Our Journeys

Category: Costa Rica

  • Day 17 – Rain, Hot Water, Rain and Blue Water

    The rain had eased off in the night so we were hoping for better weather this morning. It wasn’t to be. Soon after we’d had our first coffee, and a bit of breakfast, the rain started once more. The smart people had already packed their tents away. We hoped it was going to be a…

  • Day 16 – Crater Lake Swimming and Crater Lake Camping

    It would not be honest to say I had a great night’s sleep in a tent on top of a truck. The mattress was thin. I kept turning over to wake up bits of me that had gone numb. I rather wished we’d brought our padded thermarests from home. We both sort-of-slept until 5.30 am…

  • Day 14 – Up the Creek with a Paddle

    Another good night’s sleep. But regardless of this, I was awake at 4.30 listening to the sounds of the jungle, the grasshoppers in the background, frogs chirping in the foreground, then as the light gathered, the howling of the monkeys and the cawing of the birds. We tried doing an early morning bird-watching walk, but…

  • Day 13 – Seaside Stroll

    Second night sleeping in The Dream House, and it began living up to its name. I had a much better sleep, waking up only at 5 am when the howler monkeys began their murderous racket. After that, a slow start: a bit of reading, breakfast of fruit (adopting the local ways), some rather dry pastries…

  • Day 12 – An Unexpected Journey, and Back Again

    Sarah had a plan. We would meet Jenny halfway for a passport exchange. I thought this sounded complicated, but Jenny worked out that she could get an Uber to Guapiles for $65, a three-hour round trip for her and a five-hour round trip for us. It also meant we didn’t need to drive into San…

  • Day 11 – Jungle Beaches, Swamps, and Monkeys

    We said goodbye to Roberta and staff at the Hotel Casa Del Flores. I’d be surprised if there was a nicer place to stay in Cahuita. We parked the car opposite the empanada place, where, for a third day, we failed to buy any empanadas. They weren’t yet open today; yesterday, they’d sold out, and…

  • Day 10 – Snorkeling, Beaches and Fish Supper

    We mentioned to Roberta, the hotel owner (who was rushing around running the breakfast service), that we were interested in a snorkelling trip. Balancing her phone against her ear while she collected plates, she spoke to Jose – the man who organised these things for her. Before Sarah could have any second thoughts, she had…

  • Day 09 – Road to the Coast and Cocktails

    After last night’s early night, I was awake at 2.30 am. I’d slept for six hours, and that appeared to be enough. I’d stopped worrying about being eaten by things. Instead, I was listening to all the noises: the chirping frogs, the rasping grasshoppers, the occasional barking dog, and the sound of the river. There…

  • Day 21 – Horse Ranch Cabin

    Camping meant staying at lots of places with little ability to do any blog posting because nowhere we stayed had any connectivity. Yes, more excuses! Maybe this daily posting, as Jenny suggested, is too ambitions. Anyway, here is a post to reflect what we are doing now. We finished our last camp at Atenas, less…

  • Day 08 – Relaxing While the Ants Do the Work

    We thought there was going to be more to do at Pacuare River Lodge. This might have been my mistake. At the end of the same four-wheel drive track is Pacuare Lodge a four star venue where the cabins are called villas. This offers canopy tours, indiginous tribe visits and zip line activities. It would…