Our week spent in Samara, on the west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, was calm, quiet and private. We enjoyed our first ever airbnb stay and explored the area mildly, with a few beach days, bike rides and a date night for some amazing gourmet tacos. We cooked great meals and exercised almost daily. Eric caught up on work and I managed to get the blog up to date as well. The resident dog on the property was Ganesh whom Eric fondly called Baba Ganoush. They would share their pool time together. We had a few rainstorms and would be still surprised every time the family of howler monkeys above the house would cry out in their unmistakable tone.
We wanted to get a little closer to San Jose before my brother arrived and tried our luck at getting to Monte Verde. It ended being a decision made too late in the day to conquer the slow drive with Pedro but we lucked out and found a little spot about halfway up the road on our route. The air was so much cooler with the small elevation gain we had made and was a relief compared to the scorching coastal heat. The little camp area we found was geared towards tourists stopping to take photos of the gulf views as they passed on to Monte Verde. But the couple who lived there were the nicest people, with the funniest little dog, Lika, and they let us stay and use their bathroom and shower for whatever donation we wanted. We had a pretty amazing view, quiet safe parking and enjoyable temperatures for just $5.
Mark arrives on Saturday and we are ready for some exploring, beer drinking and hanging out!