Aventuras de "Rica" y "Flaca"--Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo

Finally, Kelly and I got our much desired sun and snorkeling on the Carribbean, by far one of my FAVORITE places in Costa Rica. We took off for Puetro Veijo de Talamanca from San Jose and were met with hot sun, reggae music, and batidos de mango. We spent a fun night enjoying amature's night at a new bar in Puerto (Bambu, which i had gone to with Mo had burned down. apparently it burns down periodically, is rebuildt and littered with lit candles inside and out to create 'atmosphere,' only to burn down again). That night, we got locked out of our $3 bunk beds, and had to hop a fence and gate to get in. I guess you get what you pay for. We headed south to Manzanillo the next morning where we met two women from Israel in their 40's on vacation. We recommended the snorkeling down there (Which was FANTASTIC) and met them for drinks and dinner that night. Turns out they have known each other since age 8 (like KElly and I) and have been close friends ever since. We had a great time talking and sharing stories. It was like seeing ourselves 25 years down the line, I can only hope I'm still traveling around when I'm in my 40s.

There isnt much snorkeling or good swimming beaches in Puerto Viejo, but just south is beatuiful. Manzanillo is south of Punta Uva, where I had been before with girls from La Selva. Kelly and I had amazing snorkeling both days we stayed in Manzanillo. The coral reef stretched out for at least 300m from the shore. We got out really far and coral was still breaking the surface. There were more fish, more species, than I had seen anywhere else in Costa Rica. We saw a numbe of REALLY REALLY big fish as well. I'm not sure what they were, but I know they well out-weighed me. (OK, out weighing me doesnt exactly mean much, but they were HUGE). We swam for hours all around the coral. There were also tons of little jellyfish that didnt seem to sting. It was fascinating watching them swim around. I will definitely be going back to Manzanillo if I get the chance.