The flight was easy--five hours from Los Angeles to San Jose. Getting out of San Jose alone took a good 30 minutes of zig zagging around to find "the" highway. Once we were on the highway, I thought, "No big deal--we'll just take this the whole way to the ferry, then get back on it when we get off the ferry, and take it all the way to the hotel." Not so much. The highway ended, and we found ourselves driving through lots of little towns. The main road to get to the ferry wasn't exactly the main roads we're used to. This main road barely had room for two cars to pass, all while trying to dodge dogs, children, bikes, and motorcycles. After a few wrong turns, we made it to the ferry. The crossing took about one hour. Once we got off the ferry, it seemed fairly straightforward--stay on this road all the way to Santa Teresa. Wrong again. "This road" ended up being a dirt road that wound along the coast for what seemed like five hours, but was probably two or three hours. The only paved sections were the parts of the road that were extremely steep. And the bridges were narrower than the roads, and barely fit one car.
After passing many fields, forests, bungalows, Coca-Cola shacks, and cows, we started seeing signs for our hotel, Nautilus Boutique Hotel.
After a few more dirt roads, we arrived in Playa Santa Teresa. The main road going through town was only a couple of miles long, lined with restaurants, small hotels, and large pieces of land--some with mansions on them, and others with shacks. The street was crowded with people, dogs, and motorcycles.
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| Santa Teresa early in the morning |
Our hotel was a beautiful oasis, with each guest having their own bungalow and patio surrounded with dense foliage. The owners were so welcoming, and everyone there so kind and helpful.
Upon arrival, I immediately jumped into the refreshing pool
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| Olam, the vegetarian restaurant and favorite juice stop at Nautilus |
Nap time
Enjoyed our patio every evening with a glass of wine
pura vida!
