I feel like blogging this morning. It is an absolutely gorgeous day in Costa Rica. We moved from the hostel yesterday to our friend's house in Hermosa Beach. Hermosa Beach is a small, quiet town just north of Santa Teresa. It is literally like eight minutes away but a friend of mine requested I use more geographical references to appease his map fetish and to give a general reference of where I am at, so there you go.
The house is on a huge property with horses, cows, monkeys, iguanas, and a ferocious German Shepard. I haven't personally met the German Shepard, "Chester", but tales have been told of the dog's agressive demeanor and I would be lying if I said I was excited to meet his acquaintance. Something tells me in my gut that he is no "Pirate", and he will not be receiving daily visitis from myself or Trenton. I guess you can't get along with everyone/thing. Luckily the house is situated significantly away from "Chester's", so unexpected run-ins are going to be rare. However, every time we drive up from town to the house and vice versa, "Chester" will be waiting for us. Greeted by barks, snarls, and a good two minute chase, we are welcomed home. I haven't witnessed this yet, mind you this has been passed down from Justin who is currently living on the property. But he felt obliged to forewarn us that this will happen and to just expect it. "Chester" used to chase Justin's wife, Jenny, on her moped as she made her way to yoga. A moped, a two wheeled operation with no protective layer of metal to shield from the persistent canine. I may never leave the house. Just kidding. I have to leave at some point, so the dilemma of facing my fear or submitting to Chester's front is not a luxury, it is mandatory.
Costa Rica is really proving to be just that- a massive opportunity in fear-facing. I was so scared upon coming to Costa Rica for many reasons, mainly for the fear of the unknown, and then once arriving, I was fearful of being lost in the airport and being taken advantage of because I was an American tourist; and then, the consistent fear of the critters, feeling stupid because of the language barrier, and now Chester. What a creepy name- just writing it makes me want to retire to my bedroom for the remainder of the day; however, I cannot do that. I cannot live life that way, for I have to keep my stride and approach each day with the only counter to fear: Faith. A Faith that everything will be okay; I truly believe that...what a blessing.
Enough about Chester, the property is situated on a massive hill that on our first bike ride to Hermosa, Trenton and I avoided like the plague. However, in a 4x4 vehicle, it isn't too bad. Despite the dust, the unavoidable rocks, and the crazy drivers, it is a nice drive into a country retreat. Their house is the last one on the property overlooking the infinite sea. The view is spectacular- it looks like a painting. The house resembles a log cabin with windows as the side barriers which open up to welcome in the cool mountain breeze, sounds of nature, and a random little puppy ( who is very sweet). With a few rocking chairs, a hammock and a love seat, this mountain home is simplicity at its best. Anything more would take away from what's really pulling this place together: mother nature, the ultimate decorative piece. After touring the grounds and soaking in the reality that this was our home for a little while, we went to the beach so the boys could get in a surf session. It was sunset and we had dinner reservations at 7pm, so I joined the boys and sat on the beach and read.
We had dinner at Kogi's, a local sushi place in Hermosa. If you are ever in Hermosa, you must eat here. It is a restaurant off the beaten path (literally), and is visible to patrons only by it's candle lit tables and torched walkway. The restaurant's entrance resembles a scene from the show "Survivor" as they make their way to elimination, however, Kogi's entrance leads only to culinary heaven.
We took a seat in the garden and were delightfully distant from the other tables. For each of the table's convenience, a large chalk board menu was displayed at the table's side. The menu was shrimp heavy, so we made arrangements with the chef so Trent could avoid using an Epi-pen after each roll (he has a shellfish allergy). We ordered mainly Tuna rolls and Eel rolls following Redsnapper sashimi and miso soup as an appetizer. I have never personally tasted Redsnapper sashimi, and was quite reluctant, but to my surprise, it was fantastic. The light fish was refreshing as it was chilled. It definitely set the tone for the remainder of the dinner. The rolls came out in an organized fashion along with plenty of ginger to reset the palate. Each roll was to be enjoyed as it's own separate entity; distinguishing the fish and savoring the complimentary vegetables, sauces and spice were the chef's objectives when strategizing his masterpiece's delivery. I have never experienced sushi this way. Every time my rolls were served, they came out all at once and were devoured all at once. The usual hard-packed sushi rolls were slapped with wasabi, dipped in soy, and then swallowed in one piece making way for my next handful, similar to how I eat popcorn. However, Kogi's sushi rolls were very different. The rolls were loosely packed and melted in your mouth forcing all taste-buds to become aware and take note. There was no hurry between each piece, for time and enjoyment were my friends; and, we definitely had an amazing and enjoyable time. We were at dinner for over two hours soaking in the romantic ambience (Trenton, Justin and myself-ha) and shared many laughs and smiles. We will definitely be going back to Kogi's; hopefully next time as a romantic dinner for two. Great day at camp Ivanhoe. :)
Ciao.
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