Where's Andrew

PUERTO VIEJO, COSTA RICA - JUN 19 - 21

Puerto Viejo

It took about 5 hours and 3 buses to get from Turrialaba to Puerto Viejo. I actually had problems finding a room which was surprising because I have been the only person staying at about 3 of the hotels in CR and the others were not very full. I finaly find a room at the 5th place I try and there is a couple from England there th first night but I'm the only one there the other 2 nights. It turns out that there is a surfing competition on the weekend so the town is already starting to fill up when I arrive on the Wednesday. Surfing put Puerto Viejo on the map and it is the only good surfing spots in CR on the Caribbean coast. The break that is most popular is called Salsa Brava but the locals call it "The Cheese Grinder' because the break is right over a shallow reef and if you fall the reef cuts you up like cheese. I did not actually see anyone surf at this spot but it is clear that only very good surfers would even try to surf Slasa Brava.

Beach on the Way to Manzanillo

There are a series of beautiful beaches that stretch east along the coast about 17km to a town at the end of the road called Manzanillo. The popular way to check out these beaches is via bike. The day I arrive I walk about 2km to the first beach. On the way there I'm passed by dozens of people riding bikes. So, I decide to rent one the next day which is a beautiful sunny day and it is hot and humid. It costs $5US for a bike for the day. The bike is very basic with no gear and a large basket in front. Just before I start riding, I try and remember when I last rode a bicycle and I can't remeber but I'm sure it is more than 10 years. The ride is very flat along a winding road that stays close to the coast about 7km in stop at another beach that is supposed to be the best beach around for swimming. After swimming and relaxing for about 1.5 hours, I ride on to Mazanillo. By the time I get there, I'm starting to wish bicycles had a padded seat. I have lunch in a small soda and then find an out of the way place to lock up the bike. There is a park that surrounds the area from Puerto Viejo to Mazanillo and it finally joins the coast east of Mazanillo. I hike about 7km down a trail that's just off the beach to a beach protected by a coral reef. CR has very little coral on the Caribbean coast but this beach is one of them and it is supposed to be good for snorkelling but I found the visibility was not very good and there were not very many fish around the reef. After a couple hours at this beach I head back to the bike. I rode back to Puerto Viejo with a stop along the way at one of the beaches and my butt is killing me. I think I walked kind of funny for about 2 days.

Cahuita National Park

The following day, I take a bus to the town of Cahuita to visit a small coast park of the same name. This is one of the oldest national parks in CR and is known for decent wildlife. I hike about 17km from one end of the park to the other and see Capuchin and Howler Monkeys, a racoon and a Three-Toed Sloth. There is not much of a beach along the coast of the park but I do find a nice spot for a swim. While I'm out in the ocean, a Stingray jumps a metre clear out of the water about 5 metres in front of me, pretty cool. It was hot and sunny in the morning when I started the hike but I hear thunder in the distance and the wind is starting to blow and bring clouds in. I know it's going to rain soon so I pack up my stuff and do a very fast pased hike to the far end of the park where I can catch a bus. Luckily there is a nice bus shelter because it is soon pouring.

The next morning I leave CR for Bocas del Toro, Panama. CR is a great vacation destination. There is so many great places to go, the beaches are the nicest in all of Central America and there is such a variety of things to do. It was also nice to stay in a place that was clean without garbage strewn along roadside and empty lots. The people are very friendly and I even felt comfortable walking around downtown San Jose. It felt like being in any decent size city in Canada. If I was coming to Central America for a 2 week vacation, I think CR or Belize would be where I would go. Mindyou, I have heard good things about Panama so maybe I will be adding it to the list as well. The only negative about my time in CR was not meeting very many travellers. May and June are the slowest months for tourists and there just were not many other travellers and most of the ones I met were couples on a 2 or 3 week vacation. Hopefully I will meet more backpackers in Panama.

I expect to spend about 3 weeks in Panama but I'm looking forward to crosssing into a new continent and I've been researching about sailboats that go from Panama to Cartegena. There are all kinds of boats shown on the internet and there are some published departures. Some of thes boats look terrific. What seems to be lacking is a schedule that actually has a date of departure and lists the actual name of the departing sailboat. And the internet is full of stories about 6 or 7 passangers expecting a nice 40 - 50 foot yacht and getting a 32 foot sailboat instead which is kind of crowded. There are also stories of skipper's who are drunk for most of the trip. These trips are typically 4 to 5 days with 2 or 3 days spent in the San Blas Islands and they are not cheap. Cost is between $450 and $550US including meals. I plan to stay at least 4 or 5 days in Panama City and will likely book a boat when I'm there and sure what I'm actually getting. I'm also looking forward to taking some in depth 1 on 1 Spanish classes. I need to improve my language skills to be able to have a real conversation with the locals. Right now, I am only able to speak "Travel Spanish" but I am lacking in vocabulary and grammar especially verbs and tense. I am looking for a place in Columbia to stay for about 2 weeks with classes 5 days a week for 4 hours. Some of these classes have an option of staying with a local family so I would be forced to work on my language skills even when I'm not in class which which I may opt for.

Chiao for now.