Pasatiempo Time
Staying at Hotel Pasatiempo was like experiencing a different culture. The longer we stayed there, the more the concept of time began to fade. We woke up when we felt like it. Usually a pool volleyball game would start up in the late morning. Sometimes we would hit the Yucca Bar where Ron and Linda served up bloody marys. Most afternoons included time for a siesta.
Things
livened up in the evenings at the Yucca Bar. A couple times, Ron
served up "Hot Shots" on the house. A Hot Shot is like
a traditional tequila shot, except tabasco is used in place of
salt, and the chaser is tomato juice instead of a lime. The
bartender, Carolina, made excellent Margueritas. The food at the
Yucca Bar was also excellent.
Besides Ron, Linda, and Carolina, the other main character at Hotel Pasatiempo was a German Shepard named Max.
We met a guy named Andy from
Colorado who was staying at Pasatiempo for the fifth or sixth
time.
Also staying there at the time were a
couple of surfers named Pat and Mike. Pat comes from Rhode Island
and just graduated from college. As a graduation present, his
uncle Mike from Maryland took him surfing to Costa Rica.
Apparently, this area is well known for good surf.
When
we arrived in Costa Rica, we weren't sure whether we would rent a
car or rely on public transportation. After checking things out
for a few days, we decided that renting a sport utility vehicle
was the way to go. The roads in Costa Rica, especially in the
mountains, are known to be very rough and full of potholes.
Pat and Mike were driving back to San Jose, so on Tuesday the 6th, we decided to hitch a ride with them and rent a vehicle in San Jose for the remainder of our trip.