A typical few days

We usually rise about 8am and have breakfast in the back yard way before the boys wake up. I hate to sleep away the morning even if we are on vacation. We drink strong coffee, eat fresh tropical fruit that has never seen the inside of a refrigerator or a massive delivery truck and watch the grackles build their nest in one of the two coconut palms on the property. If we are lucky we will see the green parrots as well. A walk through our neighbourhood of Tamarindo into town means we pass by Luna, the butt ugly white pit bull that insists on sleeping on the sunny side of the road ALL day. She is there every single day and we wonder how she hasn't fried to death by now. She never moves or ever raises an eyebrow as we walk by at various times of day.

There are many "beach dogs" here that don't belong to anyone but who crave attention all the same. They aren't called "mans best friend" for nothin'. It makes me sad to see some of them just aching to be loved and eating up whatever affection they can generate from the transient population here on the beach.

The mexican families are so friendly and always say "buenos dias" to us as we walk by. They are getting their kids to school and heading to work while we head to the beach!

We can feel it getting hotter every day as summer approaches. Not sure what the temps are but I was very comfortable in the water for the last few days so it must have been at least 30 degrees. We walked to Los Muertos beach a few days ago and loved the quiet and the fact that the really great beach vendors brought us everything we needed at this slightly isolated spot. We ate some awesome shrimp tacos, cold cervesa and even managed to buy a chair hammock for Bowen!

Yesterday we splurged and took an all day trimaran trip to Mariettas Island. The island is a nature preserve so is home to several species of birds including the blue footed boobie! The island had a beach in the centre of it which makes it look like a donut if only you could view it from above. We had to either kayak, swim or snorkel to the centre of the island then we were able to walk through some caves that led to the outer edges of the island. A harrowing experience with Bowen who was very worried we would either hit our heads on the top off the "cave" or would be swept out to sea from the force of the incoming waves.
 We spotted some whales on the way to and from the island which always gets everyone on the boat slightly hysterical. The craziness always ruins the potential  tranquillity of the experience for me and I get caught up with everyone else trying to capture the experience in a brutal photograph. I met Caroline, the wife of the screenwriter for Gorillas in the Mist on the boat who just happens to live in Canmore. She is here spending some one on one time with the eldest of her 6 children while her husband brings home the bacon from their second home in Los Angeles. We keep running into them in town which is pretty fun. It makes us feel at home somehow.

Our day at the beach usually comes to and end around 6pm when Remy and I head the The Breakfast Bar for a cocktail and to watch a game of beach volleyball played by the bronzed surfer dudes. Not a bad way to live, not bad at all.

Liz