  We set a few pin marks on our trusty Maps.me app and drove the 3 hours to San Jose.

We managed to find several stores, scoped out a few places to return to and made a few small purchases before my dad’s flight landed.

On our way to Quepos, we stopped by crocodile bridge over Rio Tarcoles.  The theory is when the tide is out (like the image) they can sunbathe on shore and as the tide comes in it is flooded with fish to feed upon.  However, many locals are worried for the safety of crocodile viewers and the crocs themselves.  The bridge is ridiculously narrow and has heavy traffic making it dangerous for tourist.  How many do you count in this photo?  (Answer at bottom of blog)

https://news.co.cr/costa-rican-mayor-taken-task-dangerous-crocodile-viewing-bridge/62990/

https://news.co.cr/costa-rican-mayor-taken-task-dangerous-crocodile-viewing-bridge/62990/

Next, we did a drive by in Herradura to show him where Sugar Shack was anchored when she was struck by lightning.

We caught a beautiful sunset at Jaco beach and stopped in for dinner at Ridiculous Burgers.  My dad had an “all american burger” and Matt and I split a Mahi burger.  Sound healthy?  Well they did serve this ridiculous 6 patty burger shown below to a group of 4 people.

Dinner in Jaco with my Dad

Dinner in Jaco with my Dad

We finally arrived back at the apartment around 2000 and started to unpack.  My dad brought a suitcase full of boat parts, a gray backpack full of important stuff (money, passports), and a Swiss Gear new black backpack for all of his clothes.

He opened the Swiss Gear backpack and realized it was not his.  He thought it was ours which we quickly denied.  Unfortunately, he had swapped backpacks with someone else.  Yikes.  See image below for photo of both backpacks.

Inside this backpack was a Dell Computer with an “Asset tag” which identified the company.  There was several resumes, a hard drive, thumb drives, glasses, medicine and miscellaneous items.  We found her boarding pass, looked her up on LinkedIn and Facebook and sent messages through both social channels.  There was no other contact information.

My dad called Alaska Airlines and the local airport and filled out a lost baggage form.  Then we waited…

Day 1

No response from the backpack owner, so we called her company and left a message on her work voicemail.  Next, I called the SJO Alaska airlines office and to our surprise, our mystery woman had already called and was returning my dad’s bag that same day.  Yeah.  When she arrived, they got her phone number and had her call us.  We made arrangements to bring her bag back and retrieve my father’s bag on Friday (when he flies back to the U.S.)

In the meantime, we need to get him some clothes.  He borrowed a few shirts and flip flops from Matt and off we go into “town.”

We scored some new outfits, met Matt for lunch, walked to the marina and then walked back to the apartment.  My dad is not a big walker and he was shocked to realize he had put in 3.2 miles of walking.  Yeah dad!

Runway Grill For Cold Drinks

Runway Grill For Cold Drinks

Day 2

Dad wanted to check out a local fishing village and fishing processing plant.  Barrio el Cocal is “the” place to go to see the local fisherman.  We swung by a plant that let us look around, watch them cut and clean their fish, and put the heads in storage – all really gross, but dad loved it.

Love the “Pura Vida” lifestyle in Costa Rica…

Pura Vida with Dad

Pura Vida with Dad

Came across a local avocado seller and dad was surprised at the size of the local avocados – these are not your average California avocados.

Dad with local avocados

Dad with local avocados

We stopped  at Bahia Azul for a cold drink and Tiquicia for lunch before heading back to the pad.

After thoroughly exhausting him, we headed back to the apartment for a little R&R before going out for dinner.

Much to our surprise, it has not rained in the first 3 days of my dad’s visit.  Super strange, as it it normally rains every day for many hours a day.  But we finally received some rain in the afternoon for a couple of hours.

Being from California, he had not seen rain in a very long time.  In fact, now he is mostly seeing smoke and ash in the sky from the horrible California wildfires – so rain is a pleasant surprise.

We hopped on the public bus and headed to Manuel Antonio for happy hour.  We were treated to an awesome lightning show (it is only awesome because we were on shore and not on our boat).  Cold drinks overlooking the Pacific at Bar Code 506.

Matt, Dad, and I at Barba Rosa

Matt, Dad, and I at Bar Code 506

Day 3

Time to show dad the boat.  We swung by the marina a few days ago, but we were not able to show him the interior of the boat because we had workers all over the place.

First, we took him to see RumpleTeazer, our friend Keith’s boat which is a 43′ Catana.  I wanted him to see what a “livable” boat looked like before we took him to see our boat which is all torn apart.

Keith was super kind and let us poke all around.  We then walked over to the yard to show him Sugar Shack and to his surprise he really could tell the difference between a 43′ and a 47′ catamaran.  Even though it is only 4′ shorter and maybe 2-3′ skinnier, the spaces feel bigger.  I didn’t get the idea he was very impressed with our boat but who could blame him as it was a total disaster.

We had another casada at Soda Sanchez, our go to spot for spectacular food.  As you might recall, a “Soda” is not a drink but a local eatery.  Sometimes they appear as businesses, sometimes they are on the front porch of someone’s house.  A “casada” is a typical local meal that comes with a salad, veggie, beans, plantain and your choice of either meat, chicken, fish, or pork.  All for the low price of 2,500 colones or $5.00.  Tasty and cheap!

And, to my dad’s surprise, he walked another 3.3 miles today!  I will get him walking and drinking water if it kills me!

It was hard to send him off after such a short visit, but hopefully we have convinced him to come back once the boat is back in the water.

We got a little Capuchin love on dad’s last night at the apartment.

Monkey Love

Monkey Love

The boys contemplating life…

Dad and Matt chatting

Dad and Matt chatting

Short and sweet.  We rented a car to return dad back to San Jose and pick up Wayne.

Costa Rica Airport

Costa Rica Airport

We went straight to Alaska Airlines to swap bags.  It doesn’t look like they are 100% similar because the lighting was different, but they both were black.  Not sure who grabbed whose bag first, but at least they are both back with the rightful owners.

Bag Swap

Bag Swap

Giant sloth at the airport posing for photos

Giant sloth at airport

Giant sloth at airport

Poor Matt had to walk to the marina to get his wallet with his driver’s license (which needed to rent the car).  On the way, he walked past a man spraying bug spray trying to kill the bad bugs.  Unfortunately, one of them ran from the bug spray right into Matt and stung him on his ankle.  All he saw was a big black something and then the pain and swelling started…

Matt's fat cankle

Matt’s fat cankle

Answer: 11 crocodiles spotted in photo

A Mother’s Day Celebration in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful, green, lush, and full of friendly people.  We have enjoyed walking around the various towns (Jaco, Quepos), meeting “ticos” (locals), and seeing the wildlife.  It has been a fun adventure. We are thrilled we could share it with Matt’s mom, Monica.

Mother’s Day – 13 May 2018

We met her at the Croc’s Casino and Beach Resort and enjoyed some chat time before we headed to Poseidon Restaurant.  Matt and I had made reservations the day before so we were all set to enjoy our Sunday brunch.

Costa Rica celebrates Mother’s day in August. As a result the place wasn’t terribly crowded. It’s a cute little place with the seating and bar inside and the kitchen outside.  Very tasty food!  We ordered a chicken Caesar salad, Tropical salad and eggs Benedict with mimosas of course.

Our yummy meals from Poseidon

Our yummy meals from Poseidon

The day Monica left, we enjoyed a nice lunch by the pool along with some frothy drinks.  I had a Miami Vice, have you heard of that before?  It is 1/2 strawberry margarita and 1/2 pina coloda.  Perfect mix.

Cocktails by the pool to celebrate with Monica.

Cocktails by the pool to celebrate with Monica.

Matt and I found this beautiful bowl made out of Brazilian wood that has become our fruit bowl on the boat.  Important to realize, I bought this in Costa Rica and they were bragging about it being Brazilian wood.

My beautiful bowl bought in Costa Rica made from Brazilian wood

My beautiful bowl bought in Costa Rica made from Brazilian wood

They have several of these stores around town which just crack me up – Fruity Monkey Poop.  Obviously, it is a cafe that sells tourist items.

I forgot to post this photo during one of our tours.  They have wonderful art like this all around Costa Rica.   This is a beautiful bus stop.

Costa Rica art at its finest

Costa Rica art at its finest

In Costa Rica they make fences using cut down trees.  After awhile, the trees start to grow again.  The horses and cows eat from the tree fence while being confined to the pasture.  I took these photos from a moving van on the highway, can you tell?

Little blurry, but tree fences are prevalent all around Costa Rica

Little blurry, but tree fences are prevalent all around Costa Rica

We had many lovely sunsets while anchored at Bahia Herradura.  The top image is the sunset and the bottom is the view of the Los Suenos Marina at night.

Sunset at Bahia Herradura and a shot of Los Suenos

Sunset at Bahia Herradura and a shot of Los Suenos

Coming up Next

Sugar Shack was struck by lightning while we were celebrating Mother’s Day with Monica.  We will be working on repairs for the next several months. With this in mind, we will not be posting about the incident until it is 100% resolved and behind us. Thank you for being patient.

Paco and Luna Crocs at Croc's Casino and Beach Resort

Croc’s, Monkeys and Monica

Matt’s mom, Monica came to visit us in Costa Rica and stayed at the very nice Croc’s Casino Beach Resort around the bay from us.  It was easier for her to stay on land as it’s not easy to get on and off our boat and we had no easy way to get her on and off the dinghy from shore.  Croc’s offers creature comforts that we don’t have, a pool, casino, spa, and access to many land-based tours.  As a result, we all took advantage of the beautiful pool and some good eateries at the resort.

Croc's Casino Beach Resort Pool

Croc’s Casino Beach Resort Pool

Croc’s has taken in two rescued crocodiles from the wild and has a team of professionals caring for them.  Paco and Luna were out sunning themselves regularly.

Paco and Luna Crocs at Croc's Casino and Beach Resort

Paco and Luna Crocs at Croc’s Casino and Beach Resort

Croc’s is located at Jaco Beach (pronounced Haco) and there are no anchorages in this bay.  So, we anchored Sugar Shack at Bahia Herradura, the next bay over.  It is a quick 8-minute cab ride or 30-minute bus ride to Croc’s.  The only problem is that the water taxi that we take to get from our boat to shore only runs until 1730 at night so we cannot stay ashore for dinner, drinks or evening activities as we would have no way to get back to the boat.  In essence, a minor setback.

Monkey Mangrove Tour

After we spent a day at the pool, we decided to take a Monkey Mangrove Tour.  Our tour guide, Crazy Alex was absolutely AMAZING!   He was able to replicate all of the bird calls, monkey sounds and lizard noises.  Half the time you didn’t know if it was him or the real animal he was so good.  He educated us on all of the flora, fauna, river, and islands.  It was a constant chatter of humor, information, and wildlife.

Below is a photo of Crazy Alex along with his favorite American Pigmy King Fisher and a Yellow Belly Grey Kiskadine.

Monkey Mangrove Tour with Crazy Alex

Monkey Mangrove Tour with Crazy Alex

He guided us along the Paquita river which consisted of 14k acres of mangroves. The river was pretty narrow and covered with a canopy of trees.  The river banks were full of wildlife and birds.

Birds, Birds, and More Birds

Image below: Top Row: 2 images of river, and a shot of a Tiger Heron.  Middle Row: Crazy Alex’s favorite bird an American Pigmy Kingfisher, a Yellow Belly Grey Kiskadee (part of the fry catcher family) and a shy iguana.  Bottom Row: Three varieties of ginger flowers.

River and Bird Wildlife

River and Bird Wildlife

Jesus Christ Lizard

We saw several Jesus Christ Lizards that can walk on water for over 60’.  They are super funny to see scramble across the water and actually look like prehistoric dinosaurs.

Jesus Christ Lizard

Jesus Christ Lizard

Monkeys Galore

The river spilled out onto a bay surrounded by mangroves.  Crazy Alex nestled the boat inside a nook within the mangrove and we were instantly blessed with 3-4 white face Capuchin monkey family.  Of course, they all had names and came when Crazy Alex called out to them. They were delightful and so sweet.

White Face Capuchin Monkeys

White Face Capuchin Monkeys

We each had an opportunity to be a human throne for the monkeys where they jumped on our heads and at banana from our hand.  They were remarkably gentle.  This particular family has claimed about 2 hectares of territory and protect it fiercely.  They drink water by dipping their tail into the bay.  Since it is brackish water, the salt falls off their tail while the fresh water clings to their hair.

Who is playing with who?

Who is playing with who?

Sloth

We saw one 3 toed sloth ashore.  The photo did not come out too well, but Crazy Alex told us all about them.  They have 3 stomachs (along with 3 toes), eat 200 grams of leaves per day (110 calories) and only come down from the trees once a week to do “their business.”

The males (have a black stripe down their back) emit a strange smell and holler to attract females during mating season which can last up to 48 hours.  The females decide when to become pregnant and they determine the sex.

Lunch at Jaco

It was a spectacular tour, full of laughter, information, and wildlife.  We loved it.  Afterwards, we walked around the town of Jaco and ended up having a really delicious lunch at Rugala.

Jaco village and lunch at Rugula

Jaco village and lunch at Rugula

Shoe Surgeryy

When we got back to the boat, Matt had to do some surgery on our shoes.  We both wear Reef’s and for some reason, the center fabric keeps pulling up so Matt has to out a piece of dynema there to hold them together.  very annoying and poor quality!

ANIMALS SPOTTED:

  • 3 Toed Sloth
  • White Face Capuchin Monkey
  • Jesus Christ Lizard
  • American Pigmy Kingfisher
  • Yellow Belly Grey Kiskadee
  • Iguana
  • Tiger Herron
  • Green Herron