Puerto Viejo Tico Moments

It was a Sunday afternoon in Puerto Viejo and all my wife and I needed was a tasty bite to eat. We were not prepared for the experience that was to come. We had worked up a sweat playing pool volleyball with some vacationing New Yorkers and decided to walk down the beach and see what we could fi nd. About 5 minutes into our walk, we had arrived. Standing under a makeshift shack, built of four bamboo poles and the hood of a yellow Land Cruiser, was Reynaldo. He looked like a castaway with his haphazard beard, sun bleached surf trunks, and weathered skin. He had a roaring grill going off to the side, and motioned for us to head over. We took a deep breath, reminded ourselves that we were adventure-seekers, and accepted the invitation. Reynaldo grilled up the catch of the day, whole sea bass and served it to us on wooden planks with a wedge of lemon and some fresh herbs. Some wildly crunchy greens were served in a giant banana leaf and topped with the squeeze of a fresh lime. The food was incredibly simple, but so amazing. After lunch, we relaxed in the nearby lazy hammocks (for castaway’s shack customers only). As we rested, castaway propped himself up by the tree strumming a pitiable version of Layla. My wife and I swung together, holding hands, with only the wind as our guide. We felt calm and we felt content. We felt perfect.

Brenna Coopersmith
San Diego, California