What a day. I took something over 1,100 snaps. Three-quarters are junk but there are some gems in there. We took a boat ride up the Palo Seco estuary, enjoying the mangrove swamp environment and looking for wildlife. We went ashore at one point, searching for howler monkeys. viz., the chap above.
There is a big regional festival this weekend in the town of Santa Cruz, an indeterminate distance east of here over some muy malo roads. This is cattle country, Central American division, and there were close to 700 cowboys and girls in the horse parade. The horse traffic jam was as bad as going into New York through the Lincoln Tunnel on Monday morning. even if there was no toll. This rider took pity on his horse and offered to share his cerveza with it.
Returning after dark, there was a serious traffic accident on the dirt road back to Tamarindo. In the US the police would have moved it to the side and let traffic pass slowly. Here, la policia completely blocked the road. In the best of my weak Spanish I asked an officer how long the delay might be. Una hora, mas o menos. I got that. I asked if hay una otra ruta a Tamarindo. The policeman consulted with a colleague. Es muy complicado, he told me. Check.
Then a taxi driver carrying some Americans back to Tamarindo offered to let me follow him through the back roads around the blockage. Well, that would be great, but, um, you aren't taking us to the banditos headquarters, are you? No, he was just being helpful. We have a GPS with a Costa Rica map and, at one point, we were in a completely black, uncharted zone. But here we are, back at the condo, after one of the best meals we've had in a long time at Carolina's. More about that tomorrow, I hope.
There is a big regional festival this weekend in the town of Santa Cruz, an indeterminate distance east of here over some muy malo roads. This is cattle country, Central American division, and there were close to 700 cowboys and girls in the horse parade. The horse traffic jam was as bad as going into New York through the Lincoln Tunnel on Monday morning. even if there was no toll. This rider took pity on his horse and offered to share his cerveza with it.
Returning after dark, there was a serious traffic accident on the dirt road back to Tamarindo. In the US the police would have moved it to the side and let traffic pass slowly. Here, la policia completely blocked the road. In the best of my weak Spanish I asked an officer how long the delay might be. Una hora, mas o menos. I got that. I asked if hay una otra ruta a Tamarindo. The policeman consulted with a colleague. Es muy complicado, he told me. Check.
Then a taxi driver carrying some Americans back to Tamarindo offered to let me follow him through the back roads around the blockage. Well, that would be great, but, um, you aren't taking us to the banditos headquarters, are you? No, he was just being helpful. We have a GPS with a Costa Rica map and, at one point, we were in a completely black, uncharted zone. But here we are, back at the condo, after one of the best meals we've had in a long time at Carolina's. More about that tomorrow, I hope.
It's 1 AM as I finish this. Downtown St. Louis 365 will go up when I regain consciousness.
tres belle photo animaliere
ReplyDeleteWhat a story! Thanks for taking the time to record it all, I'm truly enjoying that.
ReplyDeleteThe beer shared with the horse, ha!
I lived in San Jose de Costa Rica for a year some thirty years ago (1979). My husband got a posting there, working for a French shipping company.
We actually got married there, at the French embassy - my French fiance and I hadn't had the time to get married before we left for Costa Rica.
I have lots of wonderful memories of the country so will be following your Costarricense adventures with special fondness.
:-)
Me, too, Bob. This first episode was great fun.
ReplyDeleteMore when you return to the land of the living, please ...
Terrific anecdote, and I'm impressed with your ability to communicate in Spanish. Sounds like you're having a memorable vacation!
ReplyDeleteWheeeeee! another Crowe adventure and we get to tag along. I know all about the rainforest and howler monkeys, taught a huge unit on it for many years till I had to stop to make more time to "teach the SAT Test" to my third graders. #$%^&*
ReplyDeleteYOu got some great photos here!
ReplyDeleteWhat a day, indeed. A memorable travel adventure.
ReplyDelete"Es muy complicado" must be Spanish for "You can't get there from here."
I have never driven to Santa Cruz except on the main, paved road is the same road that you drive in to Tamarindo on from the international airport in Liberia, even though that is about 20 miles farther.
I hope that you heard the howler monkeys as well.
Carolina's is a wonderful place for dinner. I hope you had the mango curry soup. Dragonfly, where you went the first night is also on of our favorites.