Day 87-92: Carribean Coast

Having arrived late at night in Puerto Viejo without any pre-planned accommodation (which is highly unusual for us) we had popped into the first guest house that offered a decent bed and free wifi for $20 or less. This was Coconut Grove, a guesthouse run by a German lady called Heidi. The bed was lumpy and the fan did little to cool the room. It was as humid conditions as a poor Irish man has ever experienced and we didn't have a good night's sleep at all. We were wrecked tired and most of our clothes were water-logged and dirty from the rain forest adventures. It also rained all day. This was not what we had envisaged as the idyllic Caribbean retreat we had in mind. We stayed put for most of the day, venturing out only for food and sustenance in the form of pineapple juice, coconut milk and rum.

After our second day of being stuck in-doors due to the weather and waiting for our laundry we decided that a relocation to more salubrious surroundings were in order. It took a while to find something, and budget considerations had to be put aside but eventually we found ourselves swinging in hammocks, across the road from Playa Cocles, just outside of town. If we were going to be hemmed in by rain at least we'd have some nice accommodation to hang out in. The in-house restaurant, an Italian place, was decent and the music was good, reggae appropriately.

Day 3 in the not-so-sunny Caribbean and it was still raining. Can you believe it? Luckily, we had our ongoing daily battles with British Airways to occupy us. More than a month since our request to re-route our round the world itinerary and BA had still not completed the task. Every day in Lisbon and many of our days in the Caribbean were spent on the phone talking to people in the

London call centre trying to determine when they would issue our tickets and tell us how much we had to pay in fees and taxes. Everyday they gave us the run around and told us that surely it was imminent. By this stage we had one poor guy called Michael on the hook and every day we rang through to the call centre and asked for him by name. I think every agent working there knew our sorry story by the end. Every call left us wound up tighter than a coiled spring and required serious amounts of cocktails and lounging around to overcome the stress. Unfortunately, the Caribbean was not co-operating with our lounging around ambitions which meant we were mostly just drinking to the sound of rain.

Next day we were getting serious cabin fever and as soon as we had done with giving out to BA and we saw a break in the clouds we hired some bikes. The bikes were seriously laid back (mon!), single speed, basket on the front, where braking is accomplished by pedalling backwards.

We got the last two bikes in town it seems and I would guess no one else was desperate enough to take them as they were falling apart.

We cycled down South to the next village called Playa Manzanillo which is at the end of the road in this part of Costa Rica. You can't get any further South. When we originally read our trusty LP we got the impression that this would be a nice place to stay and but for missing the bus and jumping on the next nearest thing a few days earlier we would have ended up here instead of Puerto Viejo. Thank you God of Missed Bus Connections! This place is "rustic" and "quaint" and there isn't a building with a right-angle anywhere. I guess the philosophy of building design here is that if a hurricane is going to demolish your building every year it is better to keep it simple and the tin sheeting and wooden fragments can just be gathered up and nailed back together again in the aftermath.

We ate lunch at the only place in town, which was over-run with tourists Costa Rican and otherwise. It was very busy and it took most of our allotted day trip time just to get our lunch. I ordered the Ron-don, a fish soup with whole fish head and other bits floating in it. Our guide from Coast-to-Coast, Juan-Carlos, had recommended it. I ended up eating most of Jess's casado lunch as I didn't have the stomach for it.

We had a stroll around on the beach, rumoured to be the best in the area but the tide was high and it was overcast and there wasn't much to admire. On the cycle back we stopped to watch the monkeys in the trees. That night we embarked on a night hike into town to visit a restaurant we had being trying to visit all week called El Natural. It turned out to be all it promised delivering a nice Asian/Caribbean fusion. It was worth the trek through the rain to get there and back.

Day 5 and things with BA have gone from bad (no-one has looked at your booking for a month) to worse (we've asked the South African office to explain what they have done when booking your original ticket). There is a lot vagueness from Michael and he is very evasive not wanting to blame anyone for any possible problem that they can't tell us about. But we know different. If the South African office is involved there can only be incompetence and further delay. As it is, after a week of unanswered emails and voice messages left with the SA office (population 2 people) even Michael is getting exasperated. Of course this is English, stiff-upper lip, calm face to the customer exasperation and we are beginning to feel that Michael was assigned to our case for his adept skills at disarming explosive customers.

We can't wait any longer. We have to re-arrange our Hawaii plans and we need to do it now. As it is, we just about get a place on the premier reason for hikers visiting Kauai - the Na Pali coast trail (last two places left for permits were only available for our second to last day on the island). After another day surrender to the BA debacle we received a little treat, a little furry treat in the form of two sloths. They had found their way to the roadside and were climbing a tree to get safely away from predators such as cars and tourists. One was halfway up the tree but the other was still on the ground crawling slowing just as they are famed to do. It was great to see one so close up and we had plenty of time to gawk but no camera with us.

Day 6 and we'd had more rain than an Irish summer. After briefly considering a sojourn into Panama we chose La Fortuna and its mighty volcano as our next destination. It belched black smoke on our arrival into town. Our shuttle bus driver dropped us at a "tourist information center" for booking of trips before he would drop us to our hotel. We were having none of it. This was just an indication of the way this town treats visitors. We headed for our hotel/casino/pizzeria Luigi's where we were greeted by the in-house tour operator who wanted to talk to us about booking some trips...

Day 86: Class III, IV rapids

It was the last day of our trip with Coast to coast but certainly by no means boring. Today we got to experience the Class IV rapids of Pacuare river. After brekkie, we packed and bid farewell to one of our favourite spots in Costa Rica and braved the gushing river. The water levels were perfect after yesterday night's downpour and this morning's sunshine so we were in luck. We tackled each rapid under Juan Carlos instructions till our arms were numbed and chit chatted more Costa Rica when the rapids were calmer. In between rapids, we learned that the Ticos nearly lost the Pacuare river to a dam project put forth by the government. It was fiercely rejected by the locals and affected parties so the project has been put on hold. It would have been a shame to lose such a wondrous sight.

We rafted through the Class IV rapids and thankfully none of us were thrown off board. As we approached a 7m waterfall, Juan Carlos told us to ditch the raft and drift down the river. With the assistant guide making sure the raft was safe, Juan Carlos jumped out of the raft and swam towards the rocky cliff. We followed him and climbed up the cliff and watched as he propelled himself off the cliff and plunged straight back into the river. The best way to enjoy these experience was not to over think it and just jump. So we did. Woo-hoo! What an experience! We turned back and look at the waterfall which we just "conquered" and swore to ourselves that it felt a lot higher than it looked. The rapids were now mild and calm, so we drifted down and enjoyed the peace one last time before we arrived at the take-out point in time for lunch.

It was our last lunch with Juan Carlos and we were sad to say our goodbyes to the crew. It had been a fantastic journey so far and we thanked him profusely for his handiwork. Juan Carlos made the last taco lunch for us while we cleaned up in the showers. After a satisfying lunch, we were whisked off to Saquirres bus station for our bus to Puerto Viejo. We arrived just before dinner time after 2 bumpy bus rides with the locals. Puerto Viejo looked like an agreeable town with a good night life. We checked ourselves into a cheap hostel and nursed our sore muscles with a casado dinner and extra strong pina coladas.

Day 85: Jungle Trekking with Bruno

One of the best things when we camp in the wilderness is that we get a good night's rest. We woke up to sound of gushing white water outside our tent and to a tasty brekkie that Juan Carlos had whipped up for us. Today was a "rest" day to explore the nearby villages and mountain ranges on foot. It was humid and the clouds looked heavy so a possibility of a downfall is not low. We decided to head out anyway to stretch our weary muscles. The trek started off from the back of the campsite, through muddy trail which led us to a village of less than 1000 people. The village was small but clearly well run, every house had electricity and recycling facilities that would put most developed countries to shame. Villagers were friendly and waved at us as we

strolled past their homes. We met up with another local and his 4 legged companion which we nicknamed "Bruno". And there were 5.

The humidity was really getting to both of us and we decided halfway to can the mountain range hike and decided on some rock hopping along a river. The day would then end with us plunging in some waterfalls and swimming holes. To get to the river, we had to hike down a valley through some extremely muddy trails with deep hoof imprints made by cattle. It was tough going to find a small spot that you won't loose your feet in but we just managed. Bruno was a real trooper and knew the trail inside out, he would wander off into the trees and reappear where you least expect him to. By now, we were thoroughly soaked in sweat and were desperate for some shade. As we ventured further into the valley, the trail narrowed and we managed to seek partial relief from some trees. It was just about then we heard a frantic barking amongst some trees. It was Bruno and the barking was getting agitated by the second, we decided that he could be in some kind of trouble and the owner pushed through the thick vegetation in the direction of the barking. We held our breaths and hoped our fellow hiker was safe. The owner came back with a sickly armadillo in his hand and Bruno jumping up and down excitedly, almost barking "Look at what I have found!". The armadillo looked rather ill and had little mass left. It was barely able to move when the owner set him down on the floor. We reckoned it might have been a virus and decided to leave him with some peace and quiet. Bruno wasn't so happy to let his catch go without a reward but his masculinity was compromised when his owner whipped him off the floor and hiked on.

The next couple of hours we meandered through narrow trails, cutting through rainforest and keeping an eye for wildlife. We didn't spot any wild animals but we still had a great time. We hiked along the river banks and got to a waterfall with a deep enough swimming hole under it. It was a good spot to rejuvenate with a dip and we rest our weary feet in the cool water while Juan Carlos jumped off the waterfall and into the pool. It looked pretty safe so after 30 minutes of psyching ourselves up for it, we climbed up the waterfall and followed suit. It was the first time both of us had jumped off a waterfall and if you haven't done it before, you need to. It was an exhilarating experience as soon as we took that leap of faith from the rocks. We were all flushed and pumped with adrenalin after the jump and I rested with a well earned cookie while Robin practised his jumping from neighbouring boulders.

Good things always come to an end so we had to pack up and head on down the river and to check out other waterfalls before it gets dark. The clouds were looking increasingly ominous so we had to hurry. The trails after the first waterfall were overgrown and Bruno's owner was clearing the vegetation as he went. To us, we felt like real adventurers going off the beaten track. Most times, the route along the river was too overgrown or non existent, we had to take off our shoes and tread over running water. Not long after, we started to feel a light drizzle coming down and we knew that a big shower was imminent. A big shower it was. By the time we made our way back to the campsite for a late lunch, Bruno was the only hiker marginally dry as he was able to dodge under the vegetation. The rest of the crew was soaked to the bones. We had a quick lunch and retreated to our hammocks for some RnR after a shower. The accumulative effect of days of mountain biking and our hike got to us and we fell asleep to the sound of rain.

Day 84: Cycle to Pacuare River Put-In For Rafting

Juan Carlos forewarned us that today's cycle would be even tougher than the previous days so we psyched ourselves up for steeper climbs ahead. True to his words, the climbs were steeper and relentless. We cycled through valleys and whizzed downhill whenever we had a chance. It was clear that we both enjoyed uphill climbs. I reckon the best way to enjoy a downhill is to earn it. So we did.

By noon, we had one last bumpy downhill before we get to the put-in for the start of our white water rafting adventure. Juan Carlos gave us an option to take the support vehicle or fly down the rocky paths with him and needless to say, we chose the latter. The downhill was exhilarating as we dodged mud, loose rocks and flew over roots that seem to emerge from nowhere. The road was narrow and meandered down the hill and we could hear the rush of the river in the background. It was our favourite bit of the cycling adventure since we didn't get a chance to go off road as much as we would like to. We got to the end, injury free but with rather numb/sore arms and congratulated each other on a great mountain biking ride. We were all feeling peckish but there was a 6 km raft down the Pacuare River before we have lunch at the campsite.

After Juan Carlos carefully went through all the safety rules while we are out having fun, we geared up and got into our raft for the next 2 days. We had a big raft with Juan at the back steering and Robin and myself stationed in the front. There was another assistant guide who got in the river first in his one man kayak to catch us in case anyone gets tossed out of the raft. The rapids were Class III rapids this afternoon and was just a raft to our campsite so we got a chance to enjoy the view without worrying too much. While going down the river, we learned from Juan Carlos that a 100 hectare of the pristine land around us cost no more USD 40k and we pondered about the prospects of escaping to this beautiful part of the world for retirement. We were famished by the time we got to the campsite and helped in offloading the raft so Juan Carlos could cook us lunch.

The campsite had permanent tents and all with the river view and behind the tents, we found a 2 storey construction built out of wood that had a rustic kitchen, complete with a long table for dining. On the 2nd floor, there were 3 tempting hammocks with some chairs for chilling out. Juan Carlos took us around the site and proudly showed us the bathrooms "Best showers in town!" he said with a big smile on his face. Indeed it was. The open air showers had bamboos for pipes and each shower room had ample space and pebble stoned floors. Someone had made a huge effort to give the guests an authentic eco lodge experience. Despite the absence of hot water, we jumped at the chance to freshen up. Nothing beats an experience of washing your hair and looking up to admire the lush tree canopies and a peek of clear skies. As soon as lunch was ready, we attacked the fresh taco salads like a pack of hungry wolves and retired satisfied to the swinging hammocks with an ice cold beer while snoozing to the sounds of toucans' calls.

Night time came and Juan Carlos was lighting candles all around the premises. Turns out Juan Carlos was quite the chef and had prepared a feast of grilled chicken and salad for dinner. It was served with white wine under the flickering lights and we were very impressed with what he could whip up with no electricity. We chatted about our travels so far over glasses of wine and tasty morsels of food while Juan Carlos shared stories of some interesting characters he had met over the years as an adventure guide in Costa Rica. Robin and I listened as he shared his adventures with us and wondered how we would do as travel guides.

Day 83: Onward and Upward

It was meant to be a longer ride punctuated with steep climbs and we were ready for another day of exploration. After the usual water and bike checks, we were off on the road. After the long descent from yesterday afternoon, we could immediately feel the difference in temperature and the crops the locals grew changed progressively from coffee beans to tropical fruits. The landscape was undeniably green and almost seemed to shimmer under the bright morning sun. It was nice to be feeling the lungs working hard to keep up with the steep climbs. Robin caught up with Juan Carlos and flashing his usual boyish grin when he edged forward whereas I was happy to cycle to an imaginary beat in my head at a steady pace. Despite the heat, we conquered each one of them in good time and before we realised it, we had arrived at our lunch stop.

Lunch was simple but good, as it always is with casados. We devoured our food hungrily, hung out with the guide and driver watching local soccer and continued with our afternoon ride. The afternoon ride was similar to the morning and we passed through more vegetable and fruit plantations. The last haul was up a hill and into a guesthouse perched on a hill. We arrived and saw a group of Americans gearing up for an afternoon of white water rafting and learned that they were the National team representing the US. Well, if the rapids are good enough for the professionals, they are good for us. :)

The guesthouse was run by a Tico couple with the warmest smiles, welcoming us into their homes. The lady led us around the house, explaining to us that their home was ours for the night as well and to enjoy the RnR area when we have freshened up. The RnR area was a patio facing a pool with a lovely view of the mountains and valleys. In the patio, there was a pool table to the right and dining tables to the right. We felt privileged to be in their home and were already looking forward to dinner.

An hour or 2 later, we turned up for dinner and sampled some home cooked steak and Spanish wine while chatting about our day's cycle.

Day 82: Start of our Mountain Biking/Rafting Trip

We were all pumped and psyched for our CTC adventure especially after being lost in transition for some many weeks in Portugal. We desperately wanted to get back on track with our trip and wanted this mountain biking and white water rafting trip to be a success. The guide and driver arrived bright and early and we were on the Pan American highway not long after. The itinerary was to cycle uphill on a dormant volcano before flying downhill on off-road tracks for 13 km. After which we will get to cycle through some coffee plantations before climbing uphill up to Calcihus for the last climb of the day.

A couple of hours later, we were dropped off halfway up the hill and tested our mountain bikes. They were good bikes and we were ready to start. The uphill climb was a good warm-up for the downhill and we welcomed the cardio workout. The weather was comfortably warm when we started but took a turn as we headed downhill through squash plantations and villages. There was mist all around us and from afar it looked like we were cycling through clouds. It was pretty cool. the downhill race was quite a workout on the upper body and was quite the adrenalin rush each time we dodged trucks/motorbikes heading in the other direction, only visible when we were a couple of metres away. We weaved through some windy roads and stopped halfway up a hill for lunch. The restaurant was in a nice spot and was supported by stilts. We enjoyed our casados while the guide and driver chatted happily in Spanish with the 2 guys that tagged along. We guessed they were the owner’s friends.

After our simple but satisfying lunch, we pumped on ahead with the hills and admired the view. It was quite mountainous and the hills were either covered in trees or cleared away for coffee plantations. We weaved through a few small villages which consisted of no more than 5 households while chatting with Juan Carlos. We liked Juan Carlos pretty much straightaway, he was a pretty humble and down to earth kind of guy that just enjoyed the outdoors. Juan stopped us by the road for some wild guavas which were positively divine. Nothing like what we get in the supermarkets, they were small but sweet and quenched our thirst at the same time. While we were munching away on our wild catches, the household across the road opened its front gates and waved Juan over. Damn! we thought we were busted for stealing his fruits! Juan waved us over and explained that the owner wanted to give us some oranges from his front yard. We felt thankful and shy at the same time for thinking the worst. Ticos are renowned for their hospitality and this was the first time we had experienced it. We accepted the oranges graciously and continued our cycle.

The last leg of the cycle was rewarding but not easy. The hotel was perched high up on a steep hill and to get there, we had to work our legs. The road was muddy and rocky and we conquered it bit by bit. Just when we thought our lungs were about to burst, we arrived in the hotel. The view from our room was breathtaking and we collapsed in exhaustion for the afternoon.

A refreshing shower, couple of hours of vegetation and a few episodes of Big Bang Theory later, we emerged from our rooms, ready to devour a horse. Dinner was lightly grilled fish with divine Chilean wine...ahhh... we rewarded our hardwork with a relaxing meal and retired for the night preparing for another day of cycling.

Day 81: Walking Tour of San Jose

We had a day to kill before our hastily organised hiking/biking/rafting trip began so we thought we'd follow Lonely Planet's walking tour of San Jose. The city itself does not have a lot to recommend it and I guess most tourists skip it completely. The guide book author clearly struggled with selling the charms of the city and so resorted to sarcasm. Chief amongst the attractions were Central Market, "the most popular place to get robbed", and XXX Park, "the outdoor offices of the city's working girls". As it was, the market was quite interesting, a maze of tiny stalls selling all kinds of trinkets, some for tourists, some for locals and plenty of food.

The guide book's recommendation for food was a let-down though. Over-priced and cynical, it came with a waiter whose demeanour turned sour as soon as it became clear we were not interested in his 30 dollar steaks. We were only in the country 24 hours and we knew what a bad deal the food on offer here was. Not to worry, we ordered local food again and were not disappointed though we could have had it for half the price in a place that had not been endorsed by LP.

That night we experienced an earthquake. It measured 5.9 on the Richter Scale or so we heard.