Day 19

The main beach at Manuel Antonio

On the walk to Playa Biesanz

Playa Biesanz

Our dining room and kitchen at Inn on the Park hotel

Walking back to Playa Manuel Antonio

Like Mother like daughter

It felt good to NOT travel today.  We spent time in the pool before breakfast, and ate a breakfast of local fruits, eggs to order, home-fries with vegetables, yogurt, juice and cereal.  We checked out another hotel down the road, got our laundered and DRIED clothes from the hotel owner’s aunt, and packed up our things.  We walked 1/10^th of a mile to our new home for two nights.  Although La Posada is lovely, this is an upgrade.  Inn on the Park is less expensive and larger, plus there is a full kitchen!  We borrowed boogie boards and walked off to the beach.  First we stopped at Joseth’s, a market and bought some food for lunch, and then off we went.  The main beach is wide and busy with vendors trying to sell you the use of a chaise or sun umbrella, a banana boat, a para-sail, a jet ski, snacks….We decided to walk 2-3 kilometers to a secluded beach across a small peninsula.  Getting to Playa Biesanz was not a short stroll.  First we had to walk all the way to the end of the beach, and then along a dirt road.  I was surprised at the complaining from the kids, but they were hungry.  I could have timed it better and the road was quite steep up and then down. 

When we arrived we were glad for the effort though.  It was a real cove.  The waves were less intense and it was very scantily dotted with people.  There were two Russian men, Lenin and Yeltsin renting snorkeling equipment for $10 and we got one set and shared it.  There was nothing to see.  The water was too turbid from the crashing surf.  After peanut butter and mango sandwiches everyone felt positive and energetic.  We played in the cove for 3 hours and then walked home.  No one complained and everyone, but Tim, agreed it was easier going back.  Tim had a sun-burn on the tops of his feet, and his sandals were irritating him.   As we walked along the length of the beach again, we were particularly happy for the occasional fresh water stream which had eroded the sand into a narrow stream beds as the water made its way out to sea.   The cool water was a welcome change from the tepid ocean.

Having a kitchen allowed us the option of eating in, so we stopped at Joseth’s once again and got what we needed for dinner, breakfast, and lunch.  Things are twice as expensive here as they were in the villages near Finca Ipe.  I resent the inflated tourist prices, but appreciate the beach and our proximity to Manuel Antonio preserve which we will explore tomorrow.  We saw a whole troupe of monkeys in the trees today.  It was very reminiscent of Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.  These monkeys were tossing down mangoes instead of hats, so we didn’t stay to watch them long!

A dinnertime Skype session with Uncle Richard gave us a preview of our return home.  The seedlings are waiting to be planted, the plumbers are doing work on the house, and the baby bunnies need to be held more.  It’s good for us to think of these things before we return.  This trip has become the norm for us.  Three weeks really is long enough to get used to a new lifestyle. 

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Rose got me to wear her bikini today. We shared tops and bottoms and I was told I looked pretty good.  No feedback on that, please.