La Fortuna to Samara – Day 3
We had to wake up earlier than we wanted today and the excitement of a new adventure kept me up most of the night. We had to be ready by 6:30am, which meant waiting for 30 minutes for the bus. I’m not really sure why they wanted us there 30 minutes before the bus even showed up, but okay. Andrea and Jay were feeling a bit rough from a late night by the pool with other new friends, but were still in good spirits. Here are some photos of the hotel, and waiting for the bus. 🙂
Our journey took us around the volcano and by Lake Arenal. I was really excited about seeing more of the area, and was surprised at how spread out many hotels were around the volcano. Unless one has a car, it means a taxi or walking to get into town…or staying at your resort the whole time. I was very happy we stayed in the town itself and were able to walk just a few blocks to get a snack or for a meal. The roads around the lake were some of the worst I’ve ever experienced…I don’t think I’d be comfortable driving those roads, and definitely not at night!
Here are some pictures of Lake Arenal (taken as we drove by…so they are a bit blurry):
We changed buses at one of the many bus rest stops along the way. We saw macaws and deer in the back of the house, but my camera was locked up so I couldn’t get any pictures. Grayline gave us a coupon for a free drink and snack, and James and I decided to also order beef tacos (which were awesome). After a bit of confusion as to what bus we were supposed to be on, and a quick grab of our stuff, we were off again to Samara.
We arrived in Samara around 12:30pm. Our room wasn’t quite ready (we were early), but they let us put our stuff in it anyway. The town of Samara looked extremely funky and fun, and we couldn’t wait to check it out. We took a quick (2 block) walk to the beach, then went to Las Brasas for a light lunch and drinks.
The view from our hotel room:
Standing on the beach in Samara:
Las Brasas – Pina Colada and grilled fish (James and I shared…it was soooooo good!):
We spent the rest of the day at the beach, where the water was warm and calm.
The water is clear and beautiful at Playa Samara, and the sun is HOT. We walked a bit and watched the many dogs around us. We also saw this:
We found a beachside bar, where we drank some Pilsen and people-watched for a while.
On the way back to the hotel, we saw a fun game of futbol going on…
We later wandered around, looking for somewhere cheap for dinner. We found a local Tico place, back by the ATV rental place (if you want to find it, walk towards the beach and turn right by Las Brasas). It was crowded with locals and the prices were excellent (about $4 US for a plate of rice and shrimp). The four of us talked about Canadian and US politics, books, and movies. It’s always interesting to hear what other countries think of Americans, and it was no surprise to find out that they just don’t understand our government. I don’t even think I understand our government, but that’s a topic best left off of a vacation journal. 🙂
We all went to bed sort of early due to a long day of traveling and sun.
Tags: La Fortuna, Samara/Carrillo
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