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Our wake-up call didn't arrive. Rather, it didn't arrive to room 103.

While my travel partner and I were soundly sleeping off 150 miles of dust, wrong turns and bad Spanish pop music, guests in room 203 were being woken up at 7 a.m. with a cheerful "Pura vida! Theese eees your wake-up call, senior."

I was initially upset at missed call, as it meant I had missed my dive boat for day, but once arrangements had been made for next day's dive trip, my troubles were eased and I was actually thankful for extra sleep. And since we had arrived late night before well after dark, we had whole day to explore resort and surrounding areas.

When burble of complimentary Café Rey in coffee maker finally stirred me out of bed, I threw open curtains and found myself staring at a small, sheltered bay edged by a black, volcanic sand beach. We had been told our room was on beach night before when we arrived, but we were so exhausted we hadn't even noticed before collapsing into bed. Now, as I pulled open sliding glass doors, ocean breeze pushed warm, salty air into our room. I trudged down to water's edge and surveyed area.

El Ocotal Resort is located in Guanacaste region of northwest Costa Rica on Pacific Coast. Unlike humid, tropical areas of Costa Rica, Guanacaste region is sun-baked and arid. Lush rainforest give way to dry forest. Although much of same wildlife can be seen, including howler monkeys and iguanas, landscape is starkly different- with chaparral and dry grass across parched hills. Even this early in morning sun blazed down on me from a cloudless sky.

After refreshingly hot showers, we left cool comfort of our air-conditioned room to explore resort. We passed up complimentary shuttle service from our room and instead drove our rental car to restaurant perched on clifftop. As we climbed hillside along a tree-lined road, we passed a dozen bungalows that are also part of resort, each with a private spa and sprawling view of bay and ocean beyond.

While restaurant made its transition from brunch to lunch, we grabbed bottles of Imperial from bar and found a multi-level deck behind restaurant from which we gazed over Pacific Ocean. As I soaked in view and beer alike, I imagined myself in exact same spot as original owners some 22 years earlier, standing in silent awe at 300-degree view of coastal hillsides, serene bay below, and limitless Pacific beyond dotted with islands. Below us I could see bungalows perched on hillsides and still further below, two pools and building in which we would be lodged for next several days.

At main resort office I inquired about some of activities El Ocotal offered. Those inclined for relaxation can spend day at any of three pools, sipping a cold cocktail while reading a book, or relax at Father Rooster Bar, where dress code is bare feet and swim suits. Tennis rackets and balls are available for use on hard courts and swimming in bay is an easy way to beat scorching heat.

And while a number of amenities are offered within resort itself, El Ocotal also offers a variety of activities for more adventurous. Guided tours to Arenal Volcano, river rafting down Corobici River, private surf charters to isolated beaches like Witch's Rock and Portrero Grande are all offered out of resort. El Ocotal also offers sportfishing for novice to expert fishermen. A 32' twin-diesel engine boat can take fishermen out on half and full day trips to gulf of Papagayo, where world class sailfish, marlin, roosterfish, tuna and 25 other varieties have been caught.

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BLACK HILLS TROUT AND BASS

I grew up fishing western South Dakota bass ponds within sight of cool Black Hills, mountains filled with trout ponds embedded in ponderosa pine timber. I enjoyed fishing trout streams in morning, and then driving beatup '57 Chevy pickup a short distance after lunch to fish hot afternoons in my favorite bass pond - Mirror Lake.

It is best of two different fishing worlds: after a few hours of hot bass action, Mirror Lake trout begin tofeed aggressively in deep natural artesian springs bubbling up water that that rained 500 years ago, now filtered throught schist, shale and clay.

I am a shore fishing expert on Mirror Lake, but I knew there had to be a better way to land those largemouth bass lunkers lazing in far reaches of cattail bog. I found answer at 2001 American Fishing Association ICAST show in Las Vegas.

The new inflatable SeaEagle catamaran canoe/kayak is slim, light, inexpensive and paddles with stealth. Bass see only a gray SeaEagle cloud gliding effortless overhead.

Bass, cattails and a SeaEagle catamaran go together naturally. I can get in close to cool cattail cover meeting murky reed free deeps. The big boys bask in cattails, and then they dart out for juvenile sunfish and bluegill baitfish, before dashing back into their lair.

Cattails produce enormous amounts of oxygen during bright, sunny days, and bass love oxygenated protection, as do baitfish. Cattails reverse oxygen generators at night, or on cloudy days, devouring oxygen, driving bass and baitfish into deeper water.