Christmas in Costa Rica Part I

Christmas in Costa Rica

Two years ago when both Aubrey and Breck left for their Missions on the same day, just before Christmas, I vowed that our entire family would spend Christmas 2017 together, in some Spanish speaking, tropical location. So here we are, on the plane and ready to fly to Costa Rica.

  I say "we" loosely since Brittney and Aubrey did not make the flight (we were all supposed to be on the same flight to Costa Rica) on account that all flights going to the Atlanta were canceled due to a twelve hour power outage at the Airport. We found this out just as we arrived in Atlanta the evening before we were to fly out (we drove six hours to the Atlanta Airport because each plane ticket was about $400 cheaper, than had we flown out of our local airports). Fortunately, the four of us made the flight, which was only a few hours delayed, but unfortunately, Brad spent almost the entire night on the phone with the airlines coming up with alternate flights to Costa Rica for the girls. In the end, the girls would fly out of  Los Angeles and arrive in Costa Rica 24 hours after us. Not too bad considering the fact they would have been five days behind us had they flown out of Atlanta.

Guanacaste Province, Potrero, Costa Rica

 Day One:

Potrero Sunset Condominiums

 We finally made it to Potrero Sunset Condominiums, where we would be staying for the next week. This is a picture of the front of the complex.

 There was a large fence in front which was kept locked unless opened by a key, and a large automatic gate for vehicles, which was usually closed.

 This is the view from the back, which faced the beach and ocean. Our unit was on the top right hand side. Most of the other units were vacant, except for a couple other's which were rented out to permanent residents. The two story top unit next to ours was rented by a woman named Babe, and her dog Besito (meaning "little kiss"). Babe was originally from Florida but had lived in Costa Rica for over sixteen years. She was a good resource during our stay there.

 This was the view of our unit as you walked in the front door (with Merinda out cold on the couch, and Breck checking out Spanish TV).

 Behind Brad you can see the condo's private beach, and beautiful view of the ocean.

This was the view from my bed, it could of been completely unobstructed had I rearranged the grill and balcony lounge chairs. I couldn't wait to listen to the waves crash onto the shore at night as I slept, with the patio doors open. However, the ocean was so close that I could hear the ocean waves just fine through closed doors. 

 View of Potrero beach, or Playa Potrero, looking one direction.

 View of Playa Potrero looking straight back.

 View of Playa Potrero looking the other direction. What you see is beautiful Potrero Bay.

Dinner at "Estero Azul"   

 That evening for dinner we ate at Estero Azul, as recommended by the locals. We simply walked along the beach for a couple minuets and were there. Above is a picture of the restaurant, which was really just some rustic tables and someone's home kitchen. 

It was the most chill restaurant I've ever been to. 

Brad even walked there in his bare feet. 

The views were amazing!  

AND, lets not forget the food! I don't even like fish, but eating there every night could really turn me into a regular fish-lover!

View of the Bay at sundown.

And the view of our condo as we walked home. No need for blinds or curtains when your backyard is the ocean!

Day Two:

The Girls Arrive!

The next day Breck (the little white dot in the center of the picture) could not wait to get in the water (after all it had been about 2 1/2 years since he had gone swimming).

 Meanwhile, the girls were finally on their way to Potrero. Of course that's after flying into San Jose (because of re-routing they were unable to fly into Liberia Airport like the rest of us), and then taking this smaller sketchy plane to Liberia. They were practically sitting in the cockpit and had to be harnessed in.

 You can see by their faces that they feared for their lives. (Just a scary side note, about a week later, two families visiting Costa Rica died when a plane similar to this one crashed).

 We had a personal car drive us from Liberia to Potrero, however, the girls were on their own to figure out how to get from Liberia to Potrero. Good thing they both spoke Spanish.

  They successfully made it from Liberia after two van rides, and multiple conversations on the phone between Breck and their driver to find the right place. In Potrero, and pretty much anywhere in Costa Rica, there are no real addresses, so trying to find a place can get a little tricky. Anyway, Aubrey took one look at her bed, and collapsed! 

While the girls rested, Brad got a massage from a woman highly recommended by Babe.This was the property directly across from our condo, that looked quite primitive, and had a yard full of chickens and roosters. This is actually what most of the local's homes looked like including the place, also next to our condo, where Brad got his massage. Apparently (according to Brad) it looked like a legit spa-retreat once inside. And as far as the massage? Let's just say it was not for the faint of heart!

Dinner at "Paria"

 That evening, after the girls recovered somewhat from their exciting travels, we walked the beach again to another restaurant called Paria.

Again, the sunset was breathtaking.

Paria was very similar to Estero Azul, but maybe a tad more fancy.  

 And the food was just as excellent. We again ordered a typical Costa Rican dish of black beans, rice, and meat, with fried plantains and salad on the side, and freshly squeezed juice. After dinner, we walked to a little market down the street to buy some Brittney-friendly food.

Potrero Bay

Day Three: 

The next morning, Brad, Brittney, Breck and I decided to explore the other side of Potrero Bay.

 Brad and Brittney acting silly (I really do think the sand and sun bring out the best in some people).

Pretty pink shells that Brittney and I collected. In the water their color was much more vibrant and hot pink. 

 Brad and Breck walking as far as they dared with bare feet.

 Potrero Bay was so peaceful with only a few locals walking the beaches. It's understandable why it is considered one of the most tranquil beaches in Costa Rica.

 The bay was also beautiful with the surrounding foliage and mountains.

 These little crabs were scurrying all over the beach.

 On the right was the entrance to Villagio Flor del Pacifico, an Italian complex composed of little villas. In the same area there was a large pool, supermarket, Gelato store, and Pizza & Italian restaurants. The public beach amenities included swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, wind surfing, sailing, and fishing. 

 View of our complex in the distance.

By mid-day and with temperatures reaching ninety, everyone was ready to do a little body surfing ...

 

The waves were just the right size for most of us, but Breck was looking for something a little more exciting. I assured him that we would find bigger waves at Tamarindo beach the next day.

After rinsing off in the outdoor shower, we all took a dip in the pool.

 

 Even though my kids are old, they were still fighting over the best noodles!

Yep, this about sums up life on Potrero beach!

Dinner at "The Beach House"

That evening for dinner we once again walked the beach to yet another restaurant that was right next to the other two where we had previously eaten.

 One difficult thing about living in Costa Rica's is that the sun goes down at 5:00 pm, so if you want to make the most of your day you need to wake up with the sun at 6:00 am.

The peninsula that you can see here, across from Potrero Bay, is called Flamingo. Flamingo is a quaint little town on a hillside, with a nice little beach that I wanted to walk to and explore, but we just ran out of time. 

  

The restaurant we went to that night was called the Beach House. 

As you can see, it was a little more upscale (and expensive).

I thought the food wasn't any better than the previous places we had eaten, but apparently Merinda's grilled chicken burger was to die for!

Breck liked it because he could speak Spanish with all the pretty servers (which was the case everywhere we ate out), and made friends with the restaurant's pet cat.