The last two weekends I visited two beaches: Montezuma, and Punta Leona. Allow me to attempt recreation of the atmosphere at each.
Montezuma
Fellow expat friends (from Germany and Switzerland) and I paid 6,000 colones each (about $12 dollars one way) to go to Playa Montezuma. We went to the main bus station in San Jose called “Coca Cola” (I think because there used to be a Coca Cola building there; but there is no actual sign marking this station). It is a very high target area for pick-pocketing tourists, and women are discouraged from being in the vicinity alone. We took a 2-hour bus ride (seated beyond capacity, forcing us to sit on the floor of the bus), followed by an hour-long ferry followed by another bus ride, which involved a transfer to a smaller older bus. We were dropped off at what appeared to be an unimpressive arbitrary sandy sitting area. But the moment I stepped off, my attention was drawn beyond to the rustling palm trees and sand to a stunningly brilliant blue ocean, with glittering shimmer reflecting off the waters. I kid you not when I say, I have never seen anything like this in my life; this beach is straight out of a dream. There are just a few hostels and then one or two small streets with shops, restaurants, and a small grocery. But it was gorgeous and quaint.
At 6:30 or 7am in the mornings when I awoke and stepped outside (our accommodations were right on the beach), the sun blazed and reflected off the water, the breeze was lethargic, palm trees swayed as if they moved to music. And I thought to myself at this early hour, “Oh my God this is absolutely phenomenal and surreal.”
About our accommodations: the four of us chose a hostel run by a guy originally from Los Angeles. He told us in Spanish that he had rooms available, as well as a bus. A bus?!?! Well, the four of us opted to stay in a big black bus that contained beds for all of us and shelves for our things. It was pretty funny. We were “the girls staying in the bus”. So if you ever go to Montezuma and you see a black bus at the Hotel Lis that is the one.
One afternoon, a group of us walked to waterfalls nearby and jumped into the freshwater and swam. I would recommend you to go here if you ever visit Montezuma. I would NOT recommend (a) jumping off one of the taller waterfalls as it is extremely dangerous, and (b) climbing up the wall of the waterfall as you may find yourself stuck and in a sticky situation coming back down. In situation (a), one of our friends jumped it but landed on her back and had black and blue and purple bruises all along her legs and was in very much pain afterwards. In situation (b), I watched as my house brothers climbed the rocks and was in anxiety for a good 15 – 20 minutes while I watched one of them get stuck mid-way up and other people yelled to advise him on how to come back down. Any misstep would have resulted in a damaging fall, though I dare not surmise the extent. Let’s just say, the rocks were not vertical and any person falling would hit many on the way down into the water.
Each night during our stay, we (along with people we befriended) made small camp fires on the beach. Sitting in a circle, some people sang songs, or played guitar. Yes, people actually do this. On a beach. Under a starry sky. Like you've seen in movies (envison "kumba ya my lord...kumba yaaa").
The only drawbacks of Montezuma as a whole: sand was a mix of white and black sand and was extremely sticky and very difficult to shake off your skin once attached. The demographic of its visitors was mostly of expats and tourists so if you are looking for a more peaceful and local feel, please read on.
Punta Leona
I went to Punta Leona with a family friend who lives in Costa Rica. He invited me to join him and his Tico friends to stay at a friend’s house and go to the beach with them. This beach is on the way to Playa Jaco, which is a very popular tourist destination and preferred by surfers seeking to catch some waves.
Sand was perfection, smooth like cream. The sky was literally without a cloud and a perfect blue atop a sea of cobalt and baby blue, with such clarity and purity that you begin to believe some higher being must have created something so magnificent without flaw. The environment had a less touristy feel and was more subdued. It seemed a more natural, mature, easy-going environment. I believe more Ticos visit this beach than they do Montezuma.
This was my first experience with mostly Ticos, and they were so welcoming to me. After spending some time at the beach, we returned to the house and prepared dinner, which included grilled steaks in some kind of sauce I didn’t recognize, avocados, tomatoes, and tortillas. We also had a dessert that resembled flan, which was made by a local restaurant owner that they know very well.
Walking on this beach is one of the most relaxing experiences I have ever had.
On Other Topics:
I will be leaving the San Jose area this Friday to go to my volunteer post in San Ramon. I am scheduled to be there through the end of June, and will live with another host family. I can’t believe I am already leaving San Jose and will be done with Spanish classes. I will miss my host brothers a great deal, all the teachers and employees at Epifania School, and some of the friends I have made here in San Jose.
New foods/drinks I like:
tres leches - sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. Not at all healthy but is sooooooooooo soooooooooo good.
cafe con leche - which is just coffee with milk but it's very very good
Words not to confuse:
"hoja", "ajo", and "ojo" (pronounced oh-ha, ah-ho, and oh-ho) - are respectively "leaf", "garlic", and "eye"
I Am Thankful For:
-Safe and theft-free travels to the beaches
-Svenja, Mone, and Cecil (the Germans and Swiss girls) who invited me to join them in Montezuma.
-My new friend Yi-Cheng (a family friend) and the Ticos I met in Punta Leona, who welcomed me like one of their own
-My house brothers Ryan and Hector who I will miss dearly once I leave San Jose
-Aspiring tranquility
© Copyright Stephanie Lin Wu
No comments:
Post a Comment