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.