Surfing in Jaco

 Today we started bright an early, getting up at 6am hoping to catch a 7am bus to Jaco, a small touristy beach town known for its surfing and nightlife. We are staying at a surfing school and hostel, Room 2 Board. One of my goals for this trip was to try surfing. In Oregon, the coastline is cold and rough, not the best for learning. Here the water is warm and the waves are gentle, perfect for beginners. 

We arrived at the bus terminal at 7:35 in San Jose. It was a very quick drive from the Backpackers Hostel. We bought tickets easily, and soon we were in line for the bus. It was sold out, so I think Justin and I got some of the last tickets available. 

I wasn't sure what to expect on the bus. Sometimes they have bathrooms, sometimes they have really good air conditioning, and sometimes the seats are very comfy. For a $5 bus ride, we got none of those things. It was alright at first, as the morning air was cool and the windows on the bus were open. But soon the heat and humidity crept up on us, and I started to think of the tale of the boiling frog.  About an hour into our trip, the heat was starting to become uncomfortable, but still bearable as long as wind was coming in through the windows. Then we hit traffic. We sat for 30 minutes, crawling along slower than a snails pace. I at least had Stephen King short stories to distract me, but Justin was not so fortunate. Soon, we rounded a corner, and the bus stoped for a bathroom break. Luckily neither of us had to go, I always get paranoid of getting off for the bathroom breaks, fearing that the bus would leave without me. 

Once we were back on the road, the traffic seemed to ease up for another 40 minutes, giving us some relief to our hot sticky skin and a quick view of the ocean. It wasn't long enough, because we again hit traffic about 4 miles out of Jaco. A grueling 40 minutes later and we finally entered town. Both Justin and I were to our limit with the heat of the bus and our sweaty bodies. 

I made the call to get off before the terminal, if there even was one. Using maps as my guide, we were left off on the side of the highway, close to a street about a quarter a mile out of downtown. Fearing that Justin and I were near heat exhaustion, I quickly found us a small cafe where we got some cold water and a jamon y queso sandwich. It was about 11:30 at this point, and we couldn’t check into our room until 2pm. I made the right choice pulling over, both of us needed a breather after the cramped humid ride. Slowly we got our spirits back, and set out again for Room 2 Board. After our 20 minute walk we arrived. It is located about 500 feet from the beach, and is the perfect spot. 

The veiw from our room

We talked to reception, and they were very willing to accommodate our early arrival. She quickly checked us in, showed us where we could leave our luggage, and let us know that we were free to use their pool and bar, but just could'nt access our room just yet. I was over the moon; I really didn’t want to sit on the beach and get my luggage all sandy. Justin and I quickly headed for the beach, as we made sure to put on our swim suits before leaving San Jose. The walk from the cafe re-kindled our exhaustion, as the sun beat down on us with such intensity. I always forget how strong the sun is closer to the equator. 

After setting up camp on the beach we made a run for the ocean, embracing the low tide, warm water, and waves 3 to 5 feet tall. It felt very refreshing to tumble through the water, and play in an ocean that isn’t 40 degrees. We had several rotations of laying on the beach and playing in the ocean. We did our best to apply sunscreen, but I have a feeling that more washed off in the ocean than protected us from the rays. After about an hour and a half, I decided to call it and check in. We needed to escape the sun if we hoped to save our skin. 

Sandy beach selfies!

Sandy beach selfies!

We washed up at the hostel, and checked into our rooms after a quick dip in the pool. This time we have our own room and a shared bathroom; the last place we were in a dorm with 4 other people. Justin needed to rest in the room for a bit. Thats when I realized that we didn’t get a lot to eat so far today. I let him have a  lay down, and I checked out the hostel bar, restaurant, and surf school. Justin wasn’t sure if he had the energy for surfing, so I booked a lesson for myself for 4:00. I also got some food and a rum and coke. At 3:20, Justin joined me announcing that he felt a lot better, and didn’t want to miss out on surfing. Luckily the instructor could fit us in, but that meant that we had to take turns out in the water. For liability, the instructors can only have three students in the water at a time, especially for the first half hour. The instructor said that wasn’t a bad thing; surfing makes you very tired so taking turns will give us time to rest. 

My view from the bar

A rice, bean, and pork bowl with pico. 
I was so hungry I didn't get a nice photo of it. 
The pork was all types with crispy fat mixed in as well.
 Rich put perfect surking fuel 

We finished the food, had some more water, then meet up with the class. Our instructor’s name was Fernando, and the other two students were Axel and Gregory. Fernando gave us the rundown of surfing safety, and let us practice getting up on the board on land. Around 4:30, he had us grab our boards and start the trek to the beach. I took this opportunity tp bring my phone and hopefully get some photos. 

Justin practicing getting up on the board on land.
His face looks over burnt in this photo,
I promise its just the lighting. ;)

Just before entering the ocean

We both picked it up fairly quickly, and after the first few falls I found myself catching the waves and riding them out to shore. Surfing is especially nice, because it doesn’t hurt to fall like skate boarding. The water gave me the energy to keep going, and soon I was starting to feel proud of my improvement over the lesson. 

Post surfing selfie! 

Before I knew it, the lesson was over! It was time for us to catch our last wave and call it a day. The sun was low in the sky at this point, slowly turning golden orange. My last ride was one of my best! I ran the board up the shore, and I got a little too shallow. I feel right into the small rocks that were mixed with the sand. It made me glad that it was my last run. 

One final picture of the surfing saga

Justin also had a blast. Every time I looked at him in the surf he was grinning and whooping about another good run on the board. Justin snowboards, so I expected him to catch on quickly. I was glad he joined, and that the afternoon worked out so well. It makes the bus ride worth it, especially considering we only paid $5 instead of $70 for a smaller van shuttle. I think there was no avoiding the traffic. 

After the lesson, we laid in the pool for a bit. Our cool down was accompanied by the sounds of the Superbowl. The hostel had put out a huge screen and projector for viewing. Lots of residents were out to watch it, there was quite a crowd with thier eyes glued to the projector. I was content with floating in the pool, drowing out all other sences and just listening to the water to relax.

After showering, we relaxed in our room with the AC, that had been working tirelessly since we arrived.  We are planning to check out a dance club tonight, or discoteca, so we needed to recoup a little before going out. We are going to get some more food and water in our bellies, and then see what fun we can get into for the evening. 

Our view from the roof of the hostel 

Tomorrow we are spending the majority of the day in Jaco, but we will also be traveling to our next hostel, in La Fortuna. 

Wishing for the best on your adventures, 

Cienna