A Crazy Weekend in Costa Rica!

I’ll be totally honest here – it’s always been a bit of a bummer for me when my friends decide to get hitched. I mean, what the hell – one moment we’re all single and in a perfectly synchronized sense of denial of the decline of our youth, and in the next, one of us adopts the infamous ring (and commitment), and just like that, we are reminded of the imminent fact that 40 is just around the corner – and that we are actually, effectively, and actively adults. Well, luckily for us boys, there is one solitary event before our worlds come crashing down – the Bachelor Party, of course! Now that is something to look forward to. So far, we’ve had one in Vegas, one in Miami, one in Atlantic City (for some reason!), and more recently one in Cancun, Mexico. They’ve all been similar and different in their own particular ways, and nonsensically crazy, of course – but never as crazy as our adventure in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica!

Our adventure began on a warm summer night, on a Thursday – we met up at the corner pub which we frequent as regulars on a biweekly basis (at least). After a couple of cold ones, we got to talking about our upcoming trip, the to-be-legendary weekend ahead of us in which we’d celebrate the demise of our buddy Nick’s youth and freedom. It would be a gross understatement to say that we were excited; none of us had ever been to Costa Rica before, but we had known some other guys who had been, and had had a blast. Come, last call, we toasted to tomorrow, to the weekend, to our Tropical adventure – Pura Vida, Costa Rica!

They call it the ‘red eye’ for good reason – there we were at the gate, eyes red and puffy, demeanor too-tired-to-show-enthusiasm, waiting to board the plane for our 6:45AM flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. I found instant relief knowing it was a four-hour flight – Hell, flying to Los Angeles is 6 hours long – and Los Angeles is no Costa Rica, as we’d soon find out! Surprise, surprise, an hour into our flight we began the party. A mimosa with my perfectly symmetrical, in-tray breakfast turned into a Bloody Mary, which evolved into a Gin & Tonic, which magically appeared before me as Tequila on the rocks – and before we knew it, we were all chanting and hollering and singing merrily. After all, this was exactly what the weekend away was about – having a good time! The four hours passed us by, and before we knew it our plane touched down on Costa Rican soil – excitement in the air, we toasted to our arrival and so it began.

We were received at the airport by a big, grey van and a Personal Concierge, who immediately started telling us all about Jaco Beach and all the things to do there. It didn’t take long for the party to recommence – once out of the sight of the airport, we pulled over at a local market and were introduced to the local beer: Imperial. It was a comfortable, hour-and-so drive from the airport to Jaco, and without a doubt an entertaining one. We rode through the highway, up mountains and plains and forests, simultaneously enjoying the serene scenery and singing along to our favorite tunes we had blasting the whole journey there. Jaco had a metaphorical welcome mat out for us starting about ten miles back; the weather got warmer, the skies cleared, the sun was shining bright, the landscape green – we were in the Tropics, alright!

We stood before the majestic Vacation Home we had rented out for the weekend, in complete awe – it was huge! Much like children, we all ran inside, from room to room, discovering the place for the very first time – and inevitably ended up jumping into the pool (with all our clothes on, naturally!). The pool was on a large deck facing the beach, and the ocean – it was perfect. Our childish poolside shenanigans were interrupted with the entrance of two bartenders with trays full of cocktails and shots, and the sudden start of dance music – there was the DJ we had requested! We took the edge off right then and there, in the pool, cocktails in hand, doing summersaults into the pool, the sun frying our brains inconsequently. Next, was the beach. A super friendly, stereotypically Surfer-looking instructor met us there and we got right to it. After a half hour of basic instructions, a little practice, trial and error, we were all tumbling in, out and on the waves (not specifically in that order – or any order at all, really!). Surfing in Costa Rica was a non-negotiable goal, even if we didn’t really know how to surf, and ultimately sucked at it – totally worth it, what a great way to spend the late morning! Hungry, we went into town to eat at a beachside restaurant called El Point where I ate Loaded Nachos to start with, and Grilled Octopus for my main course – spectacular! We decided to hang around after lunch and ended up spending the whole afternoon there; we played some pool, the music got louder, the place suddenly packed, and before long I noticed a change in the color of the sky. We ran out on to the beach with our beers, and watched the sun, a big ball of fire, lower into the horizon, until it completely disappeared, leaving the sky a combination of pink and purple. Beautiful! We walked down the beach to the next spot, El Hicaco; we ordered four bottles of wine, I had Fried Calamari to start with, and the Grilled Red Snapper for my main course – delicious! Our bellies full, our worries behind us, we were finally ready to paint the town. I had heard about the vibrant nightlife of Jaco Beach, and how it was the ideal place to Party at – but it exceeded my wildest expectations without a doubt! We started off at Jaco Bar, a well-known local spot on the main street where we had some shots, met some local honeys, and before I knew it, we were at a club called Republik popping bottles and dancing away the night. It was almost 6AM when we stumbled out of there, the sun in our eyes. What a night!

Sleep-deprived yet enthused, we set out to begin day 2 – we had rented out a Party Boat for the day, and were beyond excited! We stepped foot into the Private Charter and were received by the captain, and a cooler full of beers – breakfast of champions! Before long, we were well on our way to Tortuga Island, breezing through the blue, through the waves, drinking beer and snacking on assortments of chips and popcorn, as the bass from the music vibrated through the entire boat, through us, and into the air. Hands in the air, fists pumping, beers being chugged, the morning sun burning right through us – we finally arrived at Tortuga Island. We stepped off the boat, and onto the secluded, beautiful beach, and had lunch – Sushi of all things! Turned out that the captain used to be a chef who specialized in Japanese cuisine. We spent the afternoon in the sun, halfway submerged in the turquoise water, sipping on cocktails – exactly what I needed after such a long, crazy night – hair of the dog, indeed! Our journey back to Jaco was even wilder, all of us sun-kissed and liquored up, ready for whatever tonight would bring. Back on land, we went to dine at a restaurant called Lemon Zest, where I indulged on a scrumptious Ribeye Steak, accompanied by a bunch of house cocktails, each one tastier than the other. We ended up at a club called XTC, where we met a group of Canadians and got a booth together, got bottle service, and partied to the break of dawn. Another legendary night!

Our eyes red and puffed up, our bodies utterly defeated and our minds only halfway intact, we mournfully headed back to the airport the next day. It had been an amazing trip, yes, but had gone by way too quickly. Without a doubt, this had been the best Bachelor Party I had ever been to so far. Costa Rica rocks, Jaco Beach forever!