Jan. 26 – A day in Costa Rica

After a nice quite night in a comfortable and clean room, we awoke to the sound of heavy rain on the tin roof.  Pete Muñoz, the hotel owner, had left out coffee and a coffee pot, so we could brew our own pot of coffee – what a treat!  Then we had a homemade breakfast cooked by Pete’s young wife, and it was delicious and more food than we could consume!

After we ate, Pete offered to take us around his area, and show us some places he liked.  We went with him to town (Guapiles), and then out to see a scenic river near the hotel.  Then we all piled into his van and rode to a nearby farm where they had a sauna set up near a river through the forest.  For a tiny fee, the farm owner fired up the sauna, and we had a wonder refreshing spa with herbs and a shower, and the works.  Then a short walk to the beautiful river, where we could swim and relax in the warm rushing current… absolutely idyllic!

Next, our ‘tour guide’/host took us to a ladies house, who had dozens of coco trees along her drive, but was too old to harvest them herself.  She was more than glad to have us climb her ladder and cut down many ripe cocos with her machete.  We all sat in here drive and had coco juice and cobra until we could eat no more, loaded up the rear of Pete’s van with a dozen more cocos, and then drove back to the hotel.

Back at Casa Blanca,  we hung out with mechanico gringo James, another ex-pat that lived at the hotel and helped out.  Then another very good home-cooked dinner from Kattia.  After dinner, Levi did some work on Pete’s computer, and fixed a few problems for him.

All in all, it was a great, relaxing day for us in central Costa Rica.  Pete and his wife were the perfect hosts, and I cannot recommend his hotel highly enough to anyone passing that way.