February 08, 2025 - Playa Avellana (Soulshine)

Another relaxing do nothing day - this could be habit forming.

After our early morning coffee on our terrace we wandered down 11:00 ish for yet another massive breakfast.  More coffee along with a mango and passion fruit juice and then for Gayle the Chunky Avocado - a toasted baguette topped with lots and lots of avocado, pico de gallo and a fried egg.  Norm had the Falafel - a number of small falafel balls, Israeli salad, pickled onions, tahini and spicy salsa served with a fluffy pita.  It was all so very good.

The afternoon was spent relaxing around our cabina with some time spent in the pool - very refreshing.  The temperatures are in the 31 C to 33 C range - usually with a breeze so that it is not unbearably hot but actually quite pleasant.

We decided to check out Playa Avellana and the sunset before eating at a beachfront restaurant - La Parruja.  The beach was reasonably crowded even late in the afternoon.  We enjoyed the start of the sunset before finding a table at the restaurant.  Our server Diego was wonderful in getting us a second better chair, leveling the table and tracking down a few cushions to make us more comfortable.  We both ordered a Margarita which we sipped while chatting with Sarah and Jenni from New Jersey and Maryland respectively.  On occasion I would head down to the beach to get better shots of the sun as it set bit by bit.

Dinner servings were HUGE, and the food very good.  Gayle had the La Parruja Salad of lettuce, tomato, red onion, carrot, avocado, hard boiled egg served with toasted bread.  Norm ordered the Fruitti di mare pasta which was loaded with seafood covering tagliatelle in a creamy white sauce.  There was shrimp, calamari, a large tentacle of octopus, and fresh mahi mahi all seasoned with garlic, parsely and fresh parmesan.  A great meal in a great setting.

We returned to Soulshine where we worked on our travel blogs before turning in.


The breakfast area.                                                              About to dig in.


Chunky Avocado - the photo doesn't do it justice - it was HUGE!


Norm's Falafel breakfast.


On the left our mango and passion fruit juice, and below a close-up of the delicious falafels.


Paz.                                                                                    Our servers Dariany and Nestor.



Left - a colourful hibiscus.

Below, Gayle and Paz.


A couple of our Iguana friends.


Playa Avellana.


PURA VIDA!                                                                         La Parruja with tables on the sand.


Enjoying a relaxing time at La Parruja looking out over the beach with a margarita.


From where we enjoyed the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.



Sarah and Jenni (with an 'i').                                                Diego, our wonderful friendly server.


La Purruja Salad.


Frutti di mare pasta.



February 07, 2025 - Playa Avellana with an
                                   unexpected trip to Playa Negra

We slept well.  Somewhat surprisingly there were no howlers and few birds to wake us between 4:00 am and 5:00 am as is often the case here in Costa Rica.  

Breakfast starts at 8:00 am but goes through to 2:00 pm so we got a couple of coffees that we enjoyed on our verandah looking out over the pool, listening to the birds.

Eventually we wandered down to breakfast shortly after 10:00 am.  Reviews rave about the breakfasts here at Soulshine and it became apparent why when our plates arrived.  With a selection of 11 options Gayle chose the French Toast (made from challah bread, served with fruits and home made coconut caramel) and for Norm the Shak-Shoo-Ka (two eggs in slow cooked Moroccan style; organic tomato salsa, served sizzling in a pan, with challah, dips and green salad).  The selection of food, dips, fruit, and salad were all unique, tasty and spectacularly presented, most definitely living up to the reviews.  Each breakfast plate was $25 Cdn before tax and service - $30 after.  Drinks (coffee or juice) are additional.

The afternoon was spent relaxing in our room and / or by the pool.  As we were heading out around 5:00 ish Paz, the front desk representative mentioned to us she noticed our front left tire was a tad low and that she saw a nail in the tire that no doubt was the cause.  Paz was unbelievably helpful finding us a fellow in Playa Negra, five kms away who could and would fix our tire..  We arranged to meet at 6:30 pm.  On the way we took a short detour to a beach just south of Playa Avellana where we saw the early stages of the seetting sun.  From there it was a (very) slow drive to Playa Negra as the road was dotted with potholes that we were very careful to avoid given the potential of the nail dislodging.  

We arrived early (just after 6:00 pm) and waited half an hour or so for Fabio and Sonia to return from the beach / sunset.  What a wonderful couple.  After Fabio did his thing we chatted and took a few photos, incluging of their very friendly rescue dog - Luna.  While the prospect of a flat tire was very concerning the experience turned out to be wonderful.  Fabio fixed the tire quickly at a cost of $12 US ($17 Cdn) and we got to interact with Fabio and his wife Sonia.  It is quite rare to spend even a little bit of time with locals.  While we still wish we hadn't picked up the nail this was a wonderful outcome.

With the night market on in Playa Avellana we expected everthing to be busy so decided to eat in Playa Negra. We ended up at La Vida Buena where we ordered a large thin-crusted Caprese pizza - very good.  

We felt much more comforable driving back with our repaired tire, after our 'tiring' experience. 


Our day starts with robust Costa Rican coffee that we enjoy on our veranda.


We shared a juice with our breakfast - guanabana, pineapple and coconut.

The Shak-Shoo-Ka was accompanies by a tasty green salad.


Shak-Shoo-Ka - two eggs in slow cooked Moroccan style with organic tomato salsa, served sizzling in a pan, with challah bread, dips and green salad.


French Toast - made from challah bread, served with fruits and home made coconut caramel.


Colourful Caesalpinia Pulcherrima just outside our cabina.


Our room included a number of local, colourful artifacts.






A video of our cabina.


And a paper mache donkey we have called 'Donald'.         Not a hammock but a swinging outdoor chair.


Our cabina (#2).                                                                  Our pool view from our terrace.

 
A very cool pool shower.       White ginger - we think.       Soulshine's pool.


Playa Avellana.


A bit early but sunset over the Pacific Ocean.


The nail in our tire.                                                               Fabio getting to work.


Fabio doing his thing - removing the nail; plugging and sealing the hole; and adding air.


Fabio and Sonia.

Gayle and Luna.


Luna being friendly.                                                             Sonia and Gayle.


So happy to have our tire fixed.


For dinner we ended up a La Vida Buena, a wood oven grill and pizzeria in Playa Negra.





February 06 - Halifax to Montreal to Liberia, Costa Rica to
                       Soulshine, Playa Avellana, Guanacaste

A long day but a day that went smooth from start to end.  Our pre-arranged early morning ride to the airport arrived a few minutes early (Gracias Linda and Bill).  As a result of the cold our plane needed de-icing which had us arriving in Montreal a few minutes late resulting in a shortened stop in the Air Canada lounge, but still long enough to grab coffees, a Mimosa, some eggs, sausage and pastries.  

It was then on to our 5 hour 20 minute flight to Liberia, Costa Rica.  We're guessing it was due to leaving my knee braces on but as we approached immigration after deplaning we were directed to an expedited line where we were processed immediately - our guess being that we saved an hour.  We then easily connected with our car rental, shuttled to the off-site lot, picked up our vehicle and off we went. 

Our drive took us west a bit, then south to Santa Cruz, and then again west to Playa Avellana and the ocean.

It was indicated as a tad under two hours, which, with a few photo stops is what it turned out to be.

The last 10 km or so was dirt road with a number of potholes making us very thankful for having a high-clearance 4 x 4 SUV.

We arrived at our first lodging - Soulshine, a bit before 5:00 pm (7:00 pm Atlantic time with the two hour time difference).

Along the way we noticed this fellow looking up into a mango tree.  We're glad we stopped as there was a troop of howler monkeys throughout the tree.  Nice to experience the wildlife so soon after arriving.

After checking in we read our emails and then went out to get something to eat.  We ended up at an open air food court place - La Esquina where we sat at a 'picnic table' and had a smoothie from one vendor and some food from another - a brocolli and cheese vegetarian empanada and fries for Gayle and a Gaucho - braised beef, lettuce, mozzarella, chimichurri mayonaise, goucha sauce sandwich with french fries for Norm from an Argentinian Grill.

While the food was tasty and hit the spot we did experience considerable 'sticker shock'.  The (small) plate of (admittedly good) French fries was 5,000 colones or over $14 Canadian.  Norm's sandwich was tasty but at 8,700 colones or nearly $25 very pricey for what it was.  

We know Costa Rica is not inexpensive but this seemed a bit much, particularly when we are not in a major tourist town.  It certainly does not help that the value of the Canadian $ versus the Costa Rican Colon is down 9% over this time last year.

We returned to Soulshine where, tired we turned in before 8:00 pm.


A long travel day starting with a 3:30 am wake up to catch our 6:05 am flight to Montreal.  From there we connected to a direct YUL to LIB flight to Liberia, in the north of Costa Rica.

We flew down the eastern seaboard of the US, across Cuba, Honduras and finally Nicaragua before reaching CR and landing in Liberia.  

It was -18 C when we departed Halifax but, as promised, 32 C when we landed in Liberia.

After clearing immigration, picking up our luggage, and connecting with our car rental we were on our way.   

A father and son tending their fruit stand.                                    Melons and citrus fruit.


Typical Costa Rican cows.           And a modern day Costa Rican cowboy - on a motorcycle rather than a horse.
  

Along the way there was this troop of howler monkeys in a mango tree.




We ate at Fuego Vivo, an Argentinian Grill, in a food courtyard.

Our pineapple, ginger and mint smoothie.


A vegetable empanada.                           (Very expensive) fries.                      A braised beef 'Goucho' sandwich.



Back to CostRica - February 06, 2025 to March 04, 2025

Again this February we will be enjoying the heat and sun of Costa Rica - this being our 8th winter trip to Costa Rica in the past nine (missed 2021 due to COVID-19).  This trip will start in Guanacaste Province where we land in Liberia.  We will pick up our rental vehicle and work our way south through the Nicoya Peninsula from where we will take the ferry to Puntarenas and head as far south as Dominical where we will return to Pacific Edge Eco Lodge.

 
Our full itinerary, with our lodgings are: 
We then cross over to Puntarenas and continue south for
  • 1 night at Capulin just outside of Tarcoles  
  • 4 nights at Pacific Edge Eco Lodge near Dominical
  • 6 nights at Le Jardin de Los Monos a go to stand by in Matapalo Beach, and finally
  • 1 night at the Hampton Inn near the San Jose airport due to an early morning flight home