NOTA #6: Right along and through Costa Rica, with and without Carlos

To find something rather random to begin with, I'd like to complain about an absolutely uncomfortable wooden stool, hell! Also, I'm yearning for dinner already now, before having started writing. However, my current hostel's internet access is highly desired, so I will use my chance now, otherwise only struggling with a completely deranged keyboard.

So well, now I'm doing better (I changed the PC). Last time updating I mentioned Carlos who I was about to meet up and spend some days traveling together. So that's pretty much what happened! I met him in a harbour restaurant in Puntarenas, just on the crossroads between the Costa Rican "mainland" and Nicoya peninsula and off we went to Montezuma, where I got together with another couchsurfer who stayed at my place earlier this year (shortly after Carlos, and likewise significantly shorter). However, we couldn't reach Felipe the first night, so stayed in a hostel and met up the next day for a real pretty walk to some rather remote beach stripes at sunset plus communal cooking. Also on the list had been visiting the notorious Montezuma waterfalls which had been quite fun (nobody died), before an alarmingly big group of tourists arrived and we decided to return.

Our next target had been Monteverde, an area "perhaps best known for the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde and numerous other reserves, which draw considerable numbers of tourists and naturalists interested in mountain and tropical biodiversity." We teamed up with Anders, a cheerful Norwegian traveler on the way there (who we happened to almost only speak Spanish to, in fact). Right after arriving we found ourselves part of a little gringo group doing an organized nocturnal walk in some wildlife neighbourhood. Well, I enjoyed seeing a tarantula and a sloth and butterflies and well, no snakes! However, Carlos had been been rightly disappointed, I guess. Next day had been better: it started with a very, very rainy medium-demanding rainforest hike (that made me smile almost all the way for its similarity with the Tasmanian Overland Track) but again lacked animals. So well, how dealing with that? Of course, we went to a serpentarium! Never before had I more fun with snakes (who had ever really fun with snakes? See pictures and videos below, it's worth it!). We finished our last night together with watching the latest version of "Nightmare on Elm Street" in a stylish Japanese restaurant. (What would YOU have done?)

Traveling alone again the first thing I realized had been this: it might actually be safer. What exactly do I mean? Well, I took the earliest bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas; listening to music all the way, having the all-important-stuff-including bag right next to me, almost hugging it. Behind me: a very (U.S.) American couple chatting loud and boisterous about all the amazing rainforst/canopy/zipline stuff they did and did not over last couple days. I soon figured they didn't speak one word of Spanish and when arriving in town after a three-hours drive, they eventually asked a confused local in plain English: "Have you seen the guy that took my backpack?". I should hearby mention that this particular bus drive is more than infamous for petty theft and it's written all over (e.g. everywhere in the bus, on the ticket and in the guide book): "Never leave your belongings unattended and/or in the overhead storage". Last thing I've seen had been them running to the next police station after getting advice from the driver. That gringo lost both credit card and passport. Central America is a dodgy place, after all, even Costa Rica.

And then: wonderful Quepos! A small, but lovely little coastal town which might lack nice beaches, but features one of its most delightful national parks (that in turn comes with very nice beaches), above all famous for its wildlife. So what did I encounter this time? Let me see... I remember a variety of (cheeky!) monkeys, again: sloths, hermit crabs (my favourites!), (even more cheeky) raccoons, some giant mouse-like mammal, enormous butterflies, countless lizards, one iguana and, al final - a wild boa constrictor hanging in the trees above. Equally nice, however, had been the hostel I chose to stay in: the Wide Mouth Frog. Lovely breakfast, comfy beds, whirl pool, videothek, fast internet, excellent kitchen, superkind stuff and even more amiable fellow travelers.
But the show had to go on...

I eventually took an early-morning bus (via San José, the capital) to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. On the way I managed to connect with an Argentinian girl (and her gringo boyfriend) to share a taxi within San José and then - I don't really remember how it happened, but not much later I found myself in the company of well, too many! German girls from all over the country, giving up speaking both English and Spanish quickly and dissolving to my mother tongue. Where, in fact, were all the guys? Anyhow, best greets to Nina and Richelle who I successfully obtained speaking English with (for the simple fact that Richelle is Dutch). We did some lovely cycling and snorkel trips together in the surrounding area, famous for (allegedly) Costa Rica's clearest water (which might easily be the truth). It followed a daytrip to another National Park (to Cahuita, in the north) before I evenrually hopped on just another early bus towards east. I'm in Bocas del Toro (Panamá) now, my sixth (and hopefully not quite last) country on this trip. This, however, is definitely another story as I really need to get down to the kitchen now and make dinner before it closes down for the night... enjoy the picture material and see you around!



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GALERÍA DE IMÁGENES

I

Carlos on the Puntarenas-Paquera ferry.
Our hostel in Montezuma (on goes the silent cynism): "Hotel Lys".

II

"Hi, there!"

III

On the way to the rather legendary Montezuma waterfalls ("Varias personas han muerto aqui").

IV

Puesta del Sol mientras llegando.
And there we are.

V

The beach, right in front of Hotel Lys.
Introducing me to pure coconut juice, yay.

VI

More beach.

VII

Carlos and his coconut and
Waiting for the bus.

VIII

Arriving in Monteverde, Cowboy-Country.

IX

That's really what I call a rainforest!

X

Hey Donnie, Overland Track or what?

XI

XII

Après-hiking with two British and one Norwegian dude.

XIII

Likes snakes? This one (and the following) are boa constrictors.

XIV

XV

The lizard that can walk, er, run on water.

XVI

The sunset at Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Quepos.
XVII

Wildlife inside the park.

XVIII

Getting a little active.

XIX

Stunning views and more wildlife.

XX

All that beauty.

XXI

XXII

What to do in hostels?

XXIII

e.g. Renting bikes and taking a lotta pictures of the surrounding.

XXIV

Hammock refugee camp for $7 a night.
Hostal "Rocking J's", Puerto Viejo del Talamanca.

XXV

On the way to Punta Uva, a splendid snorkel spot with exceptionally clear water.

XXVI

Like spiders?

XXVII

Really the end of the road: Manzanillo.

XXVIII

At Parque Nacional Cahuita, at the Caribbean Coast.

XXIX

Nocturnal photo sessions.


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"The hermit crab is a type of crab that does not have a very hard shell. Not a true crab, it uses other animals' old shells for protection; they especially like old whelk shells. As the hermit crab grows in size, it must find a larger shell." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_crab)
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (near Quepos).






Watching monkeys enjoying themselves in front of human eyes in "Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio"; near Quepos, Costa Rica.




Shooting a NESTEA commercial in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.




Reaching the Montezuma Waterfalls, Costa Rica.



Watching an iguana at the Montezuma waterfalls, Costa Rica.




Watching the waves in Montezuma, Costa Rica.










Watching a boa constrictor in the Monteverde serpentarium, Costa Rica.




And, last but not least: a fer-de-lance snake in the same serpentarium: Monteverde, Costa Rica.