Part 2 - Tamarindo to San José
Mosquitoes 65 (bites) - John 39 (kills)
Hola mis amigos and hello to all the new friends I’ve met on my travels.
Well, I have left it so long to write this second installment of my adventures that I am afraid that inevitably it will prove to be an overlong ramble like the first. My apologies, please bear with me and assume that I have just been having too much of a good time to sit down and tell you all about it.
So, to begin. When I left you last time I was busy “studying” at Spanish school in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, a surf resort town on the Nicoya Peninsular. This being so long ago now I can barely remember any of the highlights of the last few weeks of school, or many of the lessons! However, a few events do spring to mind…
Being caught in a rip tide while surfing, well actually while day dreaming due to lack of waves. I found myself unable to get back to shore without receiving some guidance and assistance from my surfing pals - a little unnerving to say the least! Many parties on the beach at the weekends, many parties in the bars in the week. Watching some amusing old rockers hashing through old rock covers at the open mike, not very open as they loved the sound of their own covers. Heading out to a local village to a Tico disco which is so, so loud you cannot even bear to be in the building for more than a few minutes at a time - as the building is little more than a fenced courtyard I dread to think how anyone slept in the village until the party was over. Enjoying fantastic sea food freshly caught each day. Sunsets and sunrises. Pool victories and miseries. Swimming in the pool, surfing in the sea, siestas in the hammocks. Just a little study when there was time! If you want to actually learn a fair bit of Spanish I recommend a slightly more sedate location with far fewer distractions and some people to practice with after class!
After four weeks I was very glad to have finally finished school and while sad to be saying goodbye to so many new friends, looking forward to exploring some of the rest of beautiful Costa Rica. Having just 10 days to do this in and, having not quite reached the correct frame of mind for budget traveling…I hired a 4×4 for the duration and initially headed off with the first of many new traveling companions, Bettina and Mel, for the beach side pueblo of Montezuma. The journey there proved to be my first introduction to off roading. Some of the roads were more like rugged cliff faces and ravines than those we are used to in the Western world. At one point we turned around because we thought there was no way the road we were on could be the one marked on the map, only to find the only other road ran straight into the sea (for the ferry). Great fun though and the coastal scenery was incredible.
We arrived in Montezuma just as the sun was setting and booked into a lovely wood cabina literally on the beach. Gently slipping into dreamland with the lulling, constant rhythm of waves crashing against the shore is my ticket to a perfect sleep. This combined with the constant streaks of lightning in the night sky really made me feel at natures edge. Just outside Montezuma is a beautiful waterfall with a deep, cool pool. It is a hot, sweaty and tricky trek up the river to reach it but when you arrive, being able to dive in and almost climb behind for a natural shower is just the tonic. Other highlights from Montezuma include seeing some of my Texan school friends interviewed for a Costa Rican TV show at a disco. In Spanish and after probably a few too many cervezas. Huge crab armies on the rocks along the beach, shooting stars crossed with lightning. Cervezas on the beach view balcony and of course watching the Brazilians beating the Germans in the World Cup Final. Fabulous!
Next stop on the whistle-stop of Costa Rica was a mad dash North up the Pan American highway, trying to avoid being dashed against the front of an overtaking vehicle to Liberia where we picked up Lynne a fellow corporate escapee from BT/Concert, dropped off Mel and returned South to head to La Fortuna and Volcan Arenal. This required pitch black off roading skills to be added to the driving resume. The road would literally go from just about paved to a collection of large holes surrounded by dust with no warning whatsoever. Interesting! The fabulous sunset we saw as we climbed into the mountains and the first view over Lake Arenal more than made up for the discomfort. Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed the drive if it was a little long.
Volcan Arenal is a highly active, classic example of a Stromboli-type cone and it’s possible to see dramatic lava spurts shooting from the summit. That is of course, as long as it isn’t entirely covered in cloud for three days solid. I shall treasure for ever the sound of the old devil rumbling away - damn I wanted to see a volcano erupt. The tour through the reserve with our cheeky guide was interesting though. Saw a Toucan, leaf cutter ants creating a solid block of green across the trails, wild turkeys and lots of bizarre looking plants. My machismo underwent a couple of tests from the guide during this time. Challenges such as who can throw the rock farthest into the murky green lake (narrowly lost this one), who can stand the heat from the sulphuric pools, directly below the volcano for the longest and other minor competitions were sent my way. I feigned a look of complete indifference while holding onto a lump of sediment from the pool bed that was probably suitable for instantly baking a potato. Remarking, “mmm, rather warm” required extreme levels of British reserve. Having passed these tests of my manhood we were whisked away to some fabulous hot springs heated by the Volcano. They comprised of a number of pools with temperatures varying from pleasantly warm to chestnut roasting. One of the pools was effectively a bar which provided a thoroughly relaxing environment and some great Gin and Tonics.
By this time the team had grown to include Lesley a friend met in San José and hailing from Texas, Kate from Australia with a particularly scary San José tale and a few others from the US and the UK. We made for Monteverde founded in the 1950´s by Quakers. The main purpose of a visit here is to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, mainly primary cloud forest and containing a bewildering amount of fauna and flora. Much of the time here was spent walking through the clouds themselves along well marked trails by the stunted trees. Amongst the other attractions in Monteverde was a great butterfly sanctuary with a really diverse range of butterflies and moths. I was also host to lots of other creepy crawlies including some rather delicious little beatles that are a natural source of anti-histamine. My third nearly escaped behind my wisdom teeth but I just managed to swish him back with my tongue for the peppery crunch. Ticklishy tasty!
Time being of the essence we said goodbye to this part of Costa Rica and took another dirt “track” down towards the Pan American highway and San José. The views over the mountains to the coastline here were absolutely incredible. Lynne and I said goodbye to the others at this point and headed into downtown San José for a Friday night out on the town. Having booked into a cheap hotel and parked up the wheels in a secure lock up (very necessary in this part of the world), we set off for the disco/bar/restaurant complex known as El Pueblo. Several drinks later we decided on a lively looking place called Bongos and proceeded to tuck into a couple of Cuba Libres (Rum and coke, or rather RRRUUUMMM and coke) and watch the show, and what a show it was! Leading the festivities was a Tico chap with a Britney Spears hands free microphone - those currently wearing one of these devices on your heads for your telephone, close your eyes and imagine yourselves there on stage - doing some truly dreadful “groove moves”, more suitable I imagine to a 1980s exercise video than the dance floor. Would you believe it but every one seemed to love it (suspect strength of cocktails to blame) and soon the stage was filled with competing carousers gyrating to the macarena and all sorts of other frightful music. Lynne and I stayed sensibly at the back of the bar in our seats watching with jaws agape as things moved from the ridiculous to the obscene. While nothing actually untoward took place, fruit and condensed cream was used to win the best looking girl competition and a torrent of water from the bar was thrown over the dancers to cool them down. Suitably shocked, Lynne and I jumped into a Taxi and headed for the hotel.
The following morning we set off for the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, down on the Central Pacific coast. Here we got the chance to see three toed sloth’s, monkeys, raccoons and fabulous scenery again. The road from Quepos where we stayed to the park was littered with bars and restaurants made out of old train carriages and even an old bomber plane. I have no idea how they got it up there. The only thing of note on this trek was the locals attempts at karaoke and a little brush with the law for speeding. Doing 100kmph in a 60 zone is apparently frowned upon here and subject to a $100 fine. This being a little steep, we managed to ascertain that an immediate fine of whatever ready cash we had available would be equally acceptable. The amiable bobby happily took the cash, advised me of the exact level of speeding acceptable in the various zones and wished us a happy journey. The guide book very strongly warns that you are likely to end up paying twice but so far so good!
For our last few days in Costa Rica we visited the Volcan Paos near Alajuela only to be scuppered again by the clouds. Another volcano disappointment, damn them! The nearby waterfalls well and truly made up for this though as they were absolutely gorgeous. A series of seven falls, one after the other, set in incredibly rich greenery. I love waterfalls!
And so, my adventures in Costa Rica drew to a close. After a final tussle with a vicious mosquito who severely damaged my average (and the appearance of my left arm) I boarded the flight to Lima Peru.
And there dear readers, I shall pause and draw breath. I’m sure you should all be working anyway! Look for the next installment fairly soon - as I left Costa Rica on the 10th July - with highlights from Bolivia, including the most dangerous road in the world, alligators and anaconda, and of course, Peru, home of the amazing Inca Trail.
Miss you all loads, keep in touch.
John