Ostional – Playa Tamarindo - 67 kilometres ^33
Upon waking, Ernest discovered nearly all his equipment left on the bike stolen:
helmet, gloves, sleeping bag, etc. Strangely not the essential items. No one
needs a sleeping bag in the tropics, and Ernest’s sleeping mat was punctured
and thus useless. Amazingly, my bike with sleeping bag and tent was in front,
weird. I surmised it wasn’t stolen but sold. Hahaha.
Eventually, we got going and found the road more level, and although not pan-
flat, it made for comfortable cycling. Occasionally, the route followed the coast
past magnificent surfing beaches, and at times it headed inland over hills
through thick and dense natural vegetation.
Touristy Playa Tamarindo came as a pleasant surprise. I understood the surf
movie, Endless Summer 2 was filmed in the area which firmly put Tamarindo on
the map. Unfortunately, development took off at an alarming rate, to such an
extent Tamarindo lost its Blue Flag status.
The sea turtles were long gone, but at least development seemed to have
slowed, partly due to the recession and partly due to more control over new
developments. Still, it remained a beautiful place and offered a convenient
tourist infrastructure.
I enjoyed staying in a hostel as they usually provided Wi-Fi, fast food, and
other touristy treats.