Day 1
This year we flew into the airport in Liberia. We were going to spend some time exploring the northern Pacific side of Costa Rica. While flying in, I could see where our hotel was because I knew it was in a bay with a small island. I’m wasn’t sure exactly where the border was, but I knew we were across from Nicaragua.
Again we travelled with just our carry-on bags, so getting out of the airport was quick and easy. We picked up our rental car and headed north. It was 34 degrees C in Liberia, so during the drive I was looking forward to sitting at the pool bar with a Pina Colada in hand. After a 90 minute drive, we arrived at Nandel Beach Resort near La Cruz, which is very close to the Nicaraguan border.
While checking in, one of the staff showed us this 300 year old Ceiba Tree. She told us you could make wishes on it. This tree can get very large and has cultural and spiritual significance, depending on where it is located. Mayan people viewed it as sacred. In one native language Ceiba means boat. They used these trees to build canoes. In Spanish it means “the kapok tree” or “silk-cotton tree”. The fiber in the seed pods is buoyant and is sometimes used to stuff life jackets, mattresses and pillows.
It was close to dinner time, so we didn’t have a lot of time to explore. I was disappointed to discover that the water in the pool was freezing, and the wind was blowing at almost 70 km an hour. It was so strong that it was making waves in the pool and at some points the water was being swept out of the pool.
Although the hotel was very reasonably priced, we had a very large room. Our patio door opened up to the pool area, which was nice. There were two rooms and a kitchen, but the kitchen was not stocked.
We walked over to the beach briefly. The water was very rough and the tide was in. We chatted with a couple from Windsor briefly and then went back to get dinner. This hotel is fairly isolated, so there weren’t many options for eating except at the hotel.
The restaurant was in this thatched roof building. Unlike most other places we’ve stayed, the walls were enclosed with windows, but only on the ocean facing side. I’m assuming because it’s often windy here….
For dinner we shared a Filet Mignon with vegetables and mashed potatoes. We also enjoyed a nice dessert- it was Valentine’s day!
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