We got up bright and early and had breakfast at 6:30. The bus from the game reserve was supposed to make it's return trip to town at 7 a.m. so we headed down to the road to flag it down at 6:50. It came by 30 seconds after we got there and that was our ride into Monteverde. We got in town and pulled up right beside the bus we needed to catch to Canas so we pulled out right away. It took 2 hours exactly for the 42 km. busride which will give you some idea of the speed and the road. These bus drivers are the delivery boys, mailmen etc. They stop anywhere and for any reason. Our bus was even packing a washing machine, tv., and all of some guys earthly possessions. We also nearly acquired a biker who came around one of the hairpins on the wrong side. The bus was an old bluebird school bus and was apparently still using the originally brake. I say brake because it seemed it only had one judging by the grinding and wailing as we came down the hills. He picked up parcels from locals along the way along with mail as they flagged him down along the road. He'd then stop a few miles down the road, honk the horn and when someone came out he'd hand over the parcel. The front of the bus around the driver seemed to be where everyone got caught up on the news along w/ the driver. He'd look at them while he was talking and gesture with both hands while the ruts took over the steering of the bus. A novel concept to say the least. Sort of like auto pilot.
We arrived in Canas at 10:15 and it was followed almost immediately by the bus to Liberia which took about an hour to an hour and a half over paved roads. (The Pan American Hwy.) We also passed huge wind turbines and the hydroelectric facility created by the Arenal Dam. Between the two of them they probably account for most of the electricity in Costa Rica.
The bus station in Liberia is a grungy place and if you need to use the banyo my suggestion is to go in your pants. I didn't go but Jo did and I thought she was going to lose her lunch when she came out. We then tried to call the Hotel Liberia which the book said was a great place but there was no answer. Well here we are at the "great place" It's not really that bad but we had to book our bus tickets today or miss the early bus so we had to backtrack 6 blocks to the Hotel Guanacaste to buy the tickets. Had we known we'd have stayed there as it seemed like a nice place. We're having our laundry done right now for 1,000 colognes per kilo. Wow clean clothes! On the way back from buying our bus tickets for tomorrow we came across a bunch of cell phones, adaptors etc. in the grass beside the sidewalk. Probably somebody got ripped off and looked like a vendor as there were a bunch of them. We let them lie and proceeded on to a dept. store that wasn't for tourists but for the Ticos. I desparately needed a shirt and we found them for $4.00 cndn so I bought two only because they were made by American Collection and had AC monogrammed on the pocket. Now that's classy eh?
We stopped at two internets but no wireless so we rented a pc to check our mail. Not much going on except Gerry is now retired officially and out of the real estate racket. Paul and Dana are going to take over the housesitting duties for the next month (that's all the time we've got left down here) as Doug is heading out of town for a few weeks.
Tomorrow at 8:30 we pull out of here by bus and head to Granada in Nicaragua. It's half the price up there and we'd like to be able to meet up with Jo's sister and brother in law along with Jim and Patty in late March just before we go. If we stay up there we may be able to afford to hang out until then. The hotels in C.R. are costing more than we figured. Some of them have been isolated so your obligated to eat there (at their prices) or go hungry. That accounts for the two last nights candlelight dinners although they were very good. Liberia is a pretty good size so eating tonight shouldn't be a big deal. The bus to Nicaragua will take us right across the border which should help jump the border hoops. We'll then have to change some money into cordobas. Granada is supposed to be the jewel of Nic. and is home to a lot of historic bldgs and pretty scenery. (some of the places we've stayed in also seem pretty historic at least as to when they were last cleaned).
It was very cool last night and this morning due to the dampness in the cloud forest. Within an hour of leaving though we could feel it warm up and we're again in the 80's with a nice breeze. Scrap the socks again and on with the thongs (my feet I mean).
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29094&l=1c8e6&id=680056043
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