When we booked this trip, we had to do it as cheap as possible. And we are OK with that. We have learned that if you always wait till you have “enough” money or till the time is perfect to do something you love, then other things take priority. We have also learned that traveling doesn’t take nearly as much money as you think it does. Now understand we are not flying first class, or business class…or even coach for that matter! We flew Spirit airlines, where even a carry-on bag is an add on. They even state that the seats on this airbus do not recline so they can move more people for cheaper flights. The stewardess gravely joked that in the event of an emergency we were to swipe our credit card after putting on the oxygen mask. We traveled late at night for the best fare too. Arriving into San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica at 1:30am. After going through immigration and customs. We went straight to the exchange bank to get the colones needed for the week. We walked out the door with backpacks on, passing the gauntlet of taxi drivers wooing us to ride with them. Ten years ago, we had walked from the airport to nearby Alajuela, in the heat of the day, so we knew we could do it again. This time it was actually a little chilly with 20 mile an hour winds. We crossed the highway onto the narrow dirt path that many locals use to get to work. I went shopping for hiking sandals before coming, but only bought flip flops. I wish I had at least brought my running shoes for the hike. Oh well…note for next time.
We walked about a mile till we saw a Courtyard Marriott. We figured we could charge our phones, use the restroom and figure out our next step of the journey. They had a nice little cafe at the hotel where we ordered coffee and breakfast sandwiches.
Every other time we have come here, we have rented a car. This time we decided to travel like the locals. If it works for the millions of citizens here, then it should work just fine for us for one week. We did our research and found the national public bus service will take you anywhere in the country for under $10. Tapping into the free WiFi compliments of Marriott, we were able to download the bus schedules to our phones and make a plan to get to our final destination. We sipped Costa Rican coffee till around 5:00 when it started to get light.
Backpacks in tow we set out to the bus station. Only another mile into Alajelua and we were there. It was fun to watch the city come to life as people were busy getting to their places of work by foot, dirt bikes, buses, cars whatever gets them there. Newspapers delivered, apples being peddled, a new work day starting in the city as the sky changed colors from pink to blue highlighting the mountains that surround the city. There was a man outside the bus station, whose job was to help everyone get on their correct bus. He was happy and appeared to love life, as he smiled and danced in the street at 6am. Waving as locals beeped their horns going by. It was obvious that everyone knew this guy and his contagious smile is a part of their daily life. At precisely 6:29 our bus arrived and Mr. Smiley motioned for us to board. The bus was only about half full and we were able to find two seats together towards the rear. We expected this trip to be aboyt 4 1/2 hours, we finally shut our eyes after 24 hours of being awake and on the go. Two hours into the trip we pulled into a rest station where we where told we had 20 min to get out and use the restroom and stretch our legs before continuing to Liberia. There was a bit of a line for the ladies room but that’s OK, because I was able to notice the ladies in front of me walked to a basket and grabbed pre-wrapped portions of toilet paper. Everything was extremly clean and accessible. We bought a cold bottle of water and Pringles at the store, and some empanadas from a vendor. Empanadas are made from corn flour and filled with a seasoned meat mixture then deep fried. This hit the spot for both of us. We boarded the bus again and slept on an off till we reached Liberia about two hours later. This was a pleasant experience and could not have been easier. I told Sean, I wish I had taken more pictures, but I didn’t want to be mistaken as a tourist. I think my hat gave it away though.
Once we reached Liberia we walked one block to the next loading area where we purchased our tickets for the last leg of the trip. There were several vendors here selling everything from socks to mangos and coconut juice. After 30 minutes our next bus arrived. Unlike the first bus there was no air conditioning on this one.
There was a nice breeze and all the windows were open. The only negative part of this trip was this bus stopped at every single stop between Liberia and our final destination of Tamarindo. We had nothing but time on our hands so it was fine. If you were looking to get there faster, a private cab might be a better option for a higher fee than the $2 we paid. On the bright side, we were able to see what every town and village looks like, and saw some beautiful scenery along the coast.
With the exception of 4 surfers on board, We were the only non-Ticos that we had seen since getting off the plane in San Jose. (Tico is the term used for a native Costa Rican)
As we approached Tamarindo, we knew that our hotel was near a supermarket. We mistakenly got off the bus a bit premature when we saw a large super market. Once we realized this we just continued walking in the same direction. It was pretty hot at this point so the first taxi that went by, got our business. Our hotel was about another 2 miles up the road.
We were greeted by Tonia who gave us a quick tour and fresh towels for the pristine pool that we promptly used! After cooling off, we headed into downtown Tamarindo which is only one block from our villa. We stumbled into a fabulous place called FT’s to order a casado (traditional Costa Rican meal of meat or fish, rice, black beans, veggies and a salad) the fish was so incredible! I really enjoyed this meal and will probably get it again before we leave.
It did not take long to put away a couple Imperials and feel relaxed as we started to unwind after 28 hours of travel. We called it an early night and didn’t even catch the sunset, but we will today!
