Easy Vacation Hair Styles

Posted on January 10, 2014 by katez

With a name like Hostels and Hot Rollers, you can imagine I know a thing or two about hair.

If I’m given the opportunity to get glam I’m going with big hair, like June Carter Cash. When I’m at home, hair spray, blow dryers, and curlers are my friends.

Here… Things are a little different.

A big day for hair is day I manage to wash my hair. A glam day is a day I wash it with hot water!

Luckily braids work best when your hair is dirty. It’s like all the dirt, and sweat makes a natural gel (ew?). I thought I would share a couple of my go to looks that I’ve been rocking during our time here.

You don’t have to be on vacation to try these ladies, I wear these low maintenance looks back home as well!

The side twist

The side twist: I have bangs. Bangs that have seen the light of day four times in the nearly seven weeks we’ve been here. Sweat, lack of hair dryer, and my intense cowlick mean most days I twist my bangs to the side, and pin them with two bobby pins. Here is how I do it

1- Separate the entire section you want to twist and brush the rest or your hair back.

Twisty strands over each other

2- Decide where you want your twist to start, and separate the hair in that area into two pieces. I usually start mine two inches above my ear.

3-Twist the strands across each other once, then gather some more hair into the front of your hair, and twist again.

bobby pin time

4-Repeat the process until you’ve reached the other end of your head, and secure it with two criss-crossing bobby pins.

Once you’ve practiced this a couple times, you can do this in your sleep. It is my go-to hair style for both home, and travel.

Highlights always look better in a french braid

French Braid: A surfer girl classic. This is a great way to keep your hair out of your face. It also creates a cushion of hair on your head for when your surfboard bonks you in the noggin (speaking from experience!) I love this look because you don’t have any parts showing. It’s the perfect way to avoid the dreaded hair part burn. Check out this tutorial for instructions!

Date Night look!

The Side Braid: Date Night! On the odd occasion I wear my hair down, and want to do something a little fancier then the side twist, this is my go to. Essentially you are creating a side twist but instead of pinning the hair to the side of your head, pull the hair away from your head, split it into three sections, and braid the strands down to the end.

French braid to the side

Once you’ve mastered these two techniques, the world is your oyster. Play around with different angles of braiding, braiding all the way to the bottom of your hair, or just doing the top, and pulling the rest into a bun.

And remember ladies, worst comes to worst…hats are your friend!

What other travel style/beauty tutorials do you want me to write about?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

From 9-5 to Backpacks and Coconuts- My Ever Evolving Philosphy

Posted on January 10, 2014 by katez

Today’s post was inspired by the wise words of Christian over at Transforming Monday. I had the pleasure of guest posting on his blog today, and enjoyed sharing my experience so much, that I just had to share it with you all as well. I would highly suggest that everyone check out his website, there are some valuable lessons to be learned within.

Thank you to Christian for allowing me the opportunity to put my thoughts into words, and talk about my ever evolving philosophies on life.

Hi Everyone, I’m Kate, and I blog over at http://www.hostelsandhotrollers.com. I stumbled across Transforming Monday when Christian shared a post I’d written about The Tao of Pooh. I am thrilled to share my own life transformation with you, and how it pertains to the philosophies found within the book.

For the past 10 years, I’ve worked a desk job. Pushing paper, managing people, staring at a computer. Those were my typical days. At 29, I realized I had squandered away a vital time of my life, living without passion, without purpose, without direction.
The life I am leading today is drastically different. I’m currently, sitting on the patio of a Costa Rican restaurant, listening to howler monkeys and watching salamanders climb the walls behind the bar.
It’s moments like this that I stop, and truly take inventory of where my life has taken me.
My husband, and I made the decision to take the leap three years ago. We had visted Costa Rica a couple times, and every time we had to leave would joke about how great it would be to stay. Then, one evening, we started talking seriously about making our dreams a reality. We both knew we needed a change, needed to shake our lives up.
Now, I know what many of you are thinking. “Well that must be nice, but I wouldn’t be able to do it because of (blank).” I know this, because that was how I felt. The prospect of letting go of a secure lifestyle is what had held me captive for over a decade. My husband and I had full-time jobs, a mortgage, a cat, a wedding to pay for. We had all the excuses we needed to just sit at home, and let our dream slide by.
But we wanted it, and we set our minds on making our dream a reality. Once we stopped focusing on excuses, and barriers, things began to rapidly move in the right direction. Opportunities began to present themselves that helped us move our dream forward. I was offered an amazing part-time job as a face-painter to earn extra money for the trip, my work environment changed drastically to make time off more flexible, a house sitter presented themselves that would look after the cat. Slowly, all of our barriers began to vanish. Then, one day, we were booking our tickets.
It’s because of this experience that the teaching within “The Tao of Pooh” speak to me. My greatest learning from this book, summarized in my own words, is as follows:
Don’t force it, don’t interfere, let things happen and they will work out on their own. It’s the simple mind that sees what is in front of them and follows the nature of things
When I stopped forcing myself into a lifestyle that wasn’t working for me, my dreams came true. Letting my life evolve naturally has led me to incredible adventures.
I hope my experience inspires you, and perhaps encourages you to look at your life, and see if there are situations that you are forcing yourself to stay in. What would happen if you just let go, and let your path present itself?
Thanks so much to Christian for giving me to opportunity to share my story with you all.
You can read my original post about the Tao of Pooh at:

https://hostelsandhotrollers.com/2013/12/14/have-you-found-the-tao-of-pooh/
Pura Vida!
Kate

The Power of a Smile

Posted on January 9, 2014 by katez

Are you smiling right now? Probably not. I’m certainly not. My brows are furrowed, and I’m squinting at the screen.

So let’s take a moment, and do it. Smile. I’ll do it too.

Go ahead…It’s okay, I’ll wait…

Done? Feel better? Me too!

Every single day that I am here, I am in awe of the power of smiling, because every single day I find myself having to use my smile as a way of communicating.

Let’s be honest here, no matter how much Rosetta Stone I did before I left, and no matter how many times I look at our Spanish language book, my Spanish skills are pretty lacklustre. I find myself hyper aware of my body language on a daily basis.

We’ve all read those stats “93% of communication is through body language”, and I’ve never believed it more then I do now. Some of the most wonderful interactions I’ve had with people throughout this trip have been with no words at all.

Case in Point:

A few weeks ago, I took a bus to Liberia to meet my family at the airport. During the drive we drove into several remote towns, far away from the Coastal communities we had been staying in. We made one stop in a very small town, and parked outside a house, waiting for some riders.

I looked out my window, and saw a beautiful young Costa Rican girl. She was probably 6 years old, wearing pink shorts, and a white flowered top. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was gazing blankly up at the people on the bus. In an instant, I thought about what she must be thinking about this gigantic bus full of Gringo’s parked outside her little house. In that same instant, I caught her eye, and gave her a huge smile.

What happened next was so simple, yet will stay with me for the rest of my life. She smiled back. She smiled back in a way that lit up her whole face. One of the most beautiful, genuine smiles I’ve ever seen. I could literally feel my heart grow warm, and goose bumps grow on my skin. We communicated more in that moment, then we would have if we sat down and talked for an hour. Our interaction lasted less then 3 seconds before we drove away.

I’m going to remember that little girls face for the rest of my life. And am now more concious then ever of the power of a smile. Ever since then, I have made a point to smile at everyone that I see.

It is a powerful gift that we all have. I think that we should use it more often.

Are you still smiling?? I am.

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Una Pipa Porfavor

Posted on January 8, 2014 by katez

Before I start today, I wanted to let everyone know that I had the opportunity to guest post over at “Diana’s Costa Rica Blog”. Diana, and I have so much in common, it’s pretty amazing. Check out my contribution at: http://dianascostaricablog.blogspot.com/…On with the show!

——————————————————————————————————————–

So I know coconut water is a “thing” back home.

I have read all about it. You know, electrolytes, post-workout charge up, hot yoga beverage of choice, magical elixir etc…I get it, but I just can’t do it.

Any time that I’ve thought about jumping on the band wagon, I’ve bought a little tetra pack, taken a swig, and then thrown it out. To me, it tastes like garbage swamp water.

That is, until I discovered the magic that is fresh coconuts on the beaches of Costa Rica.

I feel like I have the process of buying a “pipa” down to an art form. Since it’s becoming pretty much a daily occurrence for me, I figured I would share it with you guys.

Mom and I enjoying some Pipa’s on Tamarindo beach

In most towns you can find locals selling coconuts on the beach, but they are not all created equal. In Tamarindo for instance, most of the pipa sellers carry pre-shucked coconuts around in buckets of water. These coconuts are fine, but I find they don’t taste as fresh, and are often warm from being lugged around the beach all day.

To really get a delicious pipa experience, you want to look for a vendor who is selling the whole coconuts, the ones that still have their green outer shell on them. I’ve found the best ones are often sold out of the back of pick up trucks, and are kept in coolers of ice. If you find one of these, you are in business.

Carlo works his magic

So, you have located a pipa truck…now what? Well, the magic words “Una pipa, porfavor” will get you what you need. Get your 500 colones ($1), ready, and watch the magic unfold.

In these photos Carlo, my favourite Pipa seller in Playa Coco, brandished a gigantic machete, and carefully lopped off the top of the coconut. He worked fast, and managed to make a small little hole in the top without losing a drop of the delicious coconut water inside. It is an impressive sight to watch.

delicioso!

Just like that you have some delicious coconut water to enjoy. It tastes so fresh, and crisp compared to what you buy back home. It’s the perfect perk up after a long afternoon in the sun. I always start by eating the little bit of coconut meat on the “lid” of the coconut, and then dive into the water.

So at this point, sit back, relax, and enjoy, but don’t go far! There is more fun to be had!

Lots of people will just throw the coconut out once they’ve finished the water, but if you are looking for a little snack, and some healthy fats, the coconut meat is a great snack.

The machete is wielded once again.

Head back to your pipa vendor, and he/she will help you out!

First they cut one of the hard ends off. This will become the spoon. Then they give the centre of the coconut one big schwack with their machete. Using a baton, they continue to hit the blade until it breaks the coconut in half. It is a violent process, and an impressive feat.

Perfect afternoon snack!

Using the little spoon they created at the start, they scrape the meat loose from both sides of your coconut, and pour it all into one of the halves.

And just like that, you have a beautiful little treat for your afternoon!

Pipa’s are one of the many things I have found during my travels that feel like a treat, but still keep me healthy. And at $1 a pop, you just can’t go wrong! Just remember, they will always taste best when consumed while enjoying the view of the beach!

beach view!

Do you like coconut water? Have you tried fresh coconut?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Our Favourite Places in Playa del Coco, Costa Rica

Posted on January 7, 2014 by katez

We came, we saw, we conquered, and we loved!

Our week in Playa del Coco, has come to an end, but the memories we made here will last a lifetime. We couldn’t have chosen a better place to celebrate New Years. This normally quiet beach town transforms into a bustling street party to celebrate the festivities.

Since we had guests with us all week, we had the opportunity to go out a lot more then we are used to. As a result, we compiled a fabulous list of our favourite places to visit in Playa del Coco, Costa Rica.

Zi’s in Playa Del Coco

Zi Lounge: This place is infamous! I think I could safely say that not one day went by where one of us didn’t end up there at some point in. Zi’s is located on the main drag of the Coco strip, and boasts crazy cheap happy hours drinks, and amazingly delicious food. At night, it converts to party central, with a dance floor and VIP area. Although it might not be as bumping during the off season, It was crazy during our stay, as New Year’s is one of their busiest nights. For more pictures about Zi’s, check out Shaun’s post about Face Painting on New Years. All that magic went down at Zi’s. I had the opportunity to meet Zi, the owner, later in the week. Wonderful guy! Whether it’s lunch, dinner, happy hour or a night of dancing, Zi’s is a one stop shop in Playa del Coco.

Heledaria 0039- Gelato and Coffee Shop

Heladeria 0039- As you may have read, my main priority when exploring a new town is to find the perfect cup of coffee. As I wandered the strip, nothing jumped out at me, so I reached out to local blogger Samantha, of mytanfeet. She pointed me in the direction of the local gelato shop. Coffee, and gelato? How could you go wrong. Shaun and I spent several afternoons there, trying different flavours of gelato, and I indulged in many cappacinos. This place is wonderful, great service, a/c, free wifi, and great quality products. If you are a gelato fan, Shaun suggests Bounty or Oreo, where as I would suggest Coconut or Lime. That being said, their selection is huge, and I can pretty much guarantee whatever you choose will be delicious.

You can’t miss it.

Pollos Crispy– Okay, so this isn’t necessarily my recommendation, but judging from the amount of fried chicken I would find in the fridge during our stay, I would say this was a hot spot for both Shaun and our guests. Located right at the intersection of Playa del Coco, and Playa Ocotal, Pollo Crispy is one of those places you just can’t miss. Whether it’s the guy on the street with the megaphone calling people in, the trucks driving through town blaring advertisements, or just the smell of deep fried goodness wafting down the strip, Pollo Crispy is everywhere, and by the sounds of it, some good eats.

La Vida Loco

Bar La Vida Loco– This bar was totally Shaun and I’s vibe. It’s a hidden gem, located at the end of the strip, to your left if you are facing the beach. You have to walk over a very rickity bridge to get to it. Shaun, the engineer, didn’t have to tell me it wasn’t up to code. I could guess by the foot long gaps, and loose boards. You adventure will be rewarded by a bar with a relaxed feel, right on the beach. We hit this place up for happy hours in the afternoon, but from the looks of it, it picks up during the evening. Either way, if you are looking for somewhere with a good view, and a good vibe, I would highly recommend La Vida Loca. Bonus tip: There are super cool status and signs all over the bar. Pop inside, and check out the sign above the entrance to the bathroom. You might see something representing our home town!

There ya go! Some of our favourite haunts during a week of partying like we were on vacation. Since our guests are gone, it’s back to the reality of hostel meals, and early nights.

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

What I’ve learned in my first month as a backpacker

Posted on January 5, 2014 by katez

I’ve been roaming Costa Rica with my backpack for 6 weeks now, and although the last two weeks have been full of family and luxury, I have learned a few things from our more “rustic” experiences.

So without further ado, my list of learnings so far:

I actually wore these socks again after this photo….low pointClothing:

Clothing:

Underwear becomes optional very quickly
Clean Clothing becomes your prized possession
If you work out every day (as I do), you will stink, always. The bonus, is it makes you run faster, as you want to get away from yourself.
When you are packing and your husband asks whether he should bring a towel, say yes…or he will use yours. Two people…one towel…not pretty.
You can pay beautiful little old Tica’s to wash your clothes for you. When you get them back, they smell like Disneyland, Sparkles, and Magic, all at once.

Missed a spot

Hygiene:

Stopping and thinking to yourself, “When DID, I last wash my hair?” Is totally acceptable
Hair legs make it easier to scratch bug bites with.
For the first time since grade 8, I have a uni-brow. No matter how hard I try to remember to deal with it, it is a lost cause.
Always remember to scrub your feet when you are in the shower.

laundry day

Lifestyle:

Nip Slips during surfing are a fact of life…for me anyways.
Beer tastes best after you’ve had mouthfuls of salt water.
If it feels like a bug is biting you, it is.
Your days aren’t always beach walks, and adventures. Sometimes its dirty socks in a sink.

My two staples

Food:

The last nights in hostels before moving on are always the most inventive meals. Raw carrots and tuna anyone?
Lizano Salsa, truly does belong on everything.
Not ALL Costa Rican coffee tastes delicious. Hostel coffee can taste like sludge…yet I’ll still drink it.
Being in the kitchen when everyone is checking out of the hostel is the best place to be. Lots of leftover goodies to be handed out!,
Hanger is deadly, and should be avoided at all costs.

What do you think about what I’ve learned? What advice would you give someone who is new to backpacking?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

The search for Guanabana in Costa Rica

Posted on January 4, 2014 by katez

I LOVE all the produce here in Costa Rica, especially the fruit. I often buy random things at the grocery store just to try them out. That’s how we learnt that we love Chayote, and now we use it in pretty much every meal!

But there is one fruit that has been rather illusive…the ever mysterious Guanabana.

During our first week in Tamarindo, I was choosing the fruit for my smoothie at Mandarina, and noticed this container of white stuff. I rocked a little “que es esto?” and she responded with Guanabana. Having no idea what she said, I figured why not, throw it in. Best decision ever! It made my smoothie so delicious!

From wikipedia

I went home, and Googled this strange fruit, and even watched a YouTube tutorial of how to cut one. Guanabana or Soursop, is this odd large prickly, looking green fruit, with white pulpy innards and large black seeds. Their wiki page described it has having flavours of banana, strawberry and coconut. There are also lots of articles about its potential cancer fighting powers. Needless to say the more I read the more intrigued I was.

The Farmers Market

I figured I would pick one up at the store the next day for us to try…but they didn’t have any. So I hiked to the next store…and the next store, and the fruit stand, and the MegaSuper, and NO one in town sold them. When we got to Santa Teresa, and went to their health food store, I found a small container of some pre sliced pieces. I really wanted to find the whole fruit, but figured that would be fine. We were on our way to dinner, so I thought I would stop on the way back. When I returned, it was gone..and the didn’t have any more during our entire stay (trust me, I checked!).

Everything was so fresh!

I reached out to my blogger friend Maribel of Stroller Adventures, and she suggested a farmers market. Well, it wasn’t until this week in Playa Coco, that I actually found a one! Early one morning Whitney, and I trekked out to the little Farmers Market to see what they had.

The produce was amazing, we loaded up on fresh pico de gallo makings, pineapples, and all sorts of strange fruits. I glanced around for the hidden gem of guanabana, but alas, none to be found.

So many things I didn’t recognize!

As we went to check out, I was using my terrible Spanish to try and ask the women if the fruit we had chosen were good. Her eyes lit up, she said “uno momento” and she reached behind the counter. My heart jumped as she pulled out a GIGANTIC Guanabana. Seriously, this thing probably weighed 10 pounds. I would have paid anything, but when she said it would be 16 dollars, Whitney talked me out of it (Not even I could eat that much!). After explaining to cashier that it was to big, she darted in the back, and started rummaging through boxes, after a lengthy search she came out with a much more reasonable sized one. I was stoked!! She explained that it wasn’t ripe, so I would have to wait until tomorrow to eat it.

Our farmers market haul, with my Guanabana front and centre!

We lugged our prizes home, and I waited patiently for the 24 hours to pass so I could finally dig into my prize.

Was it delicious?

You’ll just have to wait and see…tomorrow on Hostels and Hot Rollers, the epic guanabana tasting of 2013.

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Painting Faces in Playa Coco, Costa Rica

Posted on January 3, 2014 by katez

I wasn’t going to write about New Years, but Shaun insisted the tale must be told. He even offered to write it! Here he is with a run down of our New Year’s Eve adventure in Playa Coco

Happy New Year!

This past new years in Costa Rica my wife Kate decided to face paint while out at Zi’s Lounge in Playa Coco. I figured I should write this post because she is way too modest to properly describe the effect she had on the night.

Whitney and I were going for the natural look

Kate face painted for her good friend Dory Thout’s Sparkle Shack company back at home this summer and fall to save some extra cash for our trip. They would work various events, music festivals, parties, and so on. It was typically on the weekends and it turned out to be a great way for Kate to save money. It also meant more time for me to golf, have beers with the boys, and sit on the couch… Despite seeing a bit less of my wife, I thought it was great. However I never knew how impressive her face painting and body art skills were and what a huge demand there was for it.

Smitty steps up to the plate

New Years at Coco is known to be fairly crazy and prior to the night I warned Kate that if she brought her purse expect its contents to be stolen. I had hoped she would leave the purse at home. She refused and insisted she bring it along with the face painting kit. I definitely ate my words on this one. Once we got to the bar we had dinner and few drinks. It was a quiet start to a crazy night. Kate painted her face and Whit’s prior to leaving. Then after dinner we noticed the painted glowed when the black lights came on. Smit decided he needed some body art and seemed to start the trend. She painted his arm, chest, and part of his back.

Our friend Tia getting a rainbow butterfly

Then it seemed in a matter of minutes strangers were lining up for her to paint their faces and arms. Guys typically got their arms done and girls got their faces done. Kate was quick too, it took her less than a minute usually per person. Even all the servers would line up to get some body art done. At one point I couldn’t get a drink because three of the servers were in line. Kate on the other had free drinks lined up for her yet no time to enjoy them

The waitresses all lined up!

One crazed canuck really stole the show as he needed his whole face painted. And he rocked it. The paint even matched his bright yellow shirt and headband. There were older men even lining up. At one point it seemed half the bar had some sort of my wife’s body art on them. I even had to get an arm done just to try to fit in. It seemed to bring everyone together and made for a very

The best customer of the night

friendly atmosphere. We easily met more people that night than the past few weeks combined.
She had to stop by 11:30 because she did not want to miss new years. As I stood with her then and for the next 15 minutes people would beg her to do their faces. That was the hardest part was watching her have to turn people away.

Seal of approval

Her mark was emphatically made on New Years 2014. She was a celebrity that night.Everyone knew who she was and loved her for it. It was all for free, for her and everyone else’s enjoyment. A few kind people gave her tips despite her trying to give them back, they insisted though and were so appreciative. Kate came home with more money than she left with. I came home broke and with a hangover.

Some very “happy” customers

I was in complete awe at how great she was at it. I’d never actually saw her in action. I’d dropped her off at events, saw the pictures, and saw her practice, but never saw her full skill set and talent on display. It was an impressive show and a night I will never forget.

Thanks Kate for making New Years 2014 so colourful and fun.

I’m blushing!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

The Christmas Slump- Travel Workouts Week 4

Posted on January 2, 2014 by katez

Turns out, even in another country, working out through Christmas is a challenge!

I feel like my Christmas season didn’t really start until December 22, the night before my family arrived. So I had the luxury of being able to avoid an entire month of shortbread, nog, and all other goodies that come along with the season. I was actually feeling pretty healthy coming into this week.

Since we were back in Tamarindo, I decided to make full use of their gym facilities. Gym’s are few and far between in Costa Rica, so I wanted to take advantage of it while I had the chance. The first morning at the gym I bought I week long pass. I figured this would be another way to encourage me to workout everyday, as I wanted to get my money’s worth.

Once I got my pass all set up, I jumped on the treadmill, then the elliptical, then the spin bike. Uh-oh, old Kate habits kicking in. I didn’t have a workout plan, and was just doing mindless cardio to pass the time. I did a couple HIIT intervals to shake it up a bit, but after about 40 min stopped, and went to the weight area. I wanted to lift some heavy weights, and target muscle groups that I have difficulty reaching using just my workout bands.

But again…I had no plan…So after 15 min of a wimpy little circuit I left.

This pattern continued over the next two days. Steady state cardio, short little weight session, and done. Combine this with an over indulgence of Beer, Wine, Costa Rican Egg Nog, and tons of delicious food, and I was feeling not so good about myself.

On the fourth day, I woke up, feeling awful, and realized, I didn’t want a gym workout, I wanted to make one up for myself. For those of you who know me, this is a huge deal, as I used to love the gym! Those days are gone. I wrote myself up a Tabata style workout that incorporated my bands. I was a sweaty, tired mess by the end, and felt the light at the end of the tunnel. The follow day I rocked some bootcamp style circuit training using the stairs of our condo. Again, feeling so much better about my progress.

After two days of more effective workouts, I’m feeling like I’m getting back on track. We have guests until the 6th, so I know eating healthy will be a challenge, and the beverages will likely continue to flow, but in the meantime, at least I know I’ll be rocking some great early morning sweat sessions!

This experience is truly a testament to the amazing life skills picked up during my 30 day challenge with Wholly Fit. Even from afar, the continue to motivate me, and help me strive for greatness.

This was me right before I uploaded this blog…got up at 6:30am and rocked a 10km run. Thanks to Shaun who rolled out of bed to take this photo for me.

Miss you Wholly Fitters!

How did your workout regime pan out over Christmas? Did you fall of the wagon? Are you back on track?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Fishing in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica

Posted on December 30, 2013 by katez

Day three of a guest posting blitz!

Today the lovely Miss Whitney recounts her tales of fishing the open waters in Playa Flamingo.

This isn’t any fish tale here, we have photo evidence to prove it!

The boys!

Well as always, our vacation fishing trip started off like any other, waking up at the crack of dawn, feeling dehydrated and asking the question, is this really worth it? Well friends…you bet it was. Once reaching our destination at flamingo beach, by shuttle, we were water taxied out to the Lady Angelica were our captain and deckhand for the day greeted us with smiles. As usual, the boat was hot, and the swells were not, but after travelling approximately 20 miles out, BOOYA, we snagged our first fish of the day, a black tuna.

Fish with a black fin tuna

The black tuna were a popular commodity that day, as myself, uni, smitty and bradley all had the luxury of catching a few each. They were hitting our lines all over the place, which lead to the rare but exciting triple header and quadroople header tacs. However, as fun as it was to get fish on the line and get our reel hands going, they are not good to eat, and a typical catch and release type of fish. Besides, we were out there for the MOTHER LOAD fish.

Luckily, all of sudden, boom, there it was. A flash of silver striking our bait, floating on the top of the ocean, and we knew we had something good. It was Uni’s turn at the rod and he did us proud, in about 20 mins, he had reeled us in a 35 lb mahi mahi.

Uni and the catch of the day!!!

Needless to say we know what’s for dinner, and amazingly what was going to be a delicious sushi snack on the boat ride, thanks to Joseph the deckhand.

Fresh sushi on the boat!

The rest of the boat ride was typical of most, we drank the boat dry of beer, had a few naps, and all proceeded to get too much sun and a few burns to show it. However, all in all, a successful day, and a continued motivation to fish while on vacation.

Hostels and Hot Rollers

Living Healthy, and Loving Life as we Backpack through Costa Rica

Tag Archives: Backpacking

Easy Vacation Hair Styles

From 9-5 to Backpacks and Coconuts- My Ever Evolving Philosphy

The Power of a Smile

Una Pipa Porfavor

Our Favourite Places in Playa del Coco, Costa Rica

What I’ve learned in my first month as a backpacker

The search for Guanabana in Costa Rica

Painting Faces in Playa Coco, Costa Rica

The Christmas Slump- Travel Workouts Week 4

Fishing in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!

Share is Caring!