Posted by Rick Civelli | 01.27.2008 | Adult Surf Camps

Day 2, Costa Rica Surf Camp

I had a really hard time sleeping, thinking about all of the perfect waves going unridden throughout the night at Playa Grande.  As soon as it’s light enough to begin waxing my board and lathering on sunscreen, I am out of bed, amping on the day to come.

It’s a cool vibe first thing in the morning around the hotel.  Our beginners are congregating at the equipment desk, checking out boards for their lessons and the more advanced are psyching on the trip to Playa Grande.

I grab a cup of cafe con leche, jog down to the bakery for one of those awesome chocolate croissants, and begin rounding up Eileen, Kathy, Moe, and Steve for the quick ride over to Playa Grande.  As soon as we pull up and I get a glimpse of the sheet glass sets on the horizon, I know our first full day is going to be a memorable one.  We decide to surf just south of the  main peak, and score a really fun A-framing sand bar just to ourselves all morning.

Just when we can’t move our arms anymore, it’s time to head back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon of shopping, lounging or simply strolling around downtown Tamarindo.  I decided to have a look around town, and happened to run into Jenn, Debbie, Eddie, Ellen and Rob doing the same.  It was nice to see some famliar faces after a few days in a town where I didnt know anyone. It was pretty funny, when we first arrived Rick and I were walking around town and bumped into Rick’s old Harbor Island neighbor Jim and his two boys.  What a small world!

We ate dinner at Pachanga’s…wow!  What a place!  This restaurant definitely set the bar for the rest of our dining experiences.  I ordered the jumbo shrimp in a spicy lime cilantro sauce with wasabi mashed potatoes.  Rick tried the calamari, which was as unique as it was delicious.  Instead of your typical calamari, this appetizer was grilled with a delicatable dipping sauce.  For an entree, Rick had the filet mignon in a red wine sauce that was out of this world. You just can not beat a filet for less then $15.00.

On the short walk home, a few of the clients who were feeling lucky, decided to try out the local casino.  I, on the other hand, just gave my money away to the slot machine in about five minutes, while Rick tripled his in less than five minutes.

Overall, it was an all-star day with an unbelievable meal to top it off.  What made my day even better was the great company I shared it with! Everybody was really getting along and our group’s dynamics were unbeatable.

-Doug