As much money as we had been spending to participate in activities, I think we were both ready to just hit the road and drive west to the JW Marriott. Thankfully with the car keys now attached to an American Airlines lanyard, it was much harder to lose. So there was one last breakfast. By the way, I tried soursop juice which looks a little bit like coconut water. It wasn't too bad, as it tasted very light and tropical. Almost like a blend of coconut banana and pineapple.
We took off around 9:30 and began making the endless dips and curves around the huge lake. I was struck by the rolling green hills, the high elevation, and the fact that we were actually seeing glimpses of the sun. We passed through a lot of small Costa Rican towns, and I noticed a lot of street dogs and kids getting out of school. We did drive over a few gravely and rocky roads, but nothing quite as treacherous as Route 927 on the first night we were in town.
Lunch was at a barbecue joint called 3 Hermanas, which is actually located in several major cities in South America. We split a BBQ combo and the food really wasn't all that impressive. I have to say I was a little surprised when they asked for our passports when we presented a credit card. But I guess that's one way that they try to prevent theft.
The total drive took about four hours, without breaks. We passed through the town of Tamarindo which is a surfing village but now has become a little bit of a tourist trap. I can't remember the last time I've seen so many surfboard repair shops, let's just put it that way. There are also an abundance of restaurants and small shops, and not exactly a lot of room to park.
To get into the hotel, we had to pass through a guarded gate and then drive an extra four or five miles just to get to the hotel on the coast. We were warmly greeted with cold hand towels and a small glass of passion fruit juice. When we checked in, we were a little surprised to find out our last night was Wednesday and not Thursday. So it turns out, we're coming home one day sooner than what I originally anticipated. It wasn't the most welcome news to get. For dinner, we went into the primary lounge, called Nau. Even though it was 5 o'clock and the sun was on the verge of setting, it was still really dark inside. And with the sun starting to set seeing was a little bit difficult. I had a great cocktail with bourbon, lemon, orange, honey syrup, and fresh rosemary. But I had one of the greatest fish sandwiches ever. It had breaded sea bass, avocado, tartar sauce, pickles, raw red onion and a couple of other ingredients. Everything came together so well. Even though I have never been a sea bass fan, this sandwich might help me change my mind.
Our room has a great view of the Pacific Ocean. And one thing I have never seen is there is a sliding window in the bathroom which allows you to see through the room into the ocean. So I guess if you ever want to take a shower and look at the ocean while you're doing it, this is your opportunity.
I did spend a few minutes soaking in the hot tub, chatting with a couple from San Diego. But after about 15 minutes the water was so hot that I was pretty much finished with it. So I went back in the room, and took a bath. It felt as though something was missing without any bubble bath, so I tried to use the aromatherapy crystals. Sure, it smelled nice, but to me, if you don't have any bubbles, it's not really that good of a bath.
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