Is anyone going to Tamarindo Beach?  Never be afraid to ask for anything; the results will always surprise you.   I learned this lesson during my first backpacking experience in Europe.  I traveled with one of my best friends Brian who was one of the most outspoken people I have ever met; he would ask anyone anything, anytime, anywhere.  This proved invaluable for two 19 year old first time travelers who were flying by the seat of their pants with only Let’s Go Europe to guide them. 

So there I was in Central America for the first time with the same plan I always have; to let a mixture of fate, luck and charm be my guide to explore new unknown horizons.  Outside the doorway of the airport was the usual hustle of Cab drives, shuttles, and seemingly shady characters.  The first cab driver I asked quoted me 70$ bucks to get to Tamarindo which I quickly declined.  You should never take the first offer before asking around.  The key is to look for someone you think you can relate to through age, appearance, and a whole myriad of similarities.  So after a quick scan, I saw a definite match; young surfer with his bags and boards who was scanning the crowd.  “Hey, you know how to get to Tamarindo?”  Surfer dude “Yes, I have a shuttle bus that I taking.  I am just looking for the other passengers; but I think there is room, its 15 bucks each.”  Me “perfect, where is the driver so I can confirm”  Surfer dude “This way man, let’s roll”.       And there it was, a cheap ride in a safe shuttle bus to Tamarindo.  As Fate would have it, that was probably one of the best decisions I made on my trip.  The other passengers on the shuttle were a cool surfer mom and her daughter who had a house in Lagosta which is right next to Tamarindo.  The ride was an hour and half in which the surfer mom answered every question I had about Costa Rica and Tamarindo.  The banks, Supermarcado, (supermarket), petty theft, the beaches, surfing; you named it and she had the answers.  All that was left to do was find a place to stay for the night.

The reason why I stated it was one of the best decisions that I made is directly related to the cool ass surfer dude from Cali whose name was Sage.  I asked Sage what he did and where he was staying; he told me he was a surf instructor at Witch’s Rock Surf School (perfect), and he was staying at La Botella de Leche; which is a great hostel that probably had room for me.  He looked it up online at The Lonely Planet and it was considered to be one of the best and safest Hostels in Tamarindo.  It would soon become one of my top three hostels in the entire world and my new home away from home in Costa Rica.  Had I stayed anywhere else, my trip wouldn’t have been the same.  LaBotella de Leche was absolutely amazing: I give it a 5 star rating worthy of its own entry into my travel log.  Sage would eventually become one of the best friends I made on my trip.   

Up next, La Bottela de Leche: the one and only party hostel in Tamarindo beach.