Nosara

Nosara is a village and district in the Nicoya canton province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast with a population of 5800 people…mostly surfers, yogis, and those lucky enough to be living and working off the fruits of the land.  It seems from the 21/2 hour drive from Liberia airport, it’s the last of the large areas of unpaved roads.  When I told my sister I was flying into Liberia…she was a little taken aback and said this time I’ve gone too far.  I had to assure her it was not Africa or Ebola territory.  Nosara, unlike Tamarindo on the northern coast of Costa Rica, lacks nearly any development directly on the beach and they are working hard to keep it that way.  It’s known as a surfing mecca “playa guiiones” because it has the most consistent waves in the world with over 330 days per year of rideable conditions. With that statistic, even the dogs surf. So of course, I had to ride those waves even though I’m not a surfer.  I did manage to impress my teacher Tanello a handful of times by following his 7 step process of ready-set-stand. Cowabunga!  It’s a good thing I do yoga cause balance and concentration are key elements to mastering this sport.  Yoga is aplenty in this town since 1994 when Nosara Yoga Institute put Nosara on the map as they train teachers from all over the world.  The place has a magnificent Perch high up in the hills along with the Bodhi tree where I took a sunset yoga class overlooking the breathtaking views of the ocean listening to the sounds howler monkeys coming from the jungle below.  It was Music to my ears. I love monkeys!  But the best yoga I found on the island was Mark’s class at Tica Massage across the street from where I was staying at the beautiful but basic Harmony Hotel.  He was the Aaron King of Nosara who is my favorite yogi in Aspen. His music was inspiring, thought-provoking and soulful.  I even managed to get some of his playlist (after stalking him) and now trying to figure out how to download it.  The small yoga room was mat to mat as he seems to have quite a following. His style is peaceful warrior and he totally practices what he preaches…living off the land, driving an electric golf cart, vegan, no drink, and no drug!  As he says, your body is your temple and i treat it as such with hyper-local ingredient food and sustainable sourcing here on Nosara. Pretty impressive for a San Diego boy. Well, I certainly got the vibe of the place during my 4 day stint. As I sit writing this blog in my office watching the rain pour outside my window, I can only dream about those long walks on the beach every morning followed by a healthy juice, yoga, surfing, and biking to get my coconut water fix. Also wondering, Is a coconut a fruit or a vegetable? Yes Nosara, I will be seeing you again and those the insane sunsets on the beach.   Adios for now.