Where We've Been

Costa Rica – April 27-April 30

I flew into Liberia – in the country's northwestern corner, near Nicaragua – for the Vacation Express conference, a professional gathering focused on a group of resorts in the Caribbean and in Latin America. Accompanying me was Mike Putman, 10Best's digital media travel consultant. We participated in discussions at the gorgeous Paradisus Playa Conchal Resort, where we stayed, but we also made day trips to other regional resorts as well.

In and out of meetings, Putman and I learned about Costa Rica and its amazing people and traditions. We indulged in fantastic food, and I experienced some of the most awe-inspiring sunsets I think I have ever seen in my life.

We also took the opportunity to go deep sea fishing, booking a chartered boat to ply the waters off the coast. Trolling with ballyhoo, I struck it rich, reeling in two enormous mahi mahi, while Putman brought in one of his own. Thrilled with our catches and excited to get back to shore, we encountered some unexpected misfortune when our boat broke down on the way in. As it happened, we drifted several hours on the ocean until another boat came out to return us to the mainland.

Happily back at the resort, we made our way through the bazaar of vendors selling all sorts of trinkets and souvenirs. Eager to sample the fruits of our labor, I rented a car to go back to the town of Brasilito to find a restaurant we had eaten at previously. When I got there, though, it was inexplicably closed. Luckily, the owner of a nearby hole-in-the-wall (literally!) bar said that he could set me up without too much trouble, and he advised me to leave the fish with him and his wife and come back later to eat.

Yes, it sounds sketchy, but I agreed, and when Putman and I returned, tables had been set up, along with lighting, and a fantastic meal had been prepared. In addition, the whole village had turned up, and everyone partook of the great bounty of fish we had caught. Simply grilled and perfectly seasoned, it was some of the best seafood I have ever eaten in my life. For only $40, we fed a ton of people, had beer to boot, and enjoyed an awesome feast over the course of three hours. It's not hard to understand why I love Costa Rica and its people.

After such a fantastic experience, I wasn't sure anything else could match that great evening. But I took the opportunity to explore a terrific surf town on the western coast called Tamarindo that was totally cool and will likely be my home base when I return. It had bars, restaurants, hotels, a casino, and lots of boats moored off shore. All in all, it was a picture-perfect place, not to mention that it beautifully showcased those amazing sunsets that had me so mesmerized with Costa Rica in the first place.

Not a bad way of life to get accustomed to, I think.

- posted by Brice J. Bay, CEO