Pura Vida: My Trip to Costa RicaFIVE DAYS IN THE JUNGLE DID NOT SEEM LIKE ENOUGH TIME. Of course, the flight down and the flight back removed two days. And I wasn't really in the jungle. More like a Best Western resort on the edge of the beach (and the jungle, thank you). But I did not go to enjoy a safari; I went to surf.
23-28 AUGUST, 2001
It was incredibly humid. Any time I was not in the water, I was seeking cool units (air conditioning, ice cubes, etc.). And the food was expensive for a third world country (especially with the food and service taxes). Nothing gourmet, I had fish and rice and beans and veggies. The money, Colones, was 322 = $1.00(US). So $2000 = lunch.
I never surfed without a wet suit before (and since I am diabetic, I have always worn booties so I don't screw up my feet). So it was weird wading into that brown, cold-looking water, only to feel bath-tub warm water. The breaks were mostly lefts and I kept slipping off my rental board (3 days = $55.00(US)). Bare feet means I need more sand in the wax. With no wetsuit, getting ready to go out was quicker, albeit requiring more sun tan lotion (especially for my head).
Nothing super fancy. High tide (when it is best at Jaco) was in the morning and evening. Friday was crumbly, but ridable. And the ocean was mine. Saturday got bigger and more crowded, but still a blast. Sunday was closed out (I rode the foam). Monday was like Friday. I remember sitting out there Saturday morning. Some guy from Boston warning me about the big waves and the rip. Nothing like Manresa in the winter. The waves tubed more, and I got spit out once, which was a new milestone for me.
I met some cool guy from southern California who had the brains to rent a boat on closed-out-Sunday and caught some juice off a nearby reef. Next time. This was the scouting trip. Hope it is less humid though.
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