Wonderful Day

Chris picked us up around 9:00 this morning and we all headed off to Quepos together.  We grabbed some cash from the bank, walked through the farmer's market and had a sweet roll that kicked our taste buds back in gear.

Chris then took us to a beautiful restaurant in Manuel Antonio called Anaconda.





This was an absolutely beautiful place and the four of us had a wonderful lunch.  We can hardly wait to go back, but next time, no grocery shopping.  Just a walk on the beach, lunch, and fun.

The food was excellent and it reminded me of our first visit to Costa Rica and Hotel Parador.

We had ordered fish back then as well and I recall being a little surprised and squeamish about eating a fish completely intact, eye balls and all.  I suppose some people may eat them (the eye balls?) but we're not quite that bold yet.



You just grab your fork and started chipping away at the tasty, flaky crust and meat on the sides.  This was Red Snapper and we had fish this way in Panama as well.  I never used to be much of a seafood guy but this was excellent along with rice, a beer, and great company.  A tough combination to beat!

 This picture (view from our table) does not even come close to doing this place justice. There was a nice, cool breeze and palm tress everywhere.  Beautiful islands and a view of Manuel Antonio park off in the distance (upper left of photo).

Our waiter Bruce (in upper photo standing between Chris and Mom) was outstanding.

This place knows what customer service is and treats people like guests rather than burdens.  It is those simple things that can make or break a trip.  We ran into Tony on our way to the grocery store and he is just a joy.  

We had Walter in Potrero and Tony here.  These two guys are fantastic, not only as drivers, but as representatives of their country.   We hope to talk Tony and his wife into joining us for a day at the beach over the next few weeks (and maybe another side trip to the Anaconda).

Luck was on our side today and as we were all just enjoying our Calamari, Chris spotted a family of squirrel monkeys. 

(Luck went only so far thought because our camera batteries started to run dry just then).  The whole gang came right up close to us, no fear, no snarling, just the cutest little stinkers you could ever imagine.

These little characters kind of squeak as they hop around looking for hand-outs.

As you can see, they seem pretty relaxed around people.  We were just two feet away as the guy in front just laid down on the back of the chair and relaxed with his arms hanging down.  His buddy just behind him.

They don't hang around long so we didn't have as much time to get pictures as I would have liked but this was an awesome experience. 

We also saw these guys at Hotel Parador 13 years ago (or whatever it was) knocking over patio chairs and stealing hats.

We love Costa Rica, its people and it is getting more and difficult to leave.   It was a wonderful day (outside of the dreaded grocery shopping at the end).   We stashed away another two weeks worth of groceries and headed for home.  It was very nice to have some time out with Chris and we really appreciated the day out.

We have tentative plans for a 3 day/2 night sailboat tour on March 23rd.  It is another item from our bucket list.  I've always wanted to spend a couple nights on a beautiful sailboat and see some of the islands from the water.  We'll leave from Puntarenas (a couple hours north of us) and sail  up in the top of the Gulf of Nicoya, visiting Isla Tortuga, Isla San Lucas, Negritos, Tambor, etc. 

The seas are calm and the trips between the islands are just a few hours, so I think we'll be safe from any sea sickness like I had in Bocas del Toro.  I guess (if we want) we can catch our own fish, have them prepared by the crew and even help hoist the sails here and there.

We can hardly wait!!

I suspect we'll get our fill of beaches during this trip as we'll stop at quite a few little coves and Playas (Beaches) along the way.  Should be a unique experience in all regards.

I am hoping the skies will be pitch black so we can see the stars although there are pretty good views of them from the house as well.

We're now on the back side of our journey and I'm sure time will go fast.  Our goal is to have some new experiences and enjoy the people we meet.  Chris brings coconuts over once in awhile and the milk (or water) over ice is a fantastic thirst quencher at the end of our walks.

We thank our lucky stars for all the adventures we've had over the past few years and plan to milk every ounce of joy we can out of every single year.