Kayaking In Costa Rica (part 2)

After a simple meal that consisted of grilled fish, succulent tiger prawns and ripe mangoes and cream for dessert, we moved on to the boat and naturally, we chose the tandem kayak and had Marty set the whole thing up. We made our way down the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula (which wasn’t really that far). The view was just thrilling! Also, and I don’t mean to be so melodramatic about it but, the crashing waves coupled with clear skies and balmy wind was just… perfect!

So we met Marty’s people already awaiting us by the shore with the kayaks and paddles in tow. One thing you should learn folks, kayaking is a pretty simple sport. Bottom line is, the essential skill needed is the uncanny ability to sit down and paddle like a mofo, that’s about it. You should also know that most boats today are made to be stable to lower the risk of capsizing. Now, that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll breeze right through the whole expedition because that’s just bull however, by observing the proper protocol, being cautious and with the initiative to carry a spare paddle then you’ll probably not gonna end up as fish food.

Now, we were geared up and ready to go, I sat in front of the boat while Rodrigo, rather timidly, sat behind me. We checked out everything from protective gears right down to our own waterproof bags. Head gear, check, safety belts, check, spare paddles, check, ropes (just in case), check, first aid kits, check. Can’t make it any more clearer than that, safety is everything in this sport and don’t y’all forget how essential first aid kits in this kind of sport because who knows just what might happen.

We paddled through the calm water and from we can clearly hear the roaring water ahead of us. Marty went ahead of us and we paddled hard to keep up with them. Then there was a sharp turn and the rockier part of the peninsula now appeared. Massive boulders against crashing waves, it was quite intimidating and I could hear Rodrigo swear under his breath a couple of time. Paddling harder, we neared the part where the water headed for the rocky whirlpool and whoosh! We we sucked on the path where the waves meets the boulders and man, I could feel the waves pounding on the boat! It was awesome! Everything happened so fast though. I kept screaming to Rodrigo to paddle faster, watch out for that huge ass rock and tried our damnedest to navigate though the watery channels of the peninsula.

There were horrifying moments were where I thought we were gonna capsize. Too many sharp damn turns but thankfully we managed to manuever though the rocky channel. The calm water that followed gave us (especially Rodrigo) a welcome sense of relief but I didn’t feel exhausted at all! At least not after the first trek. The funny thing was, if you look at the channel from where we just went though, it does not look that far off, I mean I thought we could cross the damn channel in fifteen minutes tops but hell, it’s been a long time since I went kayaking, it seems because it almost took us a quarter of an hour! But we did it, we crossed the damn channel in one piece! The natural high that you get from extreme sports like this one is just… awesome! Of course, we weren’t done. We signed up for a three fucking kayak treks after all and this is just a small taste of things to come! So, the first trek was done and we paddled down to Marty’s place for some much needed break from our aching shoulders. Man, my back is killing me!

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Kayaking In Costa Rica (part 1)

My incessant appetite for adventure took me to a lot of places and this time around, I was back to battle the waves in Costa Rica! The first thing I plan to try out is the drinks… err… I mean kayaking! Yeah! I heard loads of good things about kayaking in Costa Rica and I felt that I would be doing you guys great disservice if I just sit around here and you know, bum around the beach all day and spend the rest of the night getting pissed drunk and/or checking out the chicks, right? Naturally, I knew I was in for a great time!

So what exactly springs to mind when you hear the word kayaking?

I asked my buddy, Rodrigo Marquez, a friend who is based in Costa Rica and he said “angry, turbulent water that could bash you head clean off your goddamned neck, swimming in Satan’s Watery playground, clinging on for dear life and a nice, throbbing back ache that could keep you awake in un-Godly hours” or of similar context. This, from a guy who spend most of his waking hours surfing around the fucking Pacific just cuz he’s bored. Seeing that he hates the idea of battling the waves strapped on a flimsy boat, I was already forming a plan at the back of my mind.

Personally, I love kayaking. In fact, I did a lot of kayaking when I was much younger. However, a back injury prevented me from doing any devilish stunts, till now of course. So Rodrigo welcomes me to the lovely Costa Rica and after a drink or two (okay so it was more or less five Jägermeisters each, sue me), I convinced him to head to the nearby Southeastern Nicoya Peninsula and try his hand on kayaking with me. He was too wasted to say no, hahaha! So the next day, we prepared ourselves for a three-day sea kayaking expedition on the Nicoya Peninsula.

Now folks, here in the Southeastern Nicoya Peninsula, it’s all about kayaking and I felt instantly at home. Rodrigo introduced me to another friend of his, Marty, a shop owner that specializes in selling diving gears as well as gears for kayaking. Turns out, Marty also offers sea kayaking expedition on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The good news is that the waters are pretty much beginner-friendly. So that means people who have no previous experience in kayaking are all welcome to try it out without fears of getting their ass beaten to a bloody pulp by Mother Nature! Awesome, right?

But I’m getting ahead of my story here. We decided to take a little breather on the pristine beach before we rock the kayaks. Of course, I didn’t come to this fair island without missing to sing praises to the breath-taking beaches, marine and terrestrial wildlife, folks! What I liked most about the place is that the beach was not well-developed yet. I hate crowded beaches, personally and discovering that this paradise is was not yet “raped by humankind” made me all the more giddy. I would definitely be back for a little scuba diving after the kayaking expedition, I told myself. The weather was spectacular as always and the clear waters of the beach was inviting! I took a little swim while Rodrigo and Marty are left for a one-on-one session about the basics of kayaking. Marty was giving Rodrigo some pointers on how to properly propel yourself against the waves, how to prevent yourself from getting thrown out during sharp curves, etc. By the time the brief session was over, Rodrigo was sweating bullets, hahahah!

(to be continued tomorrow)

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The Skies Above Costa Rica

Yup! We are on our way. As we take the few hours airplane trip from Los Angeles to San Jose International Airport (LAX: SJO) just outside of San Jose, I decided to take photos of the view from 35,000 feet. As I see the sun slowly appearing, a warm feeling comes over me as the images of Costa Rica and her neighboring countries seem to jack me up.

I usually frequent Costa Rica but it never fails, every time I visit, that something exciting happens. And I don’t mean just the good things. Costa Rica can also be a dangerous place. I remembered the first time I got there, a guy just came up to me outside the airport with .45 caliber pistol and tried to mug me. I would have been alarmed had it not for me being three to four feet taller than him; and me knowing a bit of tae kwan doh to kick his ass out of the taxi lane and back to the streets where he belonged. It almost felt surreal.

But as the plane touches down, I look forward to what the days and nights will bring. I hope not always a mugger, but maybe something more pleasant. And I’m letting you come with me for the ride.

Expect to see more fun stuff in the coming days. Join us, won’t you?

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Late Morning In Manuel Antonio Beach

10am is a great time to watch cute female tourists and Costa Rica women
worshiping the sun or bathing in Costa Rica.

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