I walked the beach of Playa Grande to the water taxi that shuttles people across the estuary to Tamarindo. The guide at Las Tortugas, Jonathon, said the walk would be about 25 minutes. To the estuary it took me 45 minutes and then it is another hot 10 minutes to the town of Tamarindo. By the time I got there is was hot sweaty and discouraged. Being on foot can be a hard way to go. It is a tough choice here in Costa Rica. Driving is no picnic either.
Tamarindo is a hustle and bustle. The main drag is full of foot and vehicle traffic and is lined with surf shop after tourist trap after surf shop. It is the kind of place you would revel in if you are a surfer. Otherwise, it has services like banks and food. And the beach and waves aren’t even half full. Great place to be on the beach if you can stand the heat, or surf, if you can handle the waves.
After a stop at the ATM and lunch, I bought some sunscreen and water. Walking in my sandals, the tops of my feet were feeling burned. After popping into a couple of shops (tourist traps that have no good jewelry at all!) I headed back.
Sunday when the group of Canadians gave me a ride to Playa Grande, we had lunch at a place not far from the beach. We shared a table with a guy named DJ, a surfer from San Fransisco, who had just dropped his wife and kids off at the airport. He was staying a while to surf some more. I was almost back to the hotel when I saw him with his board on the beach. I waved and said hi and he recognized me but couldn’t seem to place me. We chatted for a minute and he asked me, “Is that sunscreen in your bag?” He subsequently asked me to put some on his back, the strip right down the middle where he couldn’t get to himself. Strange small world.