Day 70

     We made a day of errands (laundry, bus info, internet, etc.) and soaked in the colonial charm of Granada.  Also, each afternoon in Nicaragua we would head to the main plaza to be entertained by practicing marching bands.  Apparently there is a national competition in September in which all schools proudly compete.  The bands (including sassy dancers) were either quite good or comically off beat.

Hotel- $11, Food- $10, Tours-$0, Trans.-$0, Random (internet - $18, laundry $3)
Total- $42

Day 71

     We decided to move on to Costa Rica as my parents would be meeting us there in a week or so.  We wanted a perfect vacation for them without all of the difficulties of our own style of travel.  We planned to race around the country scoping everything out (hotels, restaurants, beaches, driving time, etc).
     After a couple of buses to the border, an easy walk through immigration, and then another bus, we finally arrived in San Jose well after dark.  We stayed downtown and enjoyed just walking around.  It didn� t take long for Lady to grow tired of me pointing out things that were different from when I lived there over 10 years ago.

Hotel -$13, Food- $17, Tours -$0, Trans -$15, Random (Exit Tax $6)
Total -$51

Day 72

     San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is set in a valley surrounded by mountains.  WIth over 300,000 people, it can be hectic and smoggy, but we liked it the best of all the Central American capitals.  The city is increasingly modern with shopping malls, cell phones, and internet cafes on every corner.  We sometimes felt underdressed in our grungy travel clothes.  Finally, at 3,800 feet, San Jose is refreshingly cool, especially compared to the sweltering heat of NIcaragua, and downright chilly when the rainy season clouds would inevitably roll in each afternoon.
     We visited places where I had lived, went to school, or just had fun.  My old neighborhood had changed for the worse and the family I had lived with moved 6 years ago.  The bars were still there but the drinks are now more expensive.  Overall, we would find Costa Rica more expensive compared to the other Central American countries we had visited (with Belize as a notable exception).

Hotel - $13, Food -$31, Tours -$0, Trans -$2, Random (Movie- $8, Meds- $3, Internet/Phone -$4)
Total -$61

Day 73

     We picked up a Jeep (actually a Diahatsu) this morning and headed out of the city.  We were delighted in our new found freedom.  We could go anywhere, anytime we wanted.  We even bought a cooler and stocked it with essentials.  We were ready for adventure.
     We visited Grecia, known for its all-metal church, and Sarchi, known for its handicrafts, then off to the pacific coast.  We took a ferry across the Nicoya Peninsula and were joined by more tourists that we had seen in all of Nicaragua.  Our destination was Playa Montezuma, but given the late hour we couldn� t find a hotel.  It was probably better that we stayed just outside of town because Friday night in Montezuma resembles a very big frat party.

Hotel - $13, Food -$40, Tours -$0, TRans -$$53, Random (ferry -$12)
Total -$118

Day 74

     We set out early to hike to the waterfall in Montezuma.  After a 30 minute jungle walk, we arrived at the 75-foot waterfall (it also has a 30- foot fall on top).  We were amazed that we had the place to ourselves and guessed too much partying the night before to be the reason of our good fortune.  Anyway, we enjoyed swimming in the small pool at the foot of the falls.
     Soon after, we headed toward Playa Samara, a beach about 50 miles north.  This was apparently the  theoretical shortest distance as all of the short-cut roads had flooded in their low spots.  Note: Before they would rent us the jeep we had to sign an agreement that we would not drive through any rivers.  After crossing several �creeks�of increasing widths and depths, we turned around and took the main road.  This meant those 50 miles took the better part of a day to drive.
     We arrived in Samara just in time to go swiiming and enjoy the sunset.  Samara is a beautiful white sand beach, two miles long, crescent shaped with jungle and rocky cliffs on both ends, and a reef of the coast which keeps the waves tranquil.  Samara also remains relatively undeveloped and we never saw more than 10 people on the beach at anytime.

Hotel -$17, Food -$10, Tours -$0, Trans -$53, Random (gas -$14)
Total -$94

Day 75

     After fulfilling our scouting responsibilities in Samara, we drove toward the central mountains, stopping frequently to admire the scenery or buy prduce on the roadside.  Our favorite fruit is the Mamonchino.  We spent several days arguing about how to describe it and here is our consesus view.  It is the size of an oval lime. Tthe outside is a deep fushia that becomes a bright yellow on the spikes that cover its body.  To get to the fruit, you twist and pull off half the shell.  Inside  looks like a clear eyeball, peeled grape, or vaseline-covered egg.  Its texture is more than a bit slimy and its taste ranges from sweet to sour, sometimes in the same bite.  Inside is a large seed which you unceremoniously spit out.  Overall �chinos�are delicious, addictive, and cheap entertainment ( a bag of 20 or so costs 100 colones/30 cents).
     That night, we stayed in Tilaran, a small town at the crossroads to Lake Arenal and Monteverde.  For dinner, we misordered slightly and ended up eating two whole roasted chickens.

Hotel -$13, Food -$8, Tours -$0, Trans-$53, Random (ferry -$3)
Total -$77