We're in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, for the month of February. Maybe it's the tropical climate that's making us very lazy and that's why I haven't posted much lately! The temperature is about 90 degrees here with humidity, so most people go out in the morning or after the sun sets. Afternoons can be really hot and miserable so we spend them in either our air-conditioned condo or in the pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean, usually reading and lounging. 

Jaco is a quaint little beach town, and the main street is about a mile to a mile and a half long, lined on both sides with little restaurants, bars, and shops selling trinkets and beach wear and surfing stuff. The only chain store I've seen is Pizza Hut (no, we won't eat there!), and we've enjoyed the unique little "sodas" and cafes. There are many places to eat and some of our favorites are: the Artisenal Bakery for morning cinnamon rolls and coffee, Lemon Zest for fine gourmet cuisine like bbq duck wings and local fish, and Puddlefish for luncheon salads and great beer.  The craft beer movement has reached Central America, and we've visited two brew pubs with delicious craft beer. Puddlefish makes their own brews in huge steel vats visible from their dining and tasting area. As you can tell, sampling the local restaurants is one of our favorite things to do in the evening.

Aside from dining out, life in Jaco centers around the beaches. While the sand is darker and coarser than Caribbean beaches, the waves are beautiful and the beaches are broad and clean. Walking the beach and watching the sunset are two favorite activities.

One day we took a catamaran trip on the Sea Lounge to a beautiful beach where we lounged on the beach, had a lunch of grilled chicken and fish, swam off the boat and snorkeled. While the snorkeling was a bit murky, the sea water was warm and the day was beautiful. Our group of about 20 people were very friendly, and we met families and couples from Canada and Virginia. We sailed back to Jaco at sunset and it was just a glorious sight. Drinks in hand, we watched the sun set over the ocean from the peaceful catamaran, and said that was one of the most beautiful sunsets we've ever seen. Here is a video of our boat trip on the Sea Lounge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=33&v=rQ6SHRyqqeY

Next week we travel to Belize to spend the month of March on Ambergris Caye. We're looking forward to seeing the Caribbean beaches and snorkeling the reefs off Belize. Click o the first picture below to start a slideshow of our photos of Costa Rica.