My final stop in Costa Rica was Puerto Viejo. After being dropped off there with Jack and Chris we headed for Rocking Js where a lot of people we’d met said was the place to be. We checked in and got a two bed room for three as the dorms were full; they promised to add another bed which didn’t turn up in the end so Jack slept on the floor! During the night we had some visitors who tried to grab stuff from our room through the window, fortunately we woke up and they didn’t get anything, but we decided to find somewhere else as a result.
We met some guys we’d seen in La Fortuna and they recommended the Hotel Puerto Viejo so we checked in there instead. Same price and a better feel about the place. A room with three beds too.
We spent several days in Viejo, hiring some bikes and heading south to Manzanillo, some 10km down the coast to do some snorkelling. We spent a couple of days on the nearby beach just relaxing in the sun.
On one of the days the other two guys were swimming and I was sitting on the beach reading when Chris spotted some guy run out of the bushes and grab the bag of a guy next to us as he paddled in the sea. Chris shouted from the water but he didn’t understand and when he got into shore the thief had gone. Apparently this is a common occurence on beaches in Costa Rica so we always left someone with our stuff whilst the others went for a dip.
The following night my board shorts went missing from the balcony outside our room; I mentioned it to reception and they said their security guard was a bit sketchy and they had sacked him that day. I described my shorts and some guy approached me later in the day saying he might know where they were. I described them again and he went of to ‘see if he could find them’. Five minutes later he came back with my shorts! He made up some excuse about catching someone with them but didn’t know whose they were; I was just glad to get them back so I didn’t press it further. I believe he was the security guard and he got his job back!
Jack had to leave the same day as myself and Chris; Jack was heading back to San Jose to catch a flight up to LA before going back to Alaska. He was feeling a bit ropey that morning with a dodgy stomach so we booked him a shuttle bus as it was the fastest way. A couple of days ago Jack got in touch to say he had a story to tell about the trip. I was thinking of the bus having to make stops for him to relieve himself, but the driver wasn’t paying attention and missed a corner, careering off the road through some trees into a field, stopping just short of a cow! Jack said the only thing that stopped the van rolling was a huge rock they hit! The driver flagged down a lorry and got the van pulled out and then tried to carry on; Jack said hold on a minute and checked the underside of the van and saw the axle was broken and it was not safe to drive. They waited a further hour for another van to turn up and then made the rest of the trip at half the pace and finally got into San Jose at midnight rather than 6pm. Not quite the time saving planned upon! Fortunately everybody on the bus was okay, but it could have been a different story.
Myself and Chris had a less eventful transfer up to Bocas Del Toro in Panama, taking a bus to Sixoala on the Costa Rican border, across the bridge into Guabito Panama, a taxi to the river through the banana plantations, and a water taxi from Changuinola through the mangroves to Bocas.
Bocas Del Toro is full of tourists coming to dive and enjoy the island beaches. There’s no real beach to speak of on Bocas, but plenty just short water taxi rides across to other islands in the archipelago. I’ve down a couple of days diving since Chris decided to do his Open Water course here with a Dutch guy Eric we met. Apart from that it has been beaches, snorkelling, and drinking too much in the evenings!
We’re staying at the Heike Hostel which is owned by the same people as Mondo Taitu where most of the backpackers head. It has a great balcony overlooking the park where you can sit a pass the day watching the locals and tourists going about their business.
Nights have involved making use of happy hour at Mondo and around 11pm going to the ‘shipwreck’ bar where there is a deck around a shipwreck. You can even jump in an swim if you fancy it.
One strange thing about Panama is that it is illegal to walk around without a T-shirt on. With the humidity here most days that is somewhat of a challenge. Chris has been warned by the police twice and told to cover up!
I’ve been here for All Souls’ Day and the celebration of independence from Columbia in 1903. Lots of local bands playing and kids marching through the streets playing music at all hours of the day. There was a nuclear powered sound system in the central park yesterday that prevented a long recovery in bed!
I’ve spent longer here than planned but have a flight booked for Panama City on 7 November from where I will spend a couple of days before heading back to the UK on 9 November. I arrive back on 10 November and hope to catch up with everyone for a few drinks that evening as it’s Friday night. Let’s hope I’m not too tired.
