Leandro and Alice (pronounced Ah-lees) opened their French bakery in Jaco, Costa Rica four months ago. It might just be the entrepreneurial dream job.

When I asked Argentinian Leandro why he and Alice (French, naturellement) gave up being dive instructors to open up shop here he gestured at the beach. "Right over there, the water," he said with a wave of a hand and a shrug.

When they aren't whipping up one of the most delicately spiced apple crepes you've ever tasted (carmelized to perfection), they're surfing.

(Which reminds me of an exchange I heard at Mas X Menos (a Wal-Mart subsidiary) yesterday. A mom and dad talking to a friend in the seafood aisle. Their baby, perhaps six months old, on his mom's hip. "You know what's going to be great," started the dad, "when he's old enough to ride on the surf board with us," finished the mom.) 

In addition to the food, they have a book exchange. You bring your books and put them in the cubby. Another traveler comes along, maybe takes one, leaves one.

After crepes and green tea we went to market and got the fixin's for guacamole. When we got back to base Sam made yellow coconut veggie curry (with lentils) for dinner.

Then we went on a four-mile beach walk, found some furry friends and talked about the state of the world.