Costa Rica day 20 Jan. 27

It had to happen and today was the day. We closed up the house as Jim won't be back for 10 days and Adrian picked us up at 10:30 right on time. We headed South through Punta Islita to a very small village of Secca. Just past Islita we came to Adrians village of Corozalito population around 150. Here he stopped and we grabbed a coke each and then he showed us the church which is located near his home and is 60 years old.
When we arrived at Secca I couldn't believe the bus would even stop there. The population couldn't have been more than 50 tops. It was a two hour wait but not bad as we were kept company by a rooster and the old man of the village who sat with us for a while. The bus was right on time and it took us to Jicaral (12:30 - 2:30) which was a real treat for 1/4 of a mile as there was some pavement. By this time we're used to the rattles and dust so no biggy. Arriving at Jicaral our 2nd bus was waiting for us and took us to Playa Naranjo arriving there around 3 pm. This last busride was a bone rattling experience and because it's very hilly country it's flat out or low gear. This bus had absolutely no rear brake linings and all the way we could hear the agonizing screech of the drums meeting the silver linings for the millionth time. Give the driver credit though he used those remaining slivers of shoe backings to the best of his ability and didn't spare them. I guess there's no core charge down here.
We had been told that we would have to catch the ferry across the bay to Puntarenas and then another ferry in the morning to cross back over the bay to Paquera as there was no overland carrier. We were waiting at the ferry terminal when a fellow Canuck from the Kootenays told us to take a cab overland and avoid the two ferry crossings and a night in Puntarenas (the Tijuana of C.R.) Well a guy approached us and offered to take us for less than the hotel in Puntarenas so away we went for another hour over the washboard to Paquera. Our driver was Carlos and he had a tendancy to drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid the washboard on the hills. so here we are going up the hills on the wrong side with no idea who's coming over the top towards us. (Reminds me I need to get my will updated) We got there around 3:30 and he dropped us off at the bustop. First mistake of the day. We should have gone to the ferry terminal where the bus route begins which is 4 km farther down the road. This way we would have boarded the bus while it was empty as it turned out we sat on the hard wooden bench at the bustop for 4 hours as the bus was late leaving and then had to stand when we got on. By this time it was around 8:30 pm and we hadn't eaten since around 7 a.m. We weren't sure when the bus would come by and didn't want to leave the bustop in case we missed it. We had others (Ticos) waiting with us for the duration so we figured they must know when the bus comes by. Needless to say I was getting a little antsy by this time but calm Jo kept me under control and we rolled into Montezuma around 9 pm with no reservations. This place is like Haight Ashbury and the place we wanted to stay seemed a way out from where we were dropped off and it was blacker than Toby's ass past the bustop so we began to find a quick place for the night and then grab a bite after we dropped the packs off. The following is the 2nd chapter which I wrote this morning while waiting to find a place to eat. I wanted to keep it fresh in my mind for your reading pleasure.
Montezeuma ....The revenge
It was very dark when we arrived by bus at 9:00 p.m. Not seeing a cab to get to where we'd planned to stay we headed up a small hill past restaurants and internet cafes, bars, and travel agents. The streets were alive with 20 year olds drinking and partying. Dreadlocks to skinheads along with a few Tibetan monks or harry Krishnas thrown in to round it out, many of them practising their street entertainment. It was a natural home for wannabe street minstrels who would never make it. Sort of a graveyard for Granville Island dropouts.
Most of the hotels looked quite expensive on the main street so we'd made our way down to the Hades of Hippies. After such a long day on the road (11 hours with only breakfast 14 hours ago) We found what appeared to be our nights rest. El Capitan cabinas. At last. We approached the manager who was a Danny DeVito type (actually a dead ringer) and he showed us to a room with private shower. It was very small and we were beat so we thought what the hell? I asked him how much and he said $15. I'm thinking great, but after a very pregnant pause he added "each". I'm sure he was trying us on but we let it pass. We moved in and went to sign in and pay him where another $5 deposit was req'd for a key. I kept my laptop and camera (which is always with me) and left the bags in the "room". Danny said to me as we were signing in "you look like someone". I responded "Tom Cruise"?. Nope guess it wasn't him. He then said "Andre Previn " or some long dead singer. I wondered if Andre was ever told he looked like me.
We then started cruising the restaurants to fill our empty bodies. I had told Jo earlier I'd love to have a burger and potatoes. Potatoes aren't big down here and we finally found a place advertising burgers. Yahoo I'm thinking. Well they were out of burgers along with most everything else on the menu so we settled for beef filet. They grill it outside. I mentioned to Jo why a burger was worth more than a filet. The answer came shortly after that. A beautiful lettuce and tomato salad, lots of potatoes, and the "filet". This filet was carved from the hide of the winning bull in the running of the bulls in Spain 10 years ago. It was cheaper than hamburg because it saved the machine they would have had to use to grind it! Imagine grilled jerky. The bottom line is I sat down hungry and got up tired.
We then headed back to the "room" past all the nefarious looking minstrels. We had no sooner turned a corner and two of them fell in behind us. We made it to our place and there was Danny parked in a chair watching us about to be mugged. We made it to the room and was considering having a refreshing shower in our private bathroom until Jo noticed there were no towels and there was soap although it had been used. We passed on that idea. There was a fan in the room that is wired w/ tape into another wire that goes into the only outlet. I can't use the puter as it's a three pronger and this one appears to be a 1 and a half. Our one cell window contains no glass, just a screen and steel mesh with 3' squares.. Behind the door is a sign "checkout is 12 noon be ready!"
It was now about 10:30 and time for bed. I'd already spent 6 hours sitting on a board awaiting busses and this made me feel right at home. The mattress was made up of a piece of foam that had come from the underlay of a wornout hall rug. Under that was some soft wood. Several hours later we were awakened by the screeching of a cat. It sounded like a one sided battle to the death. This was followed up by the motion lite outside going on and at 3 or 4 in the morning it gave me pause to consider which one of the local pirates was coming for us. I kept one eye on the silhouette on the curtain for a long time but nada. We'd escaped another possible rape and pillage. I must have finally dozed off when I was again awakened by the sound of water falling onto a rock or something. Unable to see what it was in the dark (it was like trying to sleep under a waterfall) I again dozed off. This time to be awakened by large nuts falling on the roof from a tree overhead. That pretty much capped my night and we both gave up around 6 with the hopes of getting out of here as soon as the restaurants open and Danny's awake to give us our $5.00 back. I've got some pictures to show my story however it's hard to get a picture inside here as it's too small. I'll do my best.

Al Cotton

Costa Rica day 18 Jan. 26

This was taken at 5:42 a.m. as the sun came up.
Today was another great day. We watched the sun come up from the open doors of our bedroom along with the sounds of the birds stirring getting ready for another day. We also heard some unidentified sounds (not birdlike) coming from the nearby jungle. I videod it just to get the sounds. After breakfast our taxi showed up at 9:30 to take us to Punta Islita. (there are no busses in this neck of the woods or in a lot of the other places off the beaten path) Taxis are very inexpensive and this one was a beaut. Diesel with a snorkel for crossing the rivers. We only had to cross one. Twenty minutes later we arrived in the heart of town. Jim says the population is about 200 if that. There's one resort with a golf course and the rest is museum, general store, and a church,school, and souvenir/craft shop.
This small village is very pretty as it's like an art colony. Marta the lady running the museum showed us all around. It was more of an art and craft show than a museum. When we were ready to leave a walk about she came with us and left one of the artist working there to mind the store! She showed us the beautiful church that had sat semi completed for a very long time because the town didn't have the money for materials to finish it. The money was donated anonymously and the villagers finished the job. She told us the original plan was for one steeple but that was changed to two because all small churches have two. Across from there was a clinic but the doctor left because he said it wasn't handicapped accessible. Now the villagers have to take a taxi (which they can't afford) to a nearby village. The school next door has 22 students ranging in age from 7 to 12. There is a morning class and an afternoon class. They get their meals in a separate lunchroom which without govt. support would only be rice and black beans every day. They now get something else thrown in to round it out. The first round of classes eat when they're finished for the day and then the afternoon class eats right after them prior to classes.
The village is amazingly clean and very picturesque. The houses are painted bright colors with pieces of tile and mirrors decorating them. Next to the church is the sacred forest. The trees were planted years ago by the existing indians and they're now decorated to commemorate them. A tree in the soccer field is painted white and adorned with many symbols. A star denotes good health (salute), the moon is love, and the spiral is you will return. I hope it's true. Really I can't express how friendly these people are and how they are content with what little they have. Most everything in this village is courtesy of a donation from somewhere and they have made the most of it. The govt. gave the museum some computers for the villagers but they're not operable as they can't hook up to the internet. The streets in the center of town are covered with paving stones (like interlocking bricks) which were also donated. This keeps the dust down the everything clean. the general store even has 4 recycling bins for various things.
It makes you wish you could give these beautiful people something to better their lives although they're very content and grateful for what they have.
Arriving back here at noon we jumped into the pool and cooled off. I was leaning on the infinity edge for quite a while just enjoying watching the surf off in the distance when I saw a black object running across a field towards the jungle near the water. It was closely followed by another one. They were a pair of jaguars! Jim had seen a mother a 2 cubs a year ago in the same spot. What an incredible piece of luck. You could tell by the way they ran and their coal black color that they were cats. He said they live down in the direction they were running which is in the nature reserve. The reserve is between Jim's house and on the right hand side of his property so no one will ever build there.
Jim spent the afternoon planting a lot of papaya trees with is Cat digger. He had some business friends over this afternoon and has gone out for supper so Jo and I had leftover yellowfin tuna for supper. Better than steak! Jim had made a dip out of guacamole, tomatoes, garlic, and some tobasco. I've got to get that recipe.
The sun went down exactly 12 hours after we saw it come up. Right away an owl came down and skimmed the pool. It's been here every night and landed for a time the other night on the deck.
It's now 8:20 p.m. and we're going in the pool to see the Southern Cross and the inverted Big Dipper up above us. The stars are amazing as there are no lights here.
Truly an amazing place that is leaving us in awe.
We'll be leaving here early Monday morning and heading further south to a remote nature reserve where it's highly likely I can get some pictures of sloths. What next I wonder?
Hasta Luego and thanks for all of you who are following us.
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26605&l=6efce&id=680056043

Costa Rica day 17 Jan. 25

We awoke with the sun coming up over the left end of the beach as the house faces due South. After a quick breakfast (I was feeling a little better) Jim took off with some watermelon and his board to hit the surf. We followed along around 8 a.m and took the 15 minute walk to the beach where the turtle hatchery is. We walked to the East end of the 6 km. beach (about 3 km from where we entered) and by the time we got to the end the tide had gone a way out. We're only 10 degrees above the equator but the beaches are so flat that it goes out a long way. Jim was out in the waves along with about 10 other guys (all of whom were 40 years younger) but he was able to hold his own and most of them later came back to the house for some watermelon and coffee.
There was a large cage near the hatchery on the beach marked off on the sand by string were 2' square grids where eggs were buried. We also saw many black and white sticks in the sand along the beach which denoted where other nests were. This beach is the nesting grounds for Ridley, Green, and Leatherback turtles. When we arrived back at the hatchery I was pretty much out of water so we filled up from their hose and the hosts there were very friendly and informative.
Jim arrived back here before we did. We should have come back sooner and it was really starting to heat up. When we arrived Louis the caretaker came over with some fresh backed corn tortillas and some meat and salsa. The corn tortillas here are only made from corn flour and water. There's enough calcium in the water to bind it all together so no oil is req'd. We loaded up and Jim informed us we were eating BOA CONSTRICTOR tortillas!!!! Now that's really neat. It was quite tasty and somewhat chewey. He said they catch them in the nearby river up to 14' long and then filet them.

Jim worked via his computer and phone all afternoon while Jo and I sat on the deck or lay in the hammocks reading. Jim recommended a book by a famous Spanish author called Alchemy. I read it in two hours and it's an excellent story! The basic theme is to chase your dream and follow your heart. Very inspiring and I'll see if I can get a copy of it when we get home.
Jim got out surfing again in the afternoon and had some great waves for an hour when the wind changed. I managed to get a picture of him walking back up the dirt road a quarter of a mile away carrying his big board. Now thats an exercise program. He brought a local surfer boy back from the beach with him for supper. Eduardo was a great additon to our super supper of leftover chicken from last night and the best fish I've ever tasted. Jim cooked it on the bbq and it was yellowfin cooked Hawaii style that Jim caught off his 26' fishing boat that he keeps in Corrilla (our last place of residence). We watched it grow darker until Jim had to get back to the telephone but a huge beatle landed on me which I managed to get a picture of. We haven't identified it yet but it was a monster. Wish I'd kept it to bring home.
We later asked Jim where he recommended we go while down here. Several people including him have nixed Nicaragua due to the crooked cops but have had Panama as a place to see. So change in plans. We'll continue south from here, cross over by ferry to Puntarenas and then head south to Panama and see the canal. Hopefully catch a boat that passes through just for the experience. Then it will be back to our original plan to go to Limon on the Caribbean side for a few days and then to Arenal the volcano, cloud forest, jungle reserve. We'll probably spend some time there to enjoy the sights and the hot springs. Feb. has been recommended as the best time to view the volcano as the clouds lift and lately it's been active so you can see the lava at night flowing down the sides. We saw a postcard of the site and wow it's something I'd sure like to see
Jim has a friend in Golfito that he thinks he can hook us up with for a free night or two so hopefully that will shake out.
Jim is leaving here at 5 a.m. tomorrow so we'll lock up before leaving for Nicoya to catch a bus further south.
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26560&l=d31ab&id=680056043

Costa Rica day 15 Jan. 24

Not much to tell you about today. I woke up around 5 a.m. with diarreah and vomiting and then slept for the next 24 hours pretty much full time. We did leave the Congo Real where we were staying (open sewers and all)and our cab driver Adolpho picked us up at 11 and brought us to Jim's house about a half an hour away. I fell asleep again right away, slept all day, went to bed at 8 and slept all night. Feel great today and am probably down about 15-20 lbs since arriving here.
Jim our host lives in Hawaii but gets out here about 10 days every month to go surfing. He says the surf here has one of the best "breaks" in the world. It's also home to one of the largest turtle hatcheries in the world The beach is the nesting grounds for Wrigley, Leatherback and Green turtles. Jim says you really have to be careful when surfing that you don't hit one! He also mentioned that the population of these endangered turtles had quadrupled in the 10 years he's been here. Every 10 years there's a weather phenomenon here and all the turtles panic and hit the beach at the same time. Jim said you could walk from one end of the beach to the other without ever stepping on the sand!
He owns quite a bit of acreage here and it's right next to game reserve so no one will be building in this area. Also we've noticed that this is the only house we've seen that doesn't have barred windows or the smell of smoke (The Ticos burn all there refuse like leaves, etc.) Jim has seen a jaguar and two cubs in the area just below the house and the toucans are all over place and eat the flowers. He's spent a lot of time planting trees, flowers, saving seeds and growing his own peppers etc. The watermelon here is out of this world! This house has everything!! Be sure and check out the facebook for pics of this place. Our guest bathroom is the size of my living room/diningroom. I was just telling Jo it's nice to see someone as successful as Jim stop and smell the roses. Most people like him only strive to work harder. He's a gracious host and very nature oriented. He also told us about the locals who have been in this area since day 1. The young boy in the caretakers house next door is able to catch snook in the river with his bare hands! These people have lived off the land all their lives and fish is a main part of their diet. They also used to eat the turtle eggs which is now prohibited Jim said if you'd ever eaten a cake using turtle eggs as opposed to chicken eggs there is an unbelievable difference.
The ceilings in the house are covered in what appears to be bamboo but it's actually cane (not sure if I've spelled it right) It's hollow and has an insulation factor. Outside Jim's bedroom window he has a flagpole that he can see from bed to tell him if it's worth getting up at 5 a.m to hit the surf. I'm typing this on Friday morning as yesterday was a writeoff for me. Fortunately it was a 24 hour bug and I'm feeling great having just had the first meal in about 40 hours. Now it's time to get out and head down the road (about 15 minutes) to see the beach, hatchery, and Jim surfing.
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26541&l=d7ca4&id=680056043

Posting a little later today as I've been really floored with something! Been sleeping steady for the whole day. Tomorrows will be late as it will take me a day to make it up
Wow 15 days later and a pile of pictures and experiences under our belt. The best thing about this extended trip is that we're in no hurry to get anywhere! This morning after breakfast across the street at Onda Latina (where they had no eggs so we had a fruit dish) we caught the bus to a nearby town called Samara. It's only about a 15 minute ride but goes right past the beach. Looking out at the creek and mangroves as we crossed over the bridge I spotted a large crocodile.
We arrived in Samara and went straight to the bank. It's a cute little village and the bank was a dream after the one in Coco Beach. Same security guards, one in and one out. I was asked to open my fanny pack which I carry my camera in to show them I wasn't about to clean the place out. With what they're money's worth I'd need a semi to haul the bills away. I showed my passport and gave the girl my master card and told her what I needed and voila I got the money w/ no problem. I had to sign for it in three places and tell her the name of the place we're staying at but that was it. We were able to buy a bottle of tequila for $14 which probably tastes like dieseline but the good stuff was $70 U.S. That's a helluva difference between the good and the bad!
We caught the next bus back along with a lady from Nicaragua who had been of some help in the bank and had been on the bus coming into town. After stashing the C.R. money which was around $500,000 colones we went over for lunch. Have you ever walked around with that much money? I felt like a millionaire! Figured it was better to keep it in a hidden pocket in my fanny pack than to leave it in the room as this place doesn't appear to be high on security and even I could pick the lock. I feel a lot safer here though than in San Jose or Playa Coco.
When we arrived at the beach we walked down to where the bridge was and I'd seen the croc. Sure enough there it was. I was about to say "what a beauty she is" like the Aussi guy when I noticed it didn't have a head! I guess someone had decapitated it figuring to stuff the head or sell the skull. You have to remember this is third world and the people make their money any way they can. One thing I have noticed down here is that there are no beggars, or guys beating on you to buy something! This is great when you can lay on the beach unmolested.
We spent about 3 hours playing in the surf and then started back down the beach when we came across a couple from Edmonton with a chocolate lab. This dog was 14 months old and huge! They were throwing a large stick out into the surf and "Hank" was retrieving it. Seeing him barging through the large breakers was something to behold! When he got to shore due to the undertow he paddled as hard as he could until the next breaker gave him a boost to shore. He did this continuously. It's a wonder he didn't have a heart attack. The owners said that Air Canada wanted $2400 to bring him down one way! They said the hell with that and drove their motor home to L.A. and flew from there. The cost for the dog? $100! It's beyond me how A/C stays in business.
Supper was again at the Onda Latino where we had a half a chicken each, cervasas, salad, avocado, fried plantain, and the everpresent beans and rice. Jo had a vanilla cream pie but she'll walk that off in a heartbeat carrying two backpacks while I take pictures.
Our taxi driver is picking us up at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning to take us to Jim and Patty's house where we'll stay for a couple of days. They have wireless internet so I can stay on line. After that it's farther south to ????
I was on Castanet tonight and saw the temp in Kelowna. Sorry folks. If anyone reads this tomorrow would you please let me know if Katherine and Dave have had the baby yet? Thanks
Hasta Luego
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26474&l=cc943&id=680056043

Costa Rica day 14 Jan. 22

Here's a friendly kinkajou licking Jo's hand. He later tried to either lick my head or eat my brain. What a cute gentle creature!
Well we got up for breakfast at 7 a.m. and sorted out our bags in order to lighten the loads in the backpacks. We ate our "free breakfast" which was very good but it was Continental which was coffee and fruit. We then asked for eggs and found out when we checked out that that was extra. No biggy but didn't know. We then packed our three bags down the road for a few hundred feet and checked into the Waldorf of Carillo for $15 a night. A queen size bed and a single, ceiling fan, and private bathroom. Not bad for a place to hang our hats and keep our bags. It's right across the street from the Onda Latino where we've been eating and having cervasa's in the afternoon. They also have free internet so I spent the afternoon updating things. After we checked into this place we headed for the beach and spent several hours basking and walking. Left there about noon and went to the soda for beer and Jo had a great fruit salad. Don't know how they carved the apple like they did but it was a work of art.
After about a 1/2 hour siesta we went to the zoo where a lady took us on a tour of her backyard, rehab, zoo and bromeliads. It was great and we were able to get into the cage with the kinkajou.. What a great little creature. It was very tame and liked to lick the salt off of us. She also let the anteater out and he proceeded to find termites and ants. It also is quite tame. A very informative lady and her English was also pretty good.
After the zoo we headed back to Onda Latino for supper. Both of us had bifstak which I'd had last night. We're eating a way too healthy for me. Salad, guacamole, beef steak, fried plantain, beans and rice. I'll have the body of a Greek God by the time I get home instead of the body of a god damn greek!
Small world..... as we were walking down the road to the beach this morning a lady in a 4x4 pulled up and rolled down the passenger window. She looked at Jo and said "you look like Marion" (Jo's sister from Hawaii). She'd met Marion while she was visiting Jim and Patty down here and Patty had told her via email that we were in the neighborhood.
We chatted for a while and hopefully we'll meet her again.
Well that's about it for today. Full moon tonight. If all goes well we'll see two more.
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26370&l=7f649&id=680056043

Costa Rica day 13 Jan. 21

Another beautiful day. We went for breakfast at 7 a.m. and then returned to the cabina to collect the packs. By the time we got back to Oscars he was all ready to roll. He brought his daughter Yisebeth along and off we went to Nasara, Samara and finally to Carillo. We hadn't gone more than a couple of miles when we came to a river. I asked Oscar
"are you going across that?" Reminded Jo and I of the Kia commercial. It's a good thing it was a diesel. Unfortunately the windows were so dirty I couldn't get a good shot of our wake! Altogether we crossed about 4 rivers. On one of them we started into the water and then stopped as another 4x4 crossed right behind us only went in a different path. It looked like we were heading to a bottomless pit so Oscar wheeled it over to follow the wake of the last guy.
People were out watering the road to keep the dust down and when another oncoming vehicle passed us it was up w/ the windows. There was no back window in our 4x4 so the packs got pretty dirty. When we came to Nasara, Oscar took us on the scenic route around town and past the airport. It was a pretty little place although all the roads were still dirt. We also passed a couple of log mills. We also to know what the trees were that we'd been seeing that were planted in rows. We had thought they were some kind of fruit tree but they grow straight with few branches and are use for constructing houses as the wood is very hard and very straight. They use these like we'd use 4x4 or joists.
It was beautiful country and Oscar was very obliging when it came to taking pictures. When we finally arrived at Carillo Jo had an address for a nice place to stay but they were booked solid w/ fishermen. This is the best time of year for sport fishing. Fortunately for us Oscar was there as he took us back to our current place the Guanamar where the president Oscar Arius stays when he's in town. This is like the Ritz so we'll only be here for the one night. We've gone from $16/night to $135 (but we get breakfast) A very beautiful place. We've since lined up a place down the street for $25 a night so after breakfast we'll go and check it out. I think we'll stay in town here until Thursday and then on to Camaranol for a few days. Took another few hundred pics today and a bunch as the sun went down. We sat on one of the decks and had a couple of cervaza's while that happened. Hope you like the pictures. The place down the street where we had lunch and supper has internet so we're good to go for a while. Our supper consisted of a large plate of pasta for Jo and I had bistak which is beefsteak to gringos. It was rice, beans, avocado, salad, tomatoes, and a good steak Total cost $13. Beer there is $1.75 a bottle.
After lunch and updating the blog & facebook we went to the beach. It's extremely beautiful and I had a ball in the surf. Water temp has to be at least 95. Met a couple from Calif. who bought a 3 bedroom place here. They offered us a ride up North but been there, done that. That's it for tonight. Tomorrow is a blog,facebook beach day
LINKS OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26305&l=b1666&id=680056043
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26307&l=5567b&id=680056043