Costa Rica: The Water

Costa Rica is a country with lots and lots of coastline, both on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  We were staying on the Pacific side, so all of our water time was in the Pacific - which despite it's reputation for being cold, it was the temperature of bathwater. 

The last excursion we booked through the concierge was a fishing trip for the guys.  The trip was a 3/4 day private tour through Luna Tours and honestly, it was a bit underwhelming.  The guys running the tour was great, but the lunch was a generic sandwich and though though drinks were provided, they ran out after only a hour.  

They were out on the water for a LONG time and nothing was biting.  Low and behold, Jon's line had a bite.

And what a bite it was!  A sailfish that was almost 10 feet long and estimated at 120 pounds.  And he was a feisty sucker!  It took close to a half hour to reel in the first fish of the day.

And he made a great picture!  Sailfish are protected in Costa Rica (maybe elsewhere as well, I only know what the boatmen told us), so this beauty went right back in the water to enjoy another day.  

The fishing trip was not over yet.  Just as they were pulling in the lines to call it a day, another line snagged...

Ted spots something on the horizon

 During dinner the night before, my brother Chris stated that he planned on not fishing at all, just taking pictures - and guess who's line caught? Of course, it was Chris. The fish gave him quite a fight, and after 40 minutes of reeling, he pulled in a blue marlin!

The fish was estimated at 300 pounds! They pull him onto the boat, for fear of killing him, and blue marlin are also a protected species. He sure was cool though - and Chris was one unsuspecting fisherman!

We also spent a day at the Mar & Sombra beach, which was a 5 minute drive from our house.  There are a couple of small beaches to choose from in Manuel Antonio, but this particular beach has Erik, a guy that will set up umbrellas and chairs for you, as well as bring drinks and food.  He was a really nice guy, working for tips, and has been at this spot for 10 years (so he tells me).  One of the greatest things about Erik is that he used a bucket of seawater to keep a cool path to the ocean from our chairs, the sand got crazy hot during the day.

The beach had all sorts of fun things to do, like renting a wave runner,

Ted and Kyra riding into the sea

Hanging out and eating snacks with Grammy,

Finding rocks, and then throwing them back into the waves,

And... Parasailing!  The idea started with my mother-in-law's lifelong wish to go parasailing, and continued with the constant string of parasailers visible from our living room. By the time we got to the beach, we knew we weren't leaving until someone was pulled behind a boat.

You can fly in pairs, so Lornie and I partnered up and got ready to go!  It was easy - walk down the beach until you take off!

Flying High!

Next up - my mom and Chris.  There were a few extra nerves on this trip, but soon enough they were up in the sky enjoying the breeze!

Everyone used the same company, Aguas Azules, and they were great.  We had lots of fun, and I can say that we thoroughly enjoyed everything that the water in Costa Rica had to offer!