david.watkis.blog

After a quick trip to Vegas with a handful of colleagues last month, I joined the rest of my Automattic teammates at the beginning of April as we descended on Central America for our most recent meetup. Previous visits to the region had only brought me as far as Mexico, but this time around I found myself on the Pacific shores of Costa Rica.

We arranged accommodations through a company known as Outsite which boasts locations all around the world and caters to remote and nomadic professionals. Their setup in Costa Rica on the southwest edge of the country consists of a number of bungalows and a modestly sized co-working space which was ideal for a smaller team like ours. Not ideal was the malfunctioning air conditioner in the workspace and the laborers who decided to pave the road just outside the window for much of the week. Otherwise, the secluded location a short walk from Playa Bejuco was incredibly peaceful and a far cry from the metropolitan locations where we typically end up.

Throughout the week, a number of us made multiple trips down to the beach to take in the scenery including the amazing sunsets over the ocean.

Though we had a couple of rented cars at our disposal, we ended up dining in for most of our meals thanks to a kitchen in the workspace and our desire to avoid the more touristy restaurants within driving distance. We were also fortunate to have a grill on our roof and spent an evening up there cooking dinner together which was a fun change of pace.

As ever, we found time throughout the week for some activities which included an ATV tour overlooking the rainforest, surfing lessons, and on our final day we travelled to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio for a catamaran cruise with the company, Planet Dolphin. Between the open bar and the length of time since I’ve been on a boat, I opted to leave my Leica at the bungalow and bring along my Sony RX100 instead which has already seen its fair share of…accidents.

It’s a fun camera to use on the go and I typically shoot it in black and white because the inherently high contrast of the fixed Zeiss lens looks so nice. I’m always impressed by what such a tiny camera can pull off.

 

It was a beautiful day to be on the water, sip on Cacique and hibiscus, and we even took a quick detour for some snorkeling. Ultimately, though, the dolphins were feeling a bit antisocial and we only caught a few fleeting glimpses.

By the end of the trip it felt like we had been there for quite some time, but on the other hand I know I’ve only had the most transient glance at Costa Rica as a whole. It’s a gorgeous country with kind people, and I’m excited to visit again next time I find myself in the region.