New friends, new spot

I arrived to Playa Samara last night!  I am officially a temporarily transplanted Okie-Floridian costarricense.

Traveling like a "tico" was far more entertaining than traveling like a tourist.  I took a public bus from San Jose to Samara.  A taxi or shuttle would have cost upwards of $150 and I paid $12 for a bus full of friendly Costa Ricans.

One of my goals was to meet people from all over the world.  Mission accomplished!

Raul was my first amigo.  He was taking the bus to see his girlfriend in Nicoya.  He's studying finance and hopes to learn English and travel to the US.  His girlfriend is trying to find a job in San Jose.

I also met a group of students from Italy and Germany, here to learn Spanish, and a group of backpackers from Belgium.

My housemates are super nice!  Shelly is from Austin, TX and is out of the country for the first time.  She is here to "spread her wings" and I love her new sense of adventure.  Simon in from England and he has been traveling/living in Latin America for 5 years.  I want to be him when I grow up.  It is awesome to be able to talk about amazing places like Machu Picchu, DF,  and Teotihucan with other people who have been there. 

My house is super cool!  Each of us have locking bedroom doors and we share the rest of the house.  It's nicer and bigger than I imagined. There is an outdoor shower and a killer patio.

The town of Samara is quaint and sleepy.  There are surf schools, dive shops, souvenir shops, cafes, bakeries and ice cream parlors. Everyone is extraordinarily friendly!  I think I said "good morning" a thousand time this morning.

The beach is very different from MY beach back home.  There are waves, the sand is darker and more rocky but it is magically beautiful.  There are horses wandering and the beach is lined with banana tress and palm trees.

Adios for now...