We got into Panama City Sunday, April 11th, in the afternoon. I managed to find the only cab in the city that didn't know where we were going. Luckily, after asking directions a few times, we made it to the condo.
Our place was awesome. 10th floor apartment with a bit of an ocean view, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, couches and satellite TV. How totally awesome?!?!?! There was a mall next door, with VIP Movie theatres and a grocery store. We found out later we were in the jewish district, so everything in the grocery store was kosher. We toyed with the idea of getting some King David Sacramental Wine, but decided just to try plain old Isreal Wine.
Monday we had a slow morning, then went to the Summit Zoo. The zoo was layed out over a huge area and didn't have too many animals, but what they did have was cool. There were Tapirs, Jaguar and Harpy Eagles, along with many different kinds of monkeys and small wild cats. The enclosures were all very big and well taken care of. It was the kind of zoo you left feeling good about, not sorry for the poor animals. Then we headed for the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks. These were the first set of locks on the pacific side. We watched a couple to tankers go through. There was a visitors centre with a restaurant, but we just stayed on the rooftop observation deck and watched the boats get lowered through the locks. They would motor in the one area, then the water would drain to the level of the next compartment, the big water gates would open and move though to the next set. Some boats paid between $80,000 to $300K to go through the Canal. They have to pay by weight.
That night we stayed home, drank some Australian wine and watched TV.
Our last day in the City we had lunch with David, our friend who set us up with the apartment. Then we headed to the old part of town called Casco Veijo. It was the main part of Panam City in the 1800s but had since transformed into a ghetto. In the past few years, the City has undertaken a huge renovation project of the area and brought back some of the grandure of what it once was. Apparently it's a lot like New Orleans. So we wandered around taking pictures then had some Mojitos at the Cuban restaurant. We went into the Emerald Museum and learned about mining, then bought a tiny little raw emerald. Ian got excited as there was a reef break just off shore and some surfers and boogies boarders out having great time.
We went back to the apartment for the afternoon then went to the movies with David and his girlfriend. We went to the VIP theatres where we sat in our own leather recliners and had waiters bring us beer and sushi. We watched a movie drinking beer and eating sushi. So rad. These Panamians really know how to entertain.
We got up realy the next morning to go to the airport. David sent over his driver with this Licoln Town Car and for the same price as a dirty old cab, got driven to the aiport in style. The flight to Houston was good, no issues. Our 6.5 hour layover went by ok, we read for a while, then went for dinner then read again then it was time to board the plane. Canadian Customs were really good with us. We declared everything and made it through with no stops.
We are now home and winding down, trying to get our life back together. We've gone through our mail and set some appointments to view potential places to live this weekend. It's hard to believe that our trip is over. Now that we're home, it's hard to believe that it happened at all. But we have our memories and our pictures and our empty bank accounts to prove it. It was definitly the experience of a life time and Ian and I had so many amazing experiences. We're already dreaming of what our next great adventure will be.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Panama City Pictures
Casco Viejo, the old quarter of Panama City. It was once part of the slums but is now being renovated and is compared to New Orleans for it's architecture.
The New part of the City. Looks just like Vancouver.
The Panama Canal Miraflores Locks. We watched a couple of tankers come through, they drain the water until it's level with the lower water then open the doors and let the boats through. It's still all the origial hardware from when the canal was built in the early 1910s.
One of the buses, they all have a unique painting. Rad.
El Valle Pictures
Ladies getting ready for the traditional dancing at the Sunday Market in El Valle.
The Sleeping Indian Lady, I don't remember her name, but there's a myth that goes along with this mountain formation. It's so crazy how you can actually see the face and the body of a sleeping lady in the mountain.
The Petroglyphs. They look like graffiti, but they have just been outlined in different coloured chalk.
Me and a crazy big fruit. They are called Jicaro in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but I don't remember the Panamaian name for them. They are just ginormous fruit.
Playa Venao Pictures
Me walking out into the beautiful surf.
Ian surfuing a perfect wave.
Ian and his best friend.
This was on our way to Playa Venao, waiting on the street corner for a ride. We got one eventually.
El Valle
El Valle was a beautiful and peaceful town. It was so relaxing being in the mountains, nestled in a pocket on mountains. The first night we went for a great pizza dinner and survived a windstorm.
The next day, Wednesday, we slept in, then went for a long walk around town. We found the Orchid Garden and got a tour of some rare and beautiful orchids. Then, with some help, we found the Serpentarium, a little snake zoo that had some big boa constrictors, fer de lance and eyelash palm pitvipers, to name a few. All very gorgeous.
I got pretty sick off of something in El Valle, not sure what, Ian wasn't affected, but it kept me in bed all day Thursday, I think that was the 8th. I managed to get out and we went for a long walk on Friday to the petroglyphs and up one of the surrrounding mountains to see some waterfalls. Then back down again to see the big 60 meter waterfall then swim in a naturally fed river pool. It was so refreshing I could only stand it for a few minutes. Saturday I didn't make it out much again but the people who ran our hostel had a restaurant down below and fed me some soup and peppermint tea, which made me feel a little bit better. El Valle had such a relaxing vibe that we mostly just layed in bed reading. We were also pretty tired from travelling for the last 5 months that we slowed down quite a bit. Sunday was an awesome market, complete with traditional Panamanian dancing and singing. We took a bus around noon on Sunday to Panama City.
David, a Canadian we met at Santa Catalina, had set us up with a great apartment in Panama City. We had a tenth floor 2 bedroom apartment for the last few days of our trip. We made it there by mid afternoon and settled in the city for our last few days.
The next day, Wednesday, we slept in, then went for a long walk around town. We found the Orchid Garden and got a tour of some rare and beautiful orchids. Then, with some help, we found the Serpentarium, a little snake zoo that had some big boa constrictors, fer de lance and eyelash palm pitvipers, to name a few. All very gorgeous.
I got pretty sick off of something in El Valle, not sure what, Ian wasn't affected, but it kept me in bed all day Thursday, I think that was the 8th. I managed to get out and we went for a long walk on Friday to the petroglyphs and up one of the surrrounding mountains to see some waterfalls. Then back down again to see the big 60 meter waterfall then swim in a naturally fed river pool. It was so refreshing I could only stand it for a few minutes. Saturday I didn't make it out much again but the people who ran our hostel had a restaurant down below and fed me some soup and peppermint tea, which made me feel a little bit better. El Valle had such a relaxing vibe that we mostly just layed in bed reading. We were also pretty tired from travelling for the last 5 months that we slowed down quite a bit. Sunday was an awesome market, complete with traditional Panamanian dancing and singing. We took a bus around noon on Sunday to Panama City.
David, a Canadian we met at Santa Catalina, had set us up with a great apartment in Panama City. We had a tenth floor 2 bedroom apartment for the last few days of our trip. We made it there by mid afternoon and settled in the city for our last few days.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Santa Catalina, Panama
Just a little baby scorpion climbing on our tent, this one was only a fraction of the size of the one that crawled on me then Ian played with.
Some crazy abandoned Hippie Mobile. We thought it was cool. We didn`t actually get any pictures of the beach, too busy laying in a hammock.
Matapalo and Pavones, Costa Rica
The beautiful turquoise beach at Matapalo, this isn`t the beach we were surfing, but the view was amazing.
A Helicopter Dragonfly that we found on our walk up the dried up waterfall.
Pavones at Sunset. One of the most beautiful nights we`ve had. Tim and I are out there in the water somewhere, Ian sat it out cause the waves were too small for him. Great for us though!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Santa Catalina and Playa Venao
On March 30, we took a cab from Santiago to Santa Catalina. We stayed at Oasis Surf Camp, where Ian stayed last year. We had to drive across a river, which is no problem at low tide, but the river gets about chest deep at high tide. Luckily we got there at low tide, but the cab got stuck in the sand and we had to get some people to come help push. We camped on the beach, although in a fenced in area. There were other cabins there and a pretty good restaurant. The town itself was about a 1.5 km walk from where we were staying. We only made the trip once, after that we were too lazy and just layed in our hammocks reading when we were not out surfing. The waves were only OK, but I had fun surfing the little waves.
We met some nice Canadians, David, Alan and Angelica, who live in Panama. We had quite a few drinks with them one night, partying and having a good time sitting on the sand beside their tent. At one point I felt something crawling on my shoulder and without thinking I just threw it off me, kinda a grad and swipe kinda motion. Well, when it hit the sand we realized that it was a HUGE SCORPION and it was headed strait for Ians shorts. I couldnt believe that that thing was crawling on me. Eeeesh! Ian of course did his creepy crawly whisperer thing and had the scorpion hanging out in his hands in no time. I couldnt find the camera in time but luckily our new friend, David, got a quick video with his blackberry. I still cant believe how big that thing was. Another night we found a little scorpion climbing on the outside of our tent. Man, scorpion city.
Since the waves were pretty small and blown out, and Santa Catalina was getting pretty crowded with the Semana Santa vacationers (Easter Holidays) we decided to leave after 3 nights and head for Playa Venao. What a trip that was! We had to walk the 1.5km into town, then take 5 different buses just to get to the nearest town to Playa Venao which was still a 30-40min drive. But because it was a holiday, the regular shuttle that takes people to the beach was not running! So there was a couple of us with surf boards and bags standing on the side of the road, trying to either flag down a taxi or hitchike. Thats when we found out that there was also a huge surf competition going on at Playa Venao that weekend and the place was going to be packed. I few times we were wondering what we got ourselves into. We were finally able to flag down a taxi and share it with a guy from Argentina coming to visit his friend who works at a restaurant on the beach. The party was in full swing when we got there. All the hotels were full Friday and Saturday night (we got there Friday) so we had to camp. At least camping was free, but it was in a dirt parkinglot and everyone was saying to watch your stuff cause things get stolen. Great. So I decided that I wasnt going to surf until we got a room to keep our passports etc safe and just carried them around with me wherever I went. Ian would come in from surfing and take a shift watching the stuff so I could go for a swim. There were so many people in the water and on the beach that I didnt want to surf anyways. The music played at a temple throbbing pitch right from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. It didnt stop at all. The first night we just got drunk and passed out, so we were able to sleep that way. Second night was a little less comfortable. My air mattress had a hole and deflated and Ian was sleeping on the board bag. The restaurant washrooms were so disgusting from 3 days of partying I just peed in the ocean.
Finally, Sunday we were able to get a room and the expensive hotel on the beach. It was $100 a night but well worth every penny. We badgered the receptionist to let us in the room early so we could hide from all the party people still hanging around. We had a nice relaxing time on the soft bed, taking long hot water showers and watching TV in the comfort of air conditioning. I finally had a good long surf Sunday evening and stayed out longer than Ian. The waves were pretty nice, not too big for the most part but a head high set or more would roll in every so often.
We had chatted up one of the waitresses, Claudia, at the restaurant by our hotel and we ended up selling my board to her and her boyfriend, Ernest. We hung out with them that evening and chatted about our adventures. They are German Swiss and they imported their crazy land rover to Central America and have been travelling around for the last 5 months. They were heading to Panama city before heading into Columbia to explore South America. I got a littel less for my board than I hoped, but it was still better than nothing and Im glad it was to people who are still going on an adventure. So that was then end of my surf trip. Ian surfed the next day but then sold his board for $20 for some guy who really just wanted the fins. Not a bad price seeing as Ian wanted to give it away.
So now our surf trip is officially over. We are pretty bummed about it but travelling without surfboards was such a relief. We left Playa Venao on Tuesday, April 6 and took a taxi and 2 buses to El Valle. The first bus ride was nice and comfy on a gray hound, but the second half reminded us of the trip to El Estor, in Guatemala. There were so many people crammed in a little microbus. Ian and I had our bags on out knees and some people were standing crouched over other people. Luckily more people were getting off than on, so eventually it was tolerable.
El Valle is a beautiful little town in the mountains, about 3000 feet above sea level. It is actually nestled in a crater of an extinct Volcano that blew its top off thousands of years ago. It is a little cooler here but still warm. Last night there was a crazy wind that rattled the doors and windows of our room, but all is sunny and warm this morning. There are lots of things to do here, waterfalls, orchid gardens, snake house, zoo, petroglyphs and tons of hiking trails. I dont think we will run out of things to in the 5 days that we are here.
I think lunch is the first thing on the agenda though.
We met some nice Canadians, David, Alan and Angelica, who live in Panama. We had quite a few drinks with them one night, partying and having a good time sitting on the sand beside their tent. At one point I felt something crawling on my shoulder and without thinking I just threw it off me, kinda a grad and swipe kinda motion. Well, when it hit the sand we realized that it was a HUGE SCORPION and it was headed strait for Ians shorts. I couldnt believe that that thing was crawling on me. Eeeesh! Ian of course did his creepy crawly whisperer thing and had the scorpion hanging out in his hands in no time. I couldnt find the camera in time but luckily our new friend, David, got a quick video with his blackberry. I still cant believe how big that thing was. Another night we found a little scorpion climbing on the outside of our tent. Man, scorpion city.
Since the waves were pretty small and blown out, and Santa Catalina was getting pretty crowded with the Semana Santa vacationers (Easter Holidays) we decided to leave after 3 nights and head for Playa Venao. What a trip that was! We had to walk the 1.5km into town, then take 5 different buses just to get to the nearest town to Playa Venao which was still a 30-40min drive. But because it was a holiday, the regular shuttle that takes people to the beach was not running! So there was a couple of us with surf boards and bags standing on the side of the road, trying to either flag down a taxi or hitchike. Thats when we found out that there was also a huge surf competition going on at Playa Venao that weekend and the place was going to be packed. I few times we were wondering what we got ourselves into. We were finally able to flag down a taxi and share it with a guy from Argentina coming to visit his friend who works at a restaurant on the beach. The party was in full swing when we got there. All the hotels were full Friday and Saturday night (we got there Friday) so we had to camp. At least camping was free, but it was in a dirt parkinglot and everyone was saying to watch your stuff cause things get stolen. Great. So I decided that I wasnt going to surf until we got a room to keep our passports etc safe and just carried them around with me wherever I went. Ian would come in from surfing and take a shift watching the stuff so I could go for a swim. There were so many people in the water and on the beach that I didnt want to surf anyways. The music played at a temple throbbing pitch right from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. It didnt stop at all. The first night we just got drunk and passed out, so we were able to sleep that way. Second night was a little less comfortable. My air mattress had a hole and deflated and Ian was sleeping on the board bag. The restaurant washrooms were so disgusting from 3 days of partying I just peed in the ocean.
Finally, Sunday we were able to get a room and the expensive hotel on the beach. It was $100 a night but well worth every penny. We badgered the receptionist to let us in the room early so we could hide from all the party people still hanging around. We had a nice relaxing time on the soft bed, taking long hot water showers and watching TV in the comfort of air conditioning. I finally had a good long surf Sunday evening and stayed out longer than Ian. The waves were pretty nice, not too big for the most part but a head high set or more would roll in every so often.
We had chatted up one of the waitresses, Claudia, at the restaurant by our hotel and we ended up selling my board to her and her boyfriend, Ernest. We hung out with them that evening and chatted about our adventures. They are German Swiss and they imported their crazy land rover to Central America and have been travelling around for the last 5 months. They were heading to Panama city before heading into Columbia to explore South America. I got a littel less for my board than I hoped, but it was still better than nothing and Im glad it was to people who are still going on an adventure. So that was then end of my surf trip. Ian surfed the next day but then sold his board for $20 for some guy who really just wanted the fins. Not a bad price seeing as Ian wanted to give it away.
So now our surf trip is officially over. We are pretty bummed about it but travelling without surfboards was such a relief. We left Playa Venao on Tuesday, April 6 and took a taxi and 2 buses to El Valle. The first bus ride was nice and comfy on a gray hound, but the second half reminded us of the trip to El Estor, in Guatemala. There were so many people crammed in a little microbus. Ian and I had our bags on out knees and some people were standing crouched over other people. Luckily more people were getting off than on, so eventually it was tolerable.
El Valle is a beautiful little town in the mountains, about 3000 feet above sea level. It is actually nestled in a crater of an extinct Volcano that blew its top off thousands of years ago. It is a little cooler here but still warm. Last night there was a crazy wind that rattled the doors and windows of our room, but all is sunny and warm this morning. There are lots of things to do here, waterfalls, orchid gardens, snake house, zoo, petroglyphs and tons of hiking trails. I dont think we will run out of things to in the 5 days that we are here.
I think lunch is the first thing on the agenda though.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Matapalo to Panama!!
After 4 nights in Pavones, we decided to head back to Matapalo. We had such a wonderful time there, hanging out in our hammocks with the blue blue ocean as a backdrop. Plus the price is right. The waves were huge at the main beach in front of our tents. I got pretty scared out there after some huge bails and getting the crap beaten out of me, so Tim and I decided to check out the beach around the point called Backwash. It was much better. Not so big but some waves were still head high and the whitewash didn´t wash us into a graveyard of huge rocks. I caught some pretty nice waves. I think Backwash is one of my favourite beaches.
Ian and I went to explore the waterfall that was nearby. However, it´s a waterfall in the wet season, not the dry season. The river was little more than a trickly and the waterfall was dry. But it was a nice little adventure and on our way back down, we saw Spider Monkeys!! The Peninsula de Osa has all 4 type Central American monkeys living there and we got to see all 4! The howlers and capuchins and regular everday monkeys and we say the squirrel monkeys on our way out to Pavones last time we were there. Woot!
We headed back to Puerto Jiminez the night of March 27th so we could stay in a hotel and get all our gear packed properly. The next day, Tim dropped us off at a bus stop on the highway so we could take a bus to Panama and he headed back to Uvita to drop off the rental car. He flys out of CR on March 31.
The border crossing was pretty easy. We didn´t have to wait more than 5 mins at the bus stop and got every connecting bus there after. The actual crossing didn´t take much time either. We took a couple of buses and made it to the city of Santiago, where Ian has stayed a few times last year. We decided we needed a break from travelling (a vacation from our vacation) we we´re staying an extra night in the city, relaxing and we're going see a movie tonight.
Tomorrow we head to Santa Catalina, a surf beach on the Pacific side. We hope to be there for at least 5 days before we move on to explore the rest of Panama.
Ian and I went to explore the waterfall that was nearby. However, it´s a waterfall in the wet season, not the dry season. The river was little more than a trickly and the waterfall was dry. But it was a nice little adventure and on our way back down, we saw Spider Monkeys!! The Peninsula de Osa has all 4 type Central American monkeys living there and we got to see all 4! The howlers and capuchins and regular everday monkeys and we say the squirrel monkeys on our way out to Pavones last time we were there. Woot!
We headed back to Puerto Jiminez the night of March 27th so we could stay in a hotel and get all our gear packed properly. The next day, Tim dropped us off at a bus stop on the highway so we could take a bus to Panama and he headed back to Uvita to drop off the rental car. He flys out of CR on March 31.
The border crossing was pretty easy. We didn´t have to wait more than 5 mins at the bus stop and got every connecting bus there after. The actual crossing didn´t take much time either. We took a couple of buses and made it to the city of Santiago, where Ian has stayed a few times last year. We decided we needed a break from travelling (a vacation from our vacation) we we´re staying an extra night in the city, relaxing and we're going see a movie tonight.
Tomorrow we head to Santa Catalina, a surf beach on the Pacific side. We hope to be there for at least 5 days before we move on to explore the rest of Panama.
From Pavones back to Matapalo
We spent 4 nights in Pavones. It was a great little town with huge waves. Ian had more and more fun as waves got bigger. Unfortunately, it was the opposite for me and Tim. Some of those waves were just too big and freaked me out. We ended up heading back to Matapalo where we could camp on the beach for free and set up camp like we never left.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Pavones
The Jimny, our trusty (hopefully) rental car hanging out with my surf board.
Me and my board, walking in to the beach after a surf.
Me (yes, pictures of me surfing for once!) on a nice medium sized wave.
Wild horses (or at least loose horses) having a dip in the river. Looks like the whole family including baby.
I´ve had some time at the internet cafe today. The boys are out surfing so I don´t have anyone to rush me along. Today we got up early and were in the water by 6am, then back for breakfast (fried eggs sandwhich with cheese, tomato and avocado) then a nap while the boys surfed again, then hanging out drinking some rum and cokes, then time at the internet cafe while boys surf again. I´m going out to join them now. It´s been a nice day.
Matapalo
Tim living the life, his ideal vacation. Camping in the middle of nowhere, lazing in a hammock with a beer in his hand. I was right behind Ian who was taking the picture, doing the same thing but didn´t have as much sunscreen on my face and not such a goofy look.
Someone getting a nice ride at Matapalo.
Sunrise.
Our camp.
Snakes!
Snake that someone found in the outdoor shower at the hostle in Uvita. It was eating a frog and Ian picked it up and played with it after it´s meal.
Another snake Ian caught in Manuel Antonio. He showed up all the tour guides by actually catching it.
More Uvita
Frog and baby snake Ian caught.
Land crab with full mating colours.
Ian out of the Whale´s Tail. A point in Uvita that´s shape like a whale´s tail. There must have been some sort of lighthouse or structure years ago.
Uvita
The gang of friends we were with in Uvita: Tim, Rick, Katie, Meredith (who we met at the hostel) and me. We´re checking out the surf at Dominicalito.
The waterfall in Uvita. Ian´s having a nice massage right now but it´s actually a natural waterslide. You can sit at the top and slide halfway down and it lauches you out into the pool below. So awesome!
Me, being very hot and sweaty.
Manuel Antonio (1st time)
Ian caught a ghost crab on a night walk we did on the beach.
Beautiful West Coast sunset in Manuel Antonio.
Tim with a sprouting coconut.
Pelican hanging out on the beach. Must have been injured but not entirely sure. Don´t know why else it would just be walking on the beach like that.
Mal Pais and Santa Teresa with Tim
All these pictures are in reverse order.
Tim and me waiting waiting for the bus at 6am to leave Mal Pais.
Ian found the treehouse he hung out in 5 years ago and went up there with Tim. I preferred to lay in the hammock and wait (wearing a skirt and all). This is a picture of Tim´s decent.
Me and Tim hanging out on the beach with some nice break behind us.
Tim walking back to the hotel along the street of Santa Teresa with his brand new used board and me being a little jealous.
Monday, March 22, 2010
On to Pavones
Matapalo was an amazing place. My board was in serious need of repair (again) so I didn´t surf too much. Ian and Tim were ripping it up. We took a drive to the end of the road where the entrance to Corcovado National Park is. We checked out some nice beaches, had a bathe and a clay rub in a clear little river. We had a nice dinner with a Canadian we met from Ontarion, Emre, and his Tica girlfriend. We had a great time drinking wine and eating good good food.
We left Matapalo yesterday and took a detour back to the river for a quick bathe before heading into civilization. On the way back from the river, Ian spotted squirrel monkeys in the trees. Finally!!!! Squirrel Monkeys!!!!! We were so excited and pulled over to get some pics. They´re prettyshy and move fast, so we didn´t get any really good pics but we got to see them. Now we´ve seen all 4 monkey species in Central America, the Howler, Capuchin, Spider and Squirrel Monkeys. The local term for Squirrel Monkey is Mono Titi. Yes, many a joke made with that one.
It took us about 6 hours to get to Pavones, which is one of the southern most spots in CR on the pacific side. We´re staying in a room with a bathroom and air conditioning. Oh the luxury. I actually had a good night sleep where I wasn´t sweating the entire time. Today we´re taking it easy. I had to do some more repairs on my board and we wanted to find the internet cafe. We´ll probably surf this afternoon. Apprently, when the swell is pumping, Pavones has the longes left break in the world. The ride can last up to 3 minutes and at one point the wave comes so close to shore in front of a beach bar, they´ll throw you beers as you surf by. Not sure if the swell is going to get that big while we´re here but we´re keeping our fingers crossed. We´ll probably be here for 4 more days before we part ways with Tim and head to Panama. I´ve been reading up on Panama and I´m getting really excited to get into another country.
We left Matapalo yesterday and took a detour back to the river for a quick bathe before heading into civilization. On the way back from the river, Ian spotted squirrel monkeys in the trees. Finally!!!! Squirrel Monkeys!!!!! We were so excited and pulled over to get some pics. They´re prettyshy and move fast, so we didn´t get any really good pics but we got to see them. Now we´ve seen all 4 monkey species in Central America, the Howler, Capuchin, Spider and Squirrel Monkeys. The local term for Squirrel Monkey is Mono Titi. Yes, many a joke made with that one.
It took us about 6 hours to get to Pavones, which is one of the southern most spots in CR on the pacific side. We´re staying in a room with a bathroom and air conditioning. Oh the luxury. I actually had a good night sleep where I wasn´t sweating the entire time. Today we´re taking it easy. I had to do some more repairs on my board and we wanted to find the internet cafe. We´ll probably surf this afternoon. Apprently, when the swell is pumping, Pavones has the longes left break in the world. The ride can last up to 3 minutes and at one point the wave comes so close to shore in front of a beach bar, they´ll throw you beers as you surf by. Not sure if the swell is going to get that big while we´re here but we´re keeping our fingers crossed. We´ll probably be here for 4 more days before we part ways with Tim and head to Panama. I´ve been reading up on Panama and I´m getting really excited to get into another country.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Peninsula de Osa
So we're finally on the Peninsula de Osa. We have always wanted to come here, especially Ian, who's been in CR twice before and never made it here. We packed the little Suzuki Jimny (it's a little 2 door jeep type of thing) and hit the road on March 16th. It took us all day to get to Matapalo, which is the very tip of the peninsula. We got lost down some dirt roads for a bit but we found a beautiful spot in the end. We're camping for free on a beach down a remote dirt road where there are only jungle/beach lodges. No phone, no stores, no nothing. And the surf break is right out front. The waves were so big yesterday. Most were head and a half high, but there were some double overhead out there. I haven't been that scared in the water for a long time. Ian was having the time of his life. Today the waves were a little bit smaller, mostly head high, which suited me and Tim much better. I caught some nice waves today.
There was a crazy thunder and lightening storm last night. We saw the lightening earlier on in the evening across the gulf on the mainland. Then after we went to bed, the storm came right in over head. We had to put the fly on and peg everything down. A big palm brach came down on the tent as we were running around. Thank god there weren't any coconuts up there.
There are tons of wild scarlet macaw parrots flying around. We see them all the time over our campsite and they make such a racket. Defintly not song birds.
I got a crazy heat rash on my face in Uvita and that's now all cleared up. I'm feeling good, no more itchy, red bumpy angry painful bumps. Pam, the owner of Flutternby where we were staying in Uvita, showed me how of mush up the leaves of a tree (can't remember the name even though she told me so many times) and put the green goo on my face. It really worked. Tim had some bumps too and they went away with green goo as well.
Ian is checking the swell report and he's hyperventilating. Looks like some nice waves are rolling in. He's spinning in his chair like a mad fool. We better get back to the beach soon before his head explodes.
There was a crazy thunder and lightening storm last night. We saw the lightening earlier on in the evening across the gulf on the mainland. Then after we went to bed, the storm came right in over head. We had to put the fly on and peg everything down. A big palm brach came down on the tent as we were running around. Thank god there weren't any coconuts up there.
There are tons of wild scarlet macaw parrots flying around. We see them all the time over our campsite and they make such a racket. Defintly not song birds.
I got a crazy heat rash on my face in Uvita and that's now all cleared up. I'm feeling good, no more itchy, red bumpy angry painful bumps. Pam, the owner of Flutternby where we were staying in Uvita, showed me how of mush up the leaves of a tree (can't remember the name even though she told me so many times) and put the green goo on my face. It really worked. Tim had some bumps too and they went away with green goo as well.
Ian is checking the swell report and he's hyperventilating. Looks like some nice waves are rolling in. He's spinning in his chair like a mad fool. We better get back to the beach soon before his head explodes.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Manuel Antonio and Uvita
The 3 of us left Mal Pais/Santa Teresa on March 7 and headed to Manuel Antonio. We hadn't heard from Rick and Katie so we decided to head south anyways and stop to visit a National Park for a day. It was a bus ride, a taxi, and bus ride and another taxi ride and we got to the town of Manuel Antonio about 8 hours later.
We found a cheap, crappy hotel by the beach which cost the same amount as the luxurious place we stayed in Santa Teresa. The bed frame had no supports and we thought we were going to fall through to the floor. Manuel Antonio was really charming, very small and touristy but a place where gringos and ticos vacation together. The National Park is one of the few habitats for squirrel monkeys, which are very endagered. They are the one type of monkey living in Central America that we haven't seen yet. There was a little break where we could surf at the beach in front of our hotel. We had one day to spend in the park which was a monday and wouldn't you know that the park is closed on mondays. Defeated, we went for a surf and tried to find squirrel monkeys at the restaurant near the park at dinner. Still no luck. We did see a lot of white faced Capuchins, Ian gave them a lighter to see if they would burn down the forest but they dropped it when they figured out the couldn't eat it. We left for Uvita on March 9 sad that we didn't get to see the elusive monkeys.
We had heard from Rick and Katie that they were staying at the Flutterby hostel by the beach in Uvita. We left early and got there by 9am and surprised them. We pitched our tents and have been camping there for the last week. The Flutterby is an awesome place, very remote and protected, a big fence runs around the place. There's a communal kitchen and nice bathrooms and showers. It's a pretty new place owned by an american girl around our age. It's so safe that someone left their camera in the kitchen for a few days and was there when they went back for it (it wasn't us though, our camera is very closely guarded).
Since there was 5 of us we decided to go in on a rental car as the breaks and town are very spread out. We got a Suzuki Grand Vitara and have been bombing around on the dirt roads. We went on surf adventures everyday and took a trip to some waterfalls that had a natural waterslide down the falls that spit you out at the end. There was a ropeswing too ( I didn't got on that one). We went on a few night walks and Ian caught a baby snake the other night and lots of cool bugs and even tried to sneak up on a caymen. Rick and Katie left yesterday and since the closest major bus depot was up by Manuel Antonio, we decided to drive them up there and make it in to the park. Our friend, Taylor, was supposed to be in Manuel Antonio and we were hoping to meet up with him but never got a hold of him.
The park was awesome. We saw 3 3-toed sloths, and lots of cool birds and bugs. Ian caught a yellow-bellied racer (1 meter long snake) in front of a bunch of tourists and showed up all the tour guides. The beaches in the park were beautiful but crowded so we did a little swimming. Back in the town of Manuel Antonio, we had some drinks at a nice restaurent then headed back to Uvita. My surfboard has been wounded for the last few days and Ian has repaired it today after it finally dried out. I hope to get back into the water this evening.
We took the rental car back today but we are getting another one tomorrow for our trip further south to the Peninsula de Osa. We're renting a smaller car as there's only 3 of us now. We head out on the road tomorrow and will probably spend a week and a half there before saying goodbye to Tim and heading into Panama.
We found a cheap, crappy hotel by the beach which cost the same amount as the luxurious place we stayed in Santa Teresa. The bed frame had no supports and we thought we were going to fall through to the floor. Manuel Antonio was really charming, very small and touristy but a place where gringos and ticos vacation together. The National Park is one of the few habitats for squirrel monkeys, which are very endagered. They are the one type of monkey living in Central America that we haven't seen yet. There was a little break where we could surf at the beach in front of our hotel. We had one day to spend in the park which was a monday and wouldn't you know that the park is closed on mondays. Defeated, we went for a surf and tried to find squirrel monkeys at the restaurant near the park at dinner. Still no luck. We did see a lot of white faced Capuchins, Ian gave them a lighter to see if they would burn down the forest but they dropped it when they figured out the couldn't eat it. We left for Uvita on March 9 sad that we didn't get to see the elusive monkeys.
We had heard from Rick and Katie that they were staying at the Flutterby hostel by the beach in Uvita. We left early and got there by 9am and surprised them. We pitched our tents and have been camping there for the last week. The Flutterby is an awesome place, very remote and protected, a big fence runs around the place. There's a communal kitchen and nice bathrooms and showers. It's a pretty new place owned by an american girl around our age. It's so safe that someone left their camera in the kitchen for a few days and was there when they went back for it (it wasn't us though, our camera is very closely guarded).
Since there was 5 of us we decided to go in on a rental car as the breaks and town are very spread out. We got a Suzuki Grand Vitara and have been bombing around on the dirt roads. We went on surf adventures everyday and took a trip to some waterfalls that had a natural waterslide down the falls that spit you out at the end. There was a ropeswing too ( I didn't got on that one). We went on a few night walks and Ian caught a baby snake the other night and lots of cool bugs and even tried to sneak up on a caymen. Rick and Katie left yesterday and since the closest major bus depot was up by Manuel Antonio, we decided to drive them up there and make it in to the park. Our friend, Taylor, was supposed to be in Manuel Antonio and we were hoping to meet up with him but never got a hold of him.
The park was awesome. We saw 3 3-toed sloths, and lots of cool birds and bugs. Ian caught a yellow-bellied racer (1 meter long snake) in front of a bunch of tourists and showed up all the tour guides. The beaches in the park were beautiful but crowded so we did a little swimming. Back in the town of Manuel Antonio, we had some drinks at a nice restaurent then headed back to Uvita. My surfboard has been wounded for the last few days and Ian has repaired it today after it finally dried out. I hope to get back into the water this evening.
We took the rental car back today but we are getting another one tomorrow for our trip further south to the Peninsula de Osa. We're renting a smaller car as there's only 3 of us now. We head out on the road tomorrow and will probably spend a week and a half there before saying goodbye to Tim and heading into Panama.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
San Jose back to Santa Teresa
We met Tim at the airport with much hugging and high-5ing. We went back to our hostel and were about to show Tim to our room when we ran into our good friend Dan, an Aussie guy who we kept running into in Nicaragua. It was such a crazy coincidence. Dan was flying out the next day so between that and Tim´s arrival, we tied one on. We took advantage of the $2 rum and cokes at the hostel and had a cheery good ole time. Then I had to go to bed (as usual) and the boys went out on the town. I think they got back at dawn. Poor Dan, I think he had to be at the airport soon after, I don´t envy his flight.
We eventually got up and made it to the bus depot and caught the 11am bus to Puntarenus (only 3 hours later than we had hoped). We made it to Santa Teresa only a little after dark, but we knew where we were going to stay so it was no problem. We ended up moving to a new hotel in town yesterday. It was only $35 a night for a nice hotel with cable tv, full bathroom and mini fridge. Between 3 of us, that´s as steal! Tim got a great deal on a board and we´ve been out surfing. The waves have been huge. Tim and I aren´t catching much but Ian is having a rip roaring time (as usual).
We may be leaving tomorrow, depending on what our friends, Rick and Katie are doing. We need to meet up with them, so if they get back to us tonight, we leave tomorrow and if not, we leave the next day. There´s talk of renting a car and exploring lonely surf breaks which I´m totally down for. Onwards and Southwards!
We eventually got up and made it to the bus depot and caught the 11am bus to Puntarenus (only 3 hours later than we had hoped). We made it to Santa Teresa only a little after dark, but we knew where we were going to stay so it was no problem. We ended up moving to a new hotel in town yesterday. It was only $35 a night for a nice hotel with cable tv, full bathroom and mini fridge. Between 3 of us, that´s as steal! Tim got a great deal on a board and we´ve been out surfing. The waves have been huge. Tim and I aren´t catching much but Ian is having a rip roaring time (as usual).
We may be leaving tomorrow, depending on what our friends, Rick and Katie are doing. We need to meet up with them, so if they get back to us tonight, we leave tomorrow and if not, we leave the next day. There´s talk of renting a car and exploring lonely surf breaks which I´m totally down for. Onwards and Southwards!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Playa Guiones, Nosara
We had tons of fun with Ian´s family in Nosara. The house we stayed in was close to Playa Guiones that had awesome surf, I think it´s the best so far (for me anyways, Ian´s favourite is Mal Pais although Ian got some sweet barrels at Guiones).
Ian´s grandma rented a car for the family and we explored some other beaches. Playa Pelada was nice a quiet and had a great bar/restaurant on the beach. The beers were cold and the ceviche was great (ceviche is a raw fish salsa with the fish cured in lime juice, delish!) There was a blowhole there that shot water out of the top of the rocks when the tide was high.
We met up with Rick and Katie and had fun escaping the family for a bit and drinking beers at their place. We went to Nosara Biological Reserve and had a wonderful hike with Cam, Natalie, Ian´s Grandma and Rick and Katie. The entrance was at a lodge and we had to walk down 168 stairs (yes, we counted them) into the reserve. We explored through mangroves, 15 foot tall grass, and arrid jungle along the side of the Nosara River. We found a boa constrictor carcass and there were lots of monkeys in the trees. Some of the trees had numbers on them that corresponded to a map we were given that explained what their names were and their uses. At the end of the 2 hour hike, we cooled off at the river mouth and watched the fishermen and fisher birds (so many pelicans, terns and gulls). The hike back up the 168 stairs in the blistering heat did us all in. I was super impressed with Ian´s grandma, she made it no problem, although she hikes up a mountain everyday at home so if anyone was going to make it, it would be her. We had some beers at the top taking in the view of the river valley and long beaches.
One day we went to Playa Garza, which was even quiter than Pelada. The ocean here was so calm but a tiny wave was breaking a little way down the beach, so Cam and Ian had fun. The rest of us enjoyed swimming at a beach where the waves weren´t breaking on our heads constantly. Some fishermen came by with a bag full of fresh lobsters and we bought enough for one each. We had an amazing feast that night. Ashraf (Ian´s step dad) had made curry too so we gorged ourselves. Ashraf kept us fed most nights with his delicious curries. We did another family car ride to Playa Ostional where there´s a turtle reserve, but they weren´t laying at this time, so we just hung out at the beach. We surfed a little and made friends with the police officers keeping an eye on the place. Ashraf did some karate on the beach and the cops were so impressed they gave him a Policia hat. Ian and Natalie are already fighting over who gets it in his will.
Other than that, our days consisted mostly of early morning surfs around 6am, back in around 8:30 for breakfast and coffee, a few trips into town to pick up groceries, beer and mix for the rum. We ate in most nights with a few expensive meals out. Nosara is mostly a gringo settlement, so the prices are all north american. We named the Coatimundi that came by to visit Carlos Don Dingleballs. He came by almost every day and we tossed food for him. Monkeys would swing through the trees in the yard and a few nights ago over 10 of them, not including all the babies, came through. It was amazing. We got some great pics on Ian´s grandma´s camera. There was even an old grandpa monkey that was missing a hand. He moved a little slower than the rest.
All in all we had an awesome time in Nosara. I caught some amazing waves and Ian did too (of course). We´re in San Jose now, we´re meeting our friend Tim at the airport tonight then we´re off back to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa for a few days to get Tim set up with a board and stuff. First though, we are going shopping for another new camera, again. Fingers crossed this one sticks around.
Ian´s grandma rented a car for the family and we explored some other beaches. Playa Pelada was nice a quiet and had a great bar/restaurant on the beach. The beers were cold and the ceviche was great (ceviche is a raw fish salsa with the fish cured in lime juice, delish!) There was a blowhole there that shot water out of the top of the rocks when the tide was high.
We met up with Rick and Katie and had fun escaping the family for a bit and drinking beers at their place. We went to Nosara Biological Reserve and had a wonderful hike with Cam, Natalie, Ian´s Grandma and Rick and Katie. The entrance was at a lodge and we had to walk down 168 stairs (yes, we counted them) into the reserve. We explored through mangroves, 15 foot tall grass, and arrid jungle along the side of the Nosara River. We found a boa constrictor carcass and there were lots of monkeys in the trees. Some of the trees had numbers on them that corresponded to a map we were given that explained what their names were and their uses. At the end of the 2 hour hike, we cooled off at the river mouth and watched the fishermen and fisher birds (so many pelicans, terns and gulls). The hike back up the 168 stairs in the blistering heat did us all in. I was super impressed with Ian´s grandma, she made it no problem, although she hikes up a mountain everyday at home so if anyone was going to make it, it would be her. We had some beers at the top taking in the view of the river valley and long beaches.
One day we went to Playa Garza, which was even quiter than Pelada. The ocean here was so calm but a tiny wave was breaking a little way down the beach, so Cam and Ian had fun. The rest of us enjoyed swimming at a beach where the waves weren´t breaking on our heads constantly. Some fishermen came by with a bag full of fresh lobsters and we bought enough for one each. We had an amazing feast that night. Ashraf (Ian´s step dad) had made curry too so we gorged ourselves. Ashraf kept us fed most nights with his delicious curries. We did another family car ride to Playa Ostional where there´s a turtle reserve, but they weren´t laying at this time, so we just hung out at the beach. We surfed a little and made friends with the police officers keeping an eye on the place. Ashraf did some karate on the beach and the cops were so impressed they gave him a Policia hat. Ian and Natalie are already fighting over who gets it in his will.
Other than that, our days consisted mostly of early morning surfs around 6am, back in around 8:30 for breakfast and coffee, a few trips into town to pick up groceries, beer and mix for the rum. We ate in most nights with a few expensive meals out. Nosara is mostly a gringo settlement, so the prices are all north american. We named the Coatimundi that came by to visit Carlos Don Dingleballs. He came by almost every day and we tossed food for him. Monkeys would swing through the trees in the yard and a few nights ago over 10 of them, not including all the babies, came through. It was amazing. We got some great pics on Ian´s grandma´s camera. There was even an old grandpa monkey that was missing a hand. He moved a little slower than the rest.
All in all we had an awesome time in Nosara. I caught some amazing waves and Ian did too (of course). We´re in San Jose now, we´re meeting our friend Tim at the airport tonight then we´re off back to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa for a few days to get Tim set up with a board and stuff. First though, we are going shopping for another new camera, again. Fingers crossed this one sticks around.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Family Fun in Nosara
We met Ian's family at the airport the evening of Feb. 17th and spent a decadent night at the Hilton. The next day we took a shuttle to Nosara and moved into the house that we're staying at for the next two weeks. It's awesome. Ian's mom, dad and baby bro have the upstairs and Ian's Nana, Uncle, Sister and us have the downstairs. Ian, Uncle Cam and I have been surfing and the rest of the family will follow suit today. We're been relaxing, enjoying the idea of stying in one spot for two weeks. We've been going out for dinner and having drinks on the patio. There's a Coatimundi that comes by and we feed it bananas and howler monkeys in the trees. This place is rad. Ian's outdid himself last night and got stung by a huge scorpion. He was trying to pick it up and the scorpion was having non of it. Apparently it hurt like a hornet sting. He's feeling much better today. I lost the new camera in the ocean yesterday, so that wasn't very much fun. It got tangled in the leash when I was trying to teach Ian's sister to surf and got yanked off my wrist. At least we uploaded all of our pictures. I guess we just gotta buy another one next time we're in SanJose. Times up on the computer, gotta run now.
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