CAHUITA—Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica--National Park on coast

SAN JOSE AGAIN

SAN JOSE AGAIN!!!

I stayed at a wonderful place where the people were so helpful and diverse. From the longlegged transvestite guest upstairs and the American Robert, then the owner Aieda from Columbia and her son Andres. At one time all 4 were trying to help me with various things and I can’t thank them enough. I will put a plug in for the Hotel Trianon.

After a heavy day of work organizing and walking to pick up and post stuff and dealing with a fraud attack on my Mastercard I was lucky to find a Tico restaurant for dinner that had some live entertainment, and a nice meal and a few beers later I was feeling no pain, and ready to move on the next day to the Caribbean coast and the nice little town of Cahuita.

Last time at Santa Teresa and leaving the Nicoya Peninsula

Leaving the Nicoya Peninsula

Suck Rock a bit smaller

Bye Bye Freddie

MAL PAIS AND SANTA TERESA FOR THE LAST TIME

MAL PAIS AND SANTA TERESA FOR THE LAST TIME

Travelled back into Costa Rica and got hassled at the border for an onward ticket. Its got to be a scam involving the bus companies which forces people to buy useless tickets just to get approval to enter Costa Rica. The same thing happened later at the border into Panama but I was prepared that time. When I cashed in this ticket I bought here I lost about 30% in the value! We reached the turnoff where the buses turn up into the highlands toward San Jose and I made a snap decision to get off and stay in Puntarenas. It was based on the time we had been held up at the Costa Rican border where we lost 2hours to immigration holdups. The next day the shorter ferry still wasn’t working so we went the long way with the horrible road but I was lucky to meet April who had a hire car and lived near Freddie’s place so I got a lift and that was heaps quicker than the bus.

Freddie’s had a big wedding about to take place so I stayed down the road for 2 nights while I said my goodbyes and had some surf with Freddie’s dad Peter who did take me to some different places which was nice of him. Caught the 2pm bus out of town and reached San Jose about 9 pm.  

Leon Nicaragua

LEON NICARAGUA

LEON  NICARAGUA

So glad I made the effort to see this place that is saturated with colonial buildings and has the biggest Cathedral in Central America and a museum of the revolution. This place has always been synonymous with liberal thinking and revolution. It was pretty neat to see a ragtag display of the way the Sandinistas perceived the US and Bush and I was able to stand where Somoza addressed the people from the balcony and also went onto the roof for a great view over the city. Another standout here was the brilliant Ortiz Guardian Art Gallery with many small garden courtyards surrounded by an amazing collection of art from many generations.