Sunday--Hermosa Beach

Beach day

We got up early to catch the sun after a night of rain. The comes comes early and usually breaks fair. Sunday morning it was crystal blue skies and with visiblity for miles. We watched a pack of monkeys playing in the trees a few miles away. The house sits hight on a hill overlooking Playa Hermosa, the backside of the house overlooks jungle. We've seen all kinds of wildlife, the monkeys in the morning are unavoidable because they bark and howl so loud.

The girls sat by the pool and read, the guys all slept in, each slowly joining the group. Russ is always the first one up and he makes coffee, Im second because I blog and check Facebook, then its Doak, Bill and Dave. I like to walk down the steep 20 percent grade down to Hermosa for exercise. The 15 minute walk is like 45 minutes on a stairstepper, its so steep that each step down and up hurts and if you should fall you would skid and roll to the bottom with catastrphic consquences.

We hung at the pool until noon when Bill and Gina and I decided to walk into Hermosa. We were tired of the pool scene and wanted to explore a bit. We ran into the neighborhood security guard on his four wheeler, he's just a kid but packing a Browning 9mm, which speaks volumes about squatters in this area. You never want to leave a house empty in this country, not ever for a week.

Casa Viento is a spectacular house with high ceilings, beautiful tiled floors an infinity pool and wonderful furnishings. Its modern in every way and tastefully furnished. But on this day Gina Bill and I had to get out into the country, we walked down to the highway and found a 'beware of Monkeys' zone. We came a across an Iguana in a tree being dive bombed by an angry black bird. I think he was caught going for the nest.

Playa Hermosa is about a mile long, cresent shaped beach thats sourounded by steep hillsides.
There are palm trees inland from the beach with a few shops and hotels. At either end are tidepools in volanic rock and are teeming with life. We combed the area looking at the critters in the pools. After an hour of that we made our way to AquaSport resturant and were joined by our fellow travellers. We had a marvelous lunch of native Costra Rica fare, I had rice and shrimp that was out of the world good.

After lunch we set up camp on the beach and spent the rest of the day bouncing in the surf beating the big waves, sometimes getting beat and drinking beer and cuba libres. It was a great time counting the waves and trying to figure out when the big one was hit. At least twice we were all knocked down by a rogue 8 footer.

We played until 5 or so, went to the store and headed home for dinner. The girls rustled up and amazing dinner of rice and grilled chicken. I looked around and noticed all the plates empty, meaning it was fantastic. Val, Amy, MA, Sheryl and Gina all pitched in. Im the dish guy and I usually get help from Bill and we can clean up in record time.

We settled in after dinner, turned the stero up and watched the most spectacular lightning storm it lasted from 6 till well after midnight with hard rain come about 10:30. Amy took her chances and braved the pool, we watched in amazement as she took the water as lightning flashed about.
The flashes contiually lit the night up...like a strobe light. It smelled like rain, only sweet with all the blossoms.

Doak, Val and I were the last ones left, talking and Doak finishing off a warm beer. We went to bed with flashes lighing our bedrooms and the sound of far off thunder, rain pounding the roof.