I eventually warmed up to Costa Rica and figured out the reason of my initial disappointment: I had precise expectations on what Costa Rica should look like, based largely on tourism-promoting literature, which in the end didn’t quite match reality.
Playa Hermosa – Not what I expected, but beautiful nevertheless
I was expecting crystal-clear water and white sand beaches – Caribbean style; instead I found lush, green hills and little bays where the water is mostly clear but far from crystal and the sand is rather dark in color… However, once I wiped off the expectations from my mind, I found plenty of beauty once again…
Our lush surroundings – The first Palm Tree forest I’ve ever seen
Sugar Cane fields forever…
Lesson learned! Stop absorbing man-made brochures and continue to marvel at the scenery as it presents itself: a sure way of avoiding disappointment.
Anyway, our search for those spectacular spots got delayed… The initially planned 3-day stay at Marina Papagayo turned into a 10-day stay.
Glorious Marina Papagayo
That big boat (Cracker Bay) belongs to the folk singer Faith Hill
On the way down from Nicaragua our alternator quit working and we needed this problem fixed before moving on.
We found Alejandro, an excellent technician who came to the boat, ran a lengthy diagnostic and eventually took away the alternator to run more tests in his laboratory. As it turned out, it was a fixable problem and we were finally good to go a few days (and a few dollars) later.
Tom scoping out the neighborhood from his vantage point – the Dive Bar!
“Forced” at the docks for this reason, we took advantage and completed a flurry of chores. Camelot now looks brand new after an in-depth wash/wax/polish job, and its shade awnings have been modified to fit perfectly.
Land travel: Flip a coin and pick a destination!
Beaches, beaches everywhere! Better explore those by boat, maybe…
Oh, it wasn’t all work and no play! We managed to take full advantage of the Marina pool quite often, and even rented a car for a couple days to explore the surroundings a little.
The Churches in the province of Guanacaste are all painted green. True story!
Parroquia Santiago Apostol – Filadelfia
Tomorrow we leave Marina Papagayo, resuming life at anchor for a while.
I am really looking forward to that!
Adios, Marina Papagayo, and thanks for the hospitality!
SAILING CAMELOT 
Always good to hear from you. We love Costa Rica and spent over the years three and half months touring the country. In all fairness one must go in land and go north south east west to get the full and beautiful picture of this glorious part of Central America. We are very much biased as you can tell. LOL Enjoy you two and remember that there is still more to see as you continue your journey! Right???? Love ya. Stay well and safe.
By: luepetri on May 8, 2012
at 09:47