Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica

9 43.014 N, 85 00.644 W Bahia Ballena

We just arrived at Bahia Ballena, after a long motor from Playa Samara and around Cabo Blanca. Tonight we are having potluck on SV Three Sheets. Not sure what we will be doing tomorrow...

Playa Samara

9 52.108 N, 85 30.676 W Playa Samara

This morning we were anchor up at 7:00 am. We had expected light winds in the morning with the winds building in the afternoon. This was the pattern of the last couple of days and that was what the gribs seemed to indicated. Instead the winds started to build as soon as we left the anchorage. So soon we were sailing south on a broad reach with winds of 17-22 knots making fine time south. That is until the winds built and were gusting to 35 knots and of course the seas built as well. Yes, these were no normal winds but instead they were papagayos blowing from the land. It was time to reduce sail and have one foot on the beach. As the afternoon continued the winds shifted 180 degrees and remained that way until we anchored at Playa Samara. The bay is very lovely but the anchorage is VERY ROLLY!

We plan to leave again around 7 am and head for Bahia Ballena. Hopefully that will be a quiet, still anchorage!

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On the road again....

10 24.180 N, 85 48.777 W, Playa Conchal

Our friends, Reg and Phoebe, of SV Three Sheets, arrived late Saturday night. We were anchored at Playa Panama and we turned on our strobe light to help guide them into the anchorage, just like some good friends of ours did for us when we arrived at Nuka Hiva in the wee hours of the morning. They had sailed nonstop from Chiapis, Mexico to Costa Rica and we were glad to see them.

After a few days for Three Sheets to check in, provision, fuel up, put on water, plus some time for Cervesas and great conversation, we decided it was time to head south and see some more of Costa Rica.

This morning Reg, Phoebe and I walked the beach at Bahia Huevos. we saw many hermit crabs skittering across the sand. several looked like they could use a much larger shell. The beach was pleasant and we had it to ourselves. Last night we heard the howler monkeys but no sign of them this morning.

Despite some weird wind patterns, not predicted in the gribs, we sailed to Playa Conchal, our first stop on the way to Puntarenas. Three Sheets is anchored not too far from us but we decided to pass on happy hour due to the sea conditions.

Tomorrow we will head to Playa Samara. It is about 50 nautical miles so we hope to leave around 7:00 am so that we arrive before dark.

No worries,
Elaine and Rich

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Romantic Dinner, Yellow Fever Shots

10 38.463 N, 85 39.215 W, Marina Papagayo

Since Sarah left we have been doing a few chores as well as enjoying time out of the anchorages in the area. One that we especially enjoy and where we went with Sarah, is Bahia Huevos. It is a small group of unpopulated islands, opposite the Papagayo Peninsula, and the Four Seasons resort. Most of the time we have had the anchorage to ourselves.

Windarra at Bahia Huevos

Sunday we went into Marina Papagayo, hoping to have someone dive the boat, do a few chores and to enjoy an evening out to dinner. Since we were on passage for New Year's Eve, and my birthday, we decided to go out. In April 2007, we had flown down to Costa Rica with our friends, Dan and Madeline Sego. During that time we ate at a fusion, tapas restaurant called Ginger's in Playa Hermosa. It was a great place then and the folks at the marina recommended it also, so out we went. I wore the new earrings and necklace that Rich has gotten for me in Acapulco.

We had wonderful food and a great time. It was well worth the wait.

 

Today we went to the Clinica Biblica at the Do-It center between the marina and on the way to the airport. The clinic is a pharmacy as well as having doctors. We went to get our Yellow Fever shots which we will need for Panama, Ecuador and other places in South America. The two shots cost $61,100.00 colones or $122 dollars. The pharmacists filled out the forms and gave us the shot and told us that we needed to go to Filadelfia to get our official certificates. At first I thought I was mistaking English for Spanish, don't you mean Philadelphia? No, Filadelfia. So off we went in the rental car to a small town about 13 minutes away. She did not know the address of the ministry of health but cheerfully she said, just ask anyone. Easy for her to say. We drove into the town and stopped at a building with a Red Cross flag outside. The door would not open so I pressed the buzzer. A woman answered and I asked for the ministry of health. No but she pointed down the street. Sure enough, there was the ministry. We filled out some paperwork and within a few minutes we had our certificates. That was easy.

 

Next stop, back to the Do-It center to check out the Do-It store. It is like a Home Depot but a little more of a hodge-podge. Rich found some Simple Green, which I have been looking for since we left the US. Score two bottles! On to Playa de Coco where we had heard there was a marina store. Well, if there is, we could not find it. We stopped for lunch and then onto the Auto Mercado to do some provisioning. We also picked up a SIM card for a month's worth of internet for the Ipad for $18 dollars. It is one of the few things that is cheaper than Mexico and it is unlimited internet, not limited to 3Gb as in Mexico.

 

With a trunk full of stuff we headed back to the marina. We had hoped to have someone dive the boat today but no joy as there is a red tide. So tomorrow we will do a few boat chores and then go anchor somewhere.

 

We think we can both get used to this lifestyle.