Wow – what a great day! Not only was the weather absolutely perfect for a long beach stroll but the ocean gifted me with a bunch of colones. Up until now, I’ve mostly been finding small coins (roughly equivalent to our US penny). I’ve been using the change to buy my daily banana from the market on my way to the playa (about ten cents).

Today I headed north for a longer than normal jaunt, eager to explore new territory. Rounding a bend I noticed a bunch of colorful rectangles mixed in with bits of plastic debris. The odd shape warranted a closer look and I’m so very glad I did!

At the current exchange rate, 57,000 colones equals $100 USD – that’s a lot of bananas! Thanks, ocean.

On another note: Aren’t colones pretty? They are mostly made of plastic and each denomination features an iconic native animal.