Tamarindo, no gracias. Playa Avellana, si gracias!

I got up at 5 am today and drove to Tamarindo (1.5 hrs) on a lawn mower....or rather, that is how it feels with all the bouncing around on the dirt roads. I think I started to get motion sickness after a while. I don't know how people can stand it, especially on a bus!

Tamarindo is a typical gringo town that reminisces of Cancun or Daytona Beach, but in a creepier kind of way. I was immediately glad that I didn't lodge there b/c I would have met nothing but drunken Americans downing Tequila shots. No gracias.

So, I went back to Playa Avellana today and it was even better than yesterday! I was out for 3 hours, and the waves just got better and better. There was one older American guy in the line-up, and the rest locals. I am sort of surprised that more foreigners are not surfing right now, but it's the off season. There is nothing 'off' about it to me-the surf is great. So, maybe I got lucky. I checked out Playa Negra again, but the high tide messed it all up. I will go there tomorrow in the morning at low tide and will likely end up at Avellana again. Don't ditch a good thing, right?

I made it back here to the hotel and all the hoteliers were asking me about the surf. I think they are intrigued b/c believe or not, none of them surf. They must think I am a strange critter for coming here by myself with my board and bouncing all over the province.

I had lunch by the pool, and a HUGE iguana slithered into the pool and started swimming around. The Galapagos, right here! I watched him for a good 30 minutes. Then, a motmot (bird) gathered some twigs and dipped them in the pool to get them wet (i assume to caulk up its nest). I even saw a little bunny this morning munching grass in front of my house. I am waiting for Mr. Rogers to jump out of the bushes.

There is a poker tournament going on in an hour at the pool that I will attempt to join. The only time I have played poker was with Andy in Reno and all I know is that I kept $15 on the table for an hour or more. Not sure what that means, since he is really good at that number stuff, but maybe I will hang in there. I hope we are playing with beans b/c I am not willing to lose more money for a card game.

I am reading "Catch 22" on my down time and really enjoying it. Oh, and I am constantly trying to figure out how much things are in dollars to ensure I don't get swindled. I will bring a calculator next time, even if it's nerdy.

There was a monster swine on the beach today. I mean BIG, like 4-H Indiana State Fair style. I stopped in my tracks, thinking it had to be a big pink wild boar taking a siesta on the beach. But, no. He is local too. His name is Pedro. Pedro the pig. I don't know how much bigger he could possibly get, but somebody must be waiting to meet him on a jungle path with dinner in mind. Then again, he might be tough like an old bull and just considered a local. Local seldo!

Everyone and their grandma want to show me where the "secret" surf spots are, but good lord people, back off! I already know. There is a nice Russian lady that works here and her 15-year old daughter divulged all the 'secrets' to me. Always ask the girls. They know everything! So, I will explore some of those over the next coming days.

Ok, well I am off to lose some beans, or shells, but who knows, maybe I will come back with big bag of beans. I will make sure to dump it at the currency exchange counter in Miami and see how much of my money they return. I will throw a crab in there too. There are plenty of them here.

Hasta Manana,

K

PS: Thanks for the comments...keeps me motivated. And, I miss my SV peeps as well. Clickety-click-click!