Today we had to get business out of the way and take a taxi to nearby Quepos for a Covid test to return to the States. We needed to get the test first thing to qualify for the day before the flight, and to guarantee receiving our results before our departure. Our kind cab driver waited while we were swabbed and brought us back to our hotel.
We had a 9 am surf lesson and it would be both mine and Marie’s first time surfing. A bus brought us down to the beach and we received a quick lesson on how to jump on the board from 19 year old Jimmy with a unique voice. We then headed into the ocean and we think Marie’s instructor didn’t speak any English because he didn’t say much, but had a whole lot of sunscreen on his face.
In our instructor pairs, we tried to ride the wave or hang ten or diez! I got up more in the beginning, but Marie got better and better. Frankly, I was getting tired from the paddling, holding on to the board, and the water slamming into me. I was paired with Jimmy and he said these waves were normal - no wonder hardcore surfers like the waves in Costa Rica! I’ll always remember his pre-pubescent sounding voice: “Paddle paddle Cynthia! Stand up Cynthia, stand up!”
Jimmy also protected me from the big waves and the board when it thrashed around and he would always say “ok?” And I would keep asking him if he was ok. I’m sure it’s not easy holding the board from behind and taking care of a middle-aged beginner. He was sweet, even when I lost my grip and slid right down on to his head and shoulders when the board shot up 90 degrees from a wave. I tipped him well.
In our instructor pairs, we tried to ride the wave or hang ten or diez! I got up more in the beginning, but Marie got better and better. Frankly, I was getting tired from the paddling, holding on to the board, and the water slamming into me. I was paired with Jimmy and he said these waves were normal - no wonder hardcore surfers like the waves in Costa Rica! I’ll always remember his pre-pubescent sounding voice: “Paddle paddle Cynthia! Stand up Cynthia, stand up!”
Jimmy also protected me from the big waves and the board when it thrashed around and he would always say “ok?” And I would keep asking him if he was ok. I’m sure it’s not easy holding the board from behind and taking care of a middle-aged beginner. He was sweet, even when I lost my grip and slid right down on to his head and shoulders when the board shot up 90 degrees from a wave. I tipped him well.
Here’s a photo of us with our beginner board after our lesson and the beach - pura vida!
Upon returning to the hotel, we hung out by the pool. It was a little cloudy and it rained a little, but there were birds to keep us company!
And then there were the monkeys that returned and started licking the window of our room and playing on our balcony. Marie got some fun shots which I’ve picstitched here:
After celebrating our negative Covid test results, we then headed out to dinner to Claro Que Si at the Si Como No resort (cute name pairing) where we had chicken dishes for our last night in Manuel Antonio and Costa Rica. Then we returned to the hotel to rest for our early ride to the airport.
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