Vacation Home in Costa Rica
Three years ago I rented my first vacation home near Jaco, Costa Rica. Daily beach walks, surfing, and shopping for dinner at the local market was wonderfully different from all-inclusives. One day a small 4-year-old girl knocked tearfully on my door saying that a baby alligator that was looking for an afternoon snack had cornered her cat. I'm no Crocodile Dundee, but I grabbed a broomstick and tried to pin the 18-inch gator against a tree to allow the cat to flee. Much to my surprise the gator’s Mom, a twelve-footer leaped out of the nearby bush and grabbed the broom from me. In an instant both the cat I myself made a break for it. Later that night another knock introduced me to more than 8 of my neighbours who brought food, wine, the cat, and laughed at my afternoon exploits. I still talk to Sophie and her family, and I am told that the locals still laugh at my adventure, but more than anything else, the sense of community I got to share has made me a passionate convert to vacation homes.
Submitted by:
Manny M., Toronto
