Moving on in my journey through one of the most invigorating natural landscapes in the world, I am graciously invited to stay at my friend's house in the private community at Escondido. When I mentioned to Rodrigo from Playa Hermosa that I was going to be staying there later in my trip, his eyes got wide, and he pleaded: "Dude, you have to get me a key, or a pass to get in there!" What was all the fuss about? I had no expectations other than more mind-blowing scenery, ocean symphonies and relaxing times with my kind hosts. Supposedly a spectacular A-Frame reef break, Escondido was barely lapping against the tide pools when I strolled lazily through the mid-afternoon heat to check out the lineup. Standing at the furthest edge of the rocky point, I watched a trio of locals make 2-foot surf look very fun, and I hastened back to the house to grab my board.

By the time I caught my first wave there were six people on the beach with boards. By my second wave the lineup was crowded with surfers and one late-drop snaking boogie boarder. ARRRRGHHH! It felt weird to be stifled by surfers in such minute wave conditions in such a remote place. That's why I left California - to get away from crowds of surfers milking the ocean like an old cow with nothing left but the dregs. So I worked off my dismay by paddling across the bay to some nice looking inlets and cliffs, checking out the wildlife while I went. Pelicans of a different ilk than those that dwell in my native waters were doing the most gut-wrenching projectile dives through a thick canopy of evergreens and vines. Epic.

Playa Herradura separates the small community of Escondido from Jaco proper, and because of its protected bay, there is a small harbor there. In this once peaceful fishing village seafood galore is now accompanied by loud, obnoxious, drunken sport fishermen from Florida. Picture this: dinner at a cozy restaurant overlooking a sunset in Costa Rica with a live musician playing pan flute songs about the rainforest -- what could possibly mar that experience? A loud, obnoxious, drunk, sport fisherman from Florida could. He came complete with a sidekick 18 year old Tica. I'm sure it was just his niece. You know, life is the same everywhere, because we cannot view the world without the use of our own personalized lens. Surreal moments occur in each tiny sliver of latitude, no matter how breathtaking the vista, no matter how remote and off the beaten path, people are still people.

Ode to surrealism: We visit a friend who is a local big wave charger married to a gringa from Chicago. He owns a fantastic restaurant in Jaco, Caliche's Seafood and Pizza; don't miss it if you pass through the area. Well, Caliche and his wife live in an epic house overlooking all of Escondido. It was a very modern place with little authentic Tico charm, but had a spectacular view from the dual decks. Caliche was glued to the TV watching a show called "Trippin'" on MTV where famous stars like Cameron Diaz, Kid Rock and Kelly Slater travel around the world doing fun stuff. They were in Costa Rica at some of the famous places where I have been, or would be going. An odd moment of confusion went through me as the irony of watching a TV show about Costa Rica travel, while actually traveling in Costa Rica became suddenly clear. It's not where I expected to be.

ER Harris