THE MAIDEN VOYAGE

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:26-04:00 May 22nd, 2013|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: , , |

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: A day out kayaking and snorkeling— $0

It’s official… our bargain kayaks can float. We took our maiden voyage off Playa Conchal with our friends Ian and Sandy swimming behind. They knew exactly how to find a spectacular reef located right offshore.

I kayaked while Rob snorkeled around the coral, diving down like a seal. All at once he came up hollering, “An octopus just tried to ink me!”

We eventually headed back and stopped off at Sandy’s house. She cooked us omelets while we watched our GoPro camera footage.  It recorded my husband laughing, a sound that I can listen to over and over again. I love seeing Rob happy. His laughter levitates me and keeps me afloat, much like my second-hand kayak.

Once home, I couldn’t stop repeating how easy this excursion turned out to be. And my husband couldn’t stop pointing out how I didn’t help him load either of the kayaks into the back of our car.  Or go with him to buy them in the first place. Or hose the salty water off them that night.

He could be right about that, I don’t recall any dirty work or heavy lifting. That part is all a blur. But what isn’t a blur is the memory of that special afternoon out with my friends, where I watched my husband dive down to discover an octopus at the bottom of the ocean.

Sometimes a bargain turns out to be more valuable than you think. Where some might see a rickety, old kayak, I see years of good times and fun adventures with my friends.

ISLAND HOPPING IN COSTA RICA

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:26-04:00 May 14th, 2013|Categories: Cost of Living, Tourism|Tags: |

Costa Rica Vacation

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 2 used kayaks— $65 each

Living at the beach has its advantages; there are a lot of fun activities, one of which is kayaking out to the small islands that speckle the horizon. Some are as close as 600 feet from shore. There you will find great places to snorkel and excellent spots for relaxing while you toss your fishing line into the ocean.

Renting a kayak ranges from $10-$20 an hour, so we’ve been keeping an eye out for an affordable used pair. And boy did we score. A dive shop was selling a fleet of nine, which of course makes my husband consider his next business venture: Rob’s Kayaking Tours. Because on vacation, who wouldn’t want a guy originally from Brooklyn touring them around an estuary saying phrases like, “You want to see a  howler monkey? Fuh-ged-about-it.” Or my favorite, “Don’t be a doo-ta-doo and paddle into a crocodile.”

Luckily, he only bought two and neither were the inflatable kind. They are made of hard plastic and from what I can see they look fine… except for that fact that they didn’t come with seats or oars.

This hasn’t discouraged Rob since he insists a good sturdy stick will push us through the mangroves while doubling as a crocodile whacking device. I can only imagine how we would sell this to potential clients:

Welcome to Rob’s Kayaking Tours: Come out on one of our fifteen-year-old seatless, oarless kayaks and push yourself through the mangroves. Enjoy the close-up view of a crocodile’s mouth before beating him off with one of Rob’s hand crafted sticks! Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sandwiches included. Fug-ged-about-it.

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