Category: San José

With a scheduled 1PM departure for the nation’s capital – San José, I packed up all my gear in preparation for the 11AM hotel checkout, completed my online check-in for tomorrows early morning flight and then hit the streets of Quepos for one last time. This time I spent several hours exploring the suburbs adjacent to the town centre as well as the area around the natural inlet that harbours the local fishing fleet.

Breakfast was a local affair at the Soda Sanchez, where I thoroughly enjoyed a 4850 Colóns ($8.41 USD) an awesome Empanadas de Pollo (Chicken Empanadas), a breakfast beef burrito and some great coffee, figuring the big breakfast would tide me over until dinner tonight. I have to say, the empanadas was the best I’ve had – period!

With it spitting rain and the heavens threatening to open up I headed back to the Hotel Le Priss Inn, where I met up with Lila, where we engaged ourselves with the “Guess What” quiz with the opening statement of “Guess what I got for you that you were wanting?”

With me not having a clue, Lila says c’mon and I’ll show you We walk a couple of blocks to a locals house, which looks like a Steptoe & Sons yard, and what appears to be the owner seated in the middle of what could only be termed as junk. This where Lila had procured a Costa Rican licence plate for me.

As mentioned previously, I don’t do souvenir/trinket shopping as to me – it’s a complete waste of time and money with the transaction often taking longer than the product lasts. A memento for me to garner a licence plate of a vehicle I’ve driven or driven in that country. Sometimes an incorrectly secured plate falls off the vehicle in which I put it in my backpack for safe keeping and unfortunately forget about it, only to find it when I return home. Sometimes simply asking a local procures a plate or quite often I find them simply lying on the side of the road.

I’d asked the Budget rental agency yesterday if they had any plates lying around, which they didn’t, so I simply forgot all about it. Thankfully Lila didn’t. While she was out walking this morning, she asked several workshops and car deals if they had any plates – nope, no can do. Lila had actually given up and was headed back to the hotel when she came across the aforementioned house and on a whim, simply asked the question. Ol’ mate says yes he has one from his written off vehicle, heads off and come back – mangled bumper in hand, with the plate still attached – Voilà ….. a great souvenir with a couple of great stories attached.

We set off at 1PM in drizzling rain to drive the 5 hours into San José. A couple of hours in, we stopped at El Jardin Souvenir and Restaurant, which for want of a better term is a huge souvenir shop with an ice cream shop, takeaway and toilets attached.

The closer we got to San José, the thicker the traffic got. At one point our driver got off the freeway just before Santa Ana, drove the back streets for a bit before finding the freeway again. I come to find out later that he was avoiding a accident which had turned the freeway into a parking lot.

We actually made good time by arriving at or our accommodations at the Auténtico Hotel – Sabana Norte bang on 5PM, which thankfully for us, was an hour and a half shorter trip than the group who left our hotel at 12:30PM.

At 6PM, the group gathered at the hotel bar in which we all spoke of our two best trip experiences and Siona presented all of us with a small gift. From there it was a couple of blocks over to the Cuban restaurant – La Bodeguita del Medio, where we held the tour farewell dinner.

As part of the dinners festivities, Sonia was introduced as the 6^th CEO/Tour Guide and only current female member of the “Aussie Rugby Tequila” crew and was such a great sport about it. After a quick nightcap back at the hotel, I was in bed by 11PM for my 3:15AM transfer to the airport.

Lila and I headed out around 6:15 AM to grab a coffee and something to nibble on to start the day. As we had our own set of wheels, we decided to drop the “Planning Committee” off at the gates of Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio around 7:20 AM. Upon arrival, the itinerary changed a little to allow access to an ATM and to visit at a nearby breakfast joint. I returned back to Quepos to collect Lila and by 8AM we were strolling through the gates of the national park.

We spent the best part of 4 hours exploring the park from the well laid out and maintained nature trail. We were able to view white face monkeys, lizards and crabs of all shapes and sizes and a huge array of birdlife and insects.

We decided on lunch at Samui Thai, but upon arrival we found out that it didn’t open for another hour or so. No dramas, we up the road to ride the Zip Coaster at the nearby Manuel Antonio Adventure Park, as Lila was dead set keen on the riding the sit up, bicycle style zip line ride, rather than hanging from a line and harness. Just so happens that we hit the site as they were undertaking maintenance on the line and wouldn’t be open for another couple of hours.

Not ones to let such a thing become a setback, we rolled up at the Claro Que Si Seafood & Grill to grab a bite to eat and take in the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.

While finishing dining, Lila noticed a Spa treatment at the adjacent Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge and availed herself of the 90 minute treatment with an accompanying 20% discount for dining at their facility.

As no amount of Spa treatments would improve my natural good looks, I headed back to town to try and catch some shots of the “El Hefe” iguana we’d seen by the stream yesterday.

I collected Lila, and while fueling up and returnin the rental car, I received a WhatsApp message to meet with all the “Avocados” at our hotel lobby for a 7:30 PM “Group” dinner at a local restaurant.

As Lila generally does not do dinner, I mentioned that I’d probably go find somewhere else to eat or a local pub to hang out in, as I have done throughout the trip. She’s says really, why would you do that? Because when you’re not there Lila, I am no part of any conversation, my presence barley recognized or acknowledged, except for a couple of sentences with Sonia, which is generally interrupted with others wanting her attention. She says really?? I said yup.

To my surprise and appreciation, Lila turned up at the meeting point and said to me – we’re going to dinner. All six of us bundled into two cabs and headed to the Runaway Grill, a short 2000 Colóns/5 minute cab ride away. I ordered a pretty decent Shrimp Po-Boy and was treated to a spectacular electrical storm light-show, while seated at the covered open air venue.

The “Hummingbirds” had wandered off, all but abandoning Patricia, Lila and myself, so we made our leave and grabbed a cab back to our hotel. Upon arrival Lila and I spoke of the fact that in two hours, other than conversations with Sonia and herself and an offer of someone’s jalapeños that they didn’t want – not a word was spoken to me and barely anything was said to Patrica as well. I said to Lila that this has been the way for a couple of weeks, they’re off in their own little world that is largely self-centred and unless they are wanting something or are in need of assistance, you’re non-existent.

Anyways, I found a local sports bar and got into a shout with a German couple – Wilhelm & Heidi, and a Kiwi – Stevo, and actually had a great time solving all the world’s problems, while blowing the froth of a couple of coldies.