Nadine Hays Pisani

LOLA’S RESTAURANT…THIS ISN’T YOUR LOCAL APPLEBEE’S

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:55-04:00 March 21st, 2011|Categories: Tourism|Tags: playa danta, restaurant|

Costa Rica Costa Of Living Update: Lunch for two on the beach while watching the surf roll in- under $20

I’m about to jump in a hammock but my full belly is making me especially lazy. There is a sleeping dog under a palm tree to my right, I’m sure his belly is full too. He’s as relaxed as I am right now.

Lola’s second restaurant is located at Playa Danta; their first at Playa Avellanas, south of Tamarindo. Playa Danta is the location of a new development called Las Catalinas, a place where each home has a small footprint so as to protect the natural beauty of the location. It is siesta time so everything is quiet here. Even the breeze whispers.

The owner of the restaurant introduces himself and we share our philosophy of living in Costa Rica. This was not his first profession, he purposely designed a different life for himself, one that gets him out of an office and into the sunshine. (more…)

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CLOSE CALL AT CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:56-04:00 March 14th, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: corcovado park, crocodile, osa penninsula|

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Two AA batteries that were dead on arrival- $1.50

“Does anyone know when high tide is?” I ask as we walk across a dry riverbed.
“Maybe dinner time…I’m really not sure,” my girlfriend says. This is bad. We are hiking into the jungle, on a little worn path, and no one knows when high tide is. It can rise up quickly, unexpectedly, and with dire consequences. Once again, I am ill prepared for what was supposed to be a fun hike into the rain forest.

My husband doesn’t say a word. He’s great if you need your alternator changed or something heavy moved. But he is not the go-to guy for predicting when a flood is headed your way. In fact, when we first got to the park and hiked to the ranger station, all he was concerned about was asking where to buy batteries for our camera. He walked up to a woman bent over holding her stomach; she drank river water in the jungle and was at the beginning of what I suspect was a long and uncomfortable intestinal calamity. Having some guy come up and complain he has no batteries for his camera did not go over well. Let’s just say, Rob didn’t make a friend that morning. (more…)

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SPORT FISHING IN COSTA RICA

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:56-04:00 March 8th, 2011|Categories: Tourism|Tags: corcovado park, fishing, osa penninsula, puerto jimenez|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: $100/person for trip to Corcovado National Park with some fishing thrown in

We decided to go from Puerto Jimenez to the entrance to Corcovado Park by boat. Since the ride takes two hours to get there, my husband convinces the captain to let us and our two friends throw a few lines in the water.

Within ten minutes we catch our first fish only a few hundred feet from shore. “It’s a big jack,” says our captain. We end up catching a few more, including a rooster fish. All were thrown back except the last one; we cooked him over a fire on the beach.

It was a great way to squeeze two tours into one. And a great way to hear me scream “IT’S HUGE” at a decibel level rivaling that of a dolphin (I get very excited when I go fishing).

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WE SHOULD ALL LIVE LIKE A DOLPHIN

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:56-04:00 March 3rd, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: dolphins, snorkeling|

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Private Snorkeling and Dolphin Tour-$40/person

It’s easy to watch dolphins. One of the few species who are just as interested in us as we are them.

Playing is an important part of their daily activities. They’ll joyfully interact with swimmers and surf the bow waves from boats. They often leap out of the water just to simply amuse themselves.

We should all live like dolphins and take more time out to play.

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KAYAKING THROUGH MANGROVES

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:56-04:00 February 28th, 2011|Categories: Tourism|Tags: kayak, mangroves|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Four Hour Kayak Tour-$35/person

Nature doesn’t want me here.

A family of white face monkeys hang off the elevated roots and bear their teeth. The White Ibis birds dart over my head, chasing me away as one would an uninvited guest.

I silently glide across the water when I notice two suspicious eyes on the surface. It continues to stare before slowly sinking back into the murkiness. Could it be a crocodile, one that may have been watching me this whole time? All the more reason to be nervous when my husband almost flips the kayak.

Mangroves make you feel alone and vulnerable; their inhabitants are the ones deciding your fate.

I leave without looking back and remind my husband to stop rocking the boat.

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About Nadine Hays Pisani

LOLA’S RESTAURANT…THIS ISN’T YOUR LOCAL APPLEBEE’S

CLOSE CALL AT CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK

SPORT FISHING IN COSTA RICA

WE SHOULD ALL LIVE LIKE A DOLPHIN

KAYAKING THROUGH MANGROVES

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