……..but, it wasn’t.
It was someone else that you see paddling in the surf in the kayak. Instead, Jody and I took our lives in our hands to take a turn at jetting down a very high slide into the water off of a catamaran during the “Sunset Catamara Tour” here in Quepos. We really weren’t risking our lives, but it was a bit hair-raising and quite a different experience than we were expecting when we signed up for the tour.
On the first day here, our friendly concierge, Elias, made some suggestions on tours that we might like. This was one of them. The sunsets here are spectacular, and what better way to see it than from the water! It sounded very appealing, especially because Elias told us that we would also do some kayaking along the way. Neither Jody nor I have ever done this, so we decided to give it a go. We are all about adventure.
So, we boarded the bus to the marina late Saturday afternoon. We paid our money to the very friendly boat crew and climbed aboard. Once on route, the head mate gave us the life jacket demonstration, and let us know the plan for the outing. We would head to a beach off of Manuel Antonio National Park. Once anchored, they would pass out the snorkeling gear, spend some time looking for exotic fish and then they would set out our dinner and we could watch the sunset. WAIT A MINUTE……….snorkeling? No one mentioned that there would be snorkeling. Where were the kayaks?!
Alas, there were no kayaks. Elias had given us the wrong information. This was a snorkeling event, not a kayaking event. You can imagine our disappointment, especially because neither Jody nor I like to snorkel. But, it was too late to turn back. So, we decided that we needed to make the best of this four hour tour and took a dip in the water. Then, we noticed that the crew was preparing a slide from the top deck of the catamaran. That looked like fun!
It wasn’t. I hit my head and Jody swallowed about 10 gallons of water. UGGHHHHHH…..
The sunset was very delightful………
…….and so was my visit on Monday to the Quepos doctor. As it turns out, my carefree frolicking in the ocean enhanced an existing sinus infection that I didn’t know I had. Oh……and I was also able to add an ear infection to the list as well. I won’t go on and on about how frustrated I am by my inability to fight the sinus infection/flu/allergy situation that I have been dealing with since I left home in October. But, I will tell you about the visit to the doctor.
When I could no longer stand the pressure building in my head, I went to the office here at the apartment where we are staying and let them know about my situation. They immediately called to the local doctor and called me a taxi. We picked Jody up at the apartment and were on our way. (I will take this moment to tell you that Jody has been a great sport about my illness and very reassuring about my recovery. I am grateful.)
There was no waiting at the doctor’s office, and the doctor was incredibly nice. She checked me out, announced my prognosis, and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic….and, instructions to get back in touch if I wasn’t feeling better after the third day. We learned that the doctor runs the clinic herself and lives upstairs. She is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for those of us who pick up germs while on vacation. I think she said that she works something like 30 days in a row, and then takes a few weeks off to regroup. Of course, she is not needed all of the 30 days. But, I’m guessing that she works a good chunk of them. So, a periodic break is needed. I am not glad to be sick again, but I am glad to have made her aquaintence. But, honestly, I hope I don’t make it again. I am feeling better, but not quite there yet. I’ll keep you posted.
I am happy to report, though, that this has not stopped us from getting out. I will tell you about our fun tour of Manuel Antonio National Park on the next post. I have also learned to play “Banana Grams”. It’s a word game that is kind of like “Scrabble” without the board. It’s really fun and I have beaten Jody twice, which is also fun, since she is the expert!
So, friends, I am signing off for now. Keep your fingers crossed that I will soon have a day without sinus pressure in my head and trickling in my ears. I’ll keep you posted!
Travel With Betsy 
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