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Showing posts with label rental car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rental car. Show all posts
Costa Rica, Day 6
Monday, August 8, 2011
I'm writing this post from home since I ran out of time to to it in Costa Rica.
Saturday was a "rest day". Ha! We were originally going to leave Quepos early and head to San Juan, leave our stuff at the Holiday Inn and head further north to the Poás Volcano.
We decided that would be a bit much so we mostly packed up our stuff and headed to Dominical, a small surfing town.
Dominical has been know for many years to the international surfing community because of its consistently good waves. Discovered in the early seventies by a group of intrepid and dedicated surfers, Dominical has steadily gained in popularity over the last 30 years. The town has become a haven for surfers with local restaurants.
The unusual conditions of the beach is what gives its surf both size and dependability. The wave is a beach break with a twist, that twist being the mouth of the Rio Baru to the north. The river empties out of the mountains to the east and deposits sediments that form into a sandbar that spreads like a pair of lazy rabbit ears north and south of the mouth.
This town was down a dirt/gravel road. We missed it the first time because it looked more like a driveway than a road into a town. There were all little restaurants, towel and tshirt stores. The picture of the VW bus was a restaurant called San Clemente and the bus had sculptures of Elvis, a frog and a surfer hanging out the windows.
Some of the other images are taken out of the window of the car and include rivers, palm tree plantations, the mountains and more.
The picture of the airport made me very glad I was in a car and not in one of those little cars!
We got back to Pueblo Real, finished packing. It was raining then and the last balcony pictures were taken in the rain as a little comparison to the balcony pictures I took the first night.
We checked out and headed north to San Jose but we didn't get on the road until about 3:30 which kept us on the road after dark. One of the pictures is of the sunset through the car window.
We stopped at the Crocodile Bridge over the Río Tárcoles just north of the Pacific beach town of Jacó. I thought I saw some but Tom said that they were logs. We had some ice cream and continued heading north.
Thank goodness for GPS - we got to the Holiday Inn about 6:30. We checked in there, unloaded the car and went to dinner next door at... Denny's! Almost like being back in the US. We found the only nearby ATM in the Fiesta Casino. Then we returned the rental car which was also less than a block away. Everything was so convenient.
I watched part of a House - in English - before falling asleep early. We had to get up at 4am the next day...
And We're Home Again
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Only 50 weeks until we go back to Barbados.
It already seems so far away, an eternity that we were sitting by the pool and it was less than 24 hours ago.
Friday we went down to the ocean again and Tom actually went in this time while I sat on a beach chair and "rested".
These are pictures of the new glass elevator that goes down the cliff from near the Zen restaurant to the beach. It has air conditioning which is really nice. I joked with Tom that I could just ride up and down looking out the glass front and watch him that way while he swam.
After swimming there, we went to the Jacuzzi and pool again. Just like we were on vacation!
Saturday we packed up and put our stuff in the car and walked around a bit by the tennis courts and greenhouse. Tom took lots more pictures and I'll add those after he's downloaded them from his cellphone.
We sat a little by the pool and decided - sadly - that it was time to go. We still had an hour before airport check-in so we rode over through Oistens, down the coast road then back on the ABC highway. The ABC highway is named for three politicians: Tom Adams (father of Grantley Adams, for whom the airport is named.); Errol Barrow and Gordon Cummins.
We actually got to the airport in plenty of time, time to drop off the rental car instead of leaving the keys with the plane check-in folks, time to get a sandwich, have a leisurely stroll around the shops. It was much better than doing a four-wheel power slide into the airport, just as the doors were closing on the plane.
Customs and immigration at North Carolina went well, too, unlike some of the long waits, no luggage found, and other airport mishaps over the year. We completed all that and had time for a sandwich before our final flight. Very civilized!
About 11:30 we arrived home, exhausted and achy from too much airplane sitting. But, we're here!
And now...
We're here!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
WooHoo!
Our cab yesterday was for 5:30 so it was a very early start. Everything went smoothly, though. Not a long layover in Charlotte, either, which was good. I got a small nap on the second plane and I was surprised when we started the descent nearly an hour before our published time of arrival.
Customs and Immigration were faster than normal, too, but the rental car was slower. We had a reservation for a couple of months. Until this year, someone with a placard with our name would meet us right outside. We'd give him the credit card, get our car and go.
Now, in an effort to "modernize" I guess, they have an indoor office like they do at other airports and you have to wait in line with others including those who have no reservation at all. Oh well - "no problem, man".
In the Crane lobby we got to give Theresa a big hug and talk a little to Paul. If I were him, I'd avoid check-in days like the plague.
After we got here and unpacked a little we went grocery shopping at Emerald City. That's so much closer than when we had to go to the JulieN. I got my beloved salt bread (it was commercial, though. It was too later for homemade. Drat!) and a bit of rum punch. I'm so glad to see that Tutti Fruitti milk is still here. I have always loved it but 2 years ago they didn't have it anymore. There were even articles in the newspaper about not having it. That and vanilla milk are 2 long time favorites here.
Tom realized he didn't bring a network cable so he can't go online with his laptop in the room. I didn't bring one because I don't need one. So, I imagine we'll be on a mission to buy one of those here. I imagine when we go to SuperCenter in Warrens later today they'll have one.
He went over to the lobby to check his mail and I fell asleep by the pool. I was exhausted. We had a very easy, fast dinner and I was heading to bed by about 9PM. I went out to say goodnight to Tom and he had fallen asleep while channel surfing LOL
I didn't wake up until around 8AM. Tom was already reading, of course, and had made coffee (YEA!). I debated going back to sleep but got up anyway. Tom's at his regular Sunday morning meeting in Six Roads. I'm sure the woman with the coconut bread will be there and Tom will come home with a loaf. Tradition!
After that, off to SuperCenter for stuff we forgot yesterday and that cable. They're the only store open on Sundays here. Then maybe, finally (finally? we're only been here less than 24 hours LOL) we'll go in the pool. Or I could go now...
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