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Friday, February 19, 2010

Costa Rica Chapter 1 - Playa Negra Part 1

I thought a lot about how I should approach this little story about the two-week trip we took to Costa Rica and I decided to share it with you chronologically.  I will try to share as many pictures as possible without exaggerating.
Today it is a whopping 29 pictures! Here we go!

Let's start with Jennifer at the San Jose airport, listening to live classical guitar (you can see the guitar player in the back) while waiting for Joe and Jen's plane to land.
The following is the beach right in front of our hotel in Playa Negra, conveniently called Hotel Playa Negra. The locals come and watch the sunset there almost every night. It is an absolutely gorgeous place and one of the greatest surf beaches.
Joe's friend Patrick opened this wonderful resort-like hotel restaurant in Playa Negra. His food was one of many high points of our trip. Check out this link for more info.
This is our little cabin.
And this is how we do it...
On the menu... An incredibly delicious garlic sauteed calamari (I had at least one bowl every day), a lovely crisp national beer (I stopped counting how much I drank of it after the first few).
I took so many animal pictures during this trip, it felt as if I was on assignment from Animal Planet (hint). This cutie pie was right next to the road with a couple of his friends, when we stopped to take some pictures, they took away slowly. Nobody likes paparazzi, you know... I like this one I took with a long lens while he was eating.
Playa Negra of the Pacific Coast (there is also one in Atlantic Coast) is absolutely gorgeous. It reminded me of the south of Turkey. It is not very developped and that is a great thing. One afternoon, I took the 4x4 and had some fun on the dirt roads and I stopped to take the following pics.
OK, now... You remember this guy from the teaser blog two weeks ago?
Well, he was ridiculous. He yelled at Jennifer Castle because she talked to him in Spanish (he only speaks English, you see, and by choice!), then, because of the attention he got from Jennifer Fontaine, I have a feeling that he fell in love with her...

First he tried to touch her...
Then he tried to undress her!
After seeing him on the teaser blog, my cousin named him Abdulkerim. Although we were in Costa Rica, for some reason, I think it fits.
A few more pictures from the Hotel Playa Negra and its surroundings...
Geckos are everywhere and they are so cute :o)
A dove was building her nest right by our cabin's door...
We went to Tamarindo, a touristic town north of Playa Negra for banking purposes and to fill up the gas tank... We stopped by at a restaurant for "lunch".
After enjoying the chilled tequila shots and the cold beer, the photographer in me kicked in again and I snapped these shots...
And, of course, the beautiful couple in love... Now that it is out in the open, congrats go to Jennifer Castle and Joe Mills who got engaged in Costa Rica.
Although dogs were not allowed in Hotel Playa Negra, they were allowed in the beach and they never bothered asking the permission of the owner if they could come in and use the hotel's amenities such as...

water...
...or the grass area around the pool...
Playa Negra takes its name from the black volcanic sand... The figures the waves paint on the beach are beautiful.
Free as a bird...
Happy as a surfing dude...
Costa Rica es Pura Vida!

To be continued!

6 comments:

  1. Very NICE Kerem and Congrats to Jenn and Joe!

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  2. wow wow wow wow...incredible job baby!!!

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  3. abi costa rica'da tekila ve bira haricinde yemek veriyorlar mi?
    -serkan

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  4. Great pics Kerem, Enjoy, come home soon. We need Ya. :)
    Russ

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  5. awwwww these picts make me wanna cry..I miss Costa Rica..Great photos Kerem!!!!

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  6. I usually give sarcastic comments like
    "this place looks hideous"

    But this time you got me.

    I am speechless. Your Vacation looks amazing.

    PS Kittens are mass murderers.

    Serdar Burhan Kalsin Dokunma.

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