I crossed the border alone...sort of. I started alone and met a Canadian guy at the border crossing. We were both headed to Liberia (a common jumping off point in NW Costa Rica for people trying to get to the Nicoya Penninsula). I got to Liberia with perfect timing. I mean perfect. I hopped off one bus and there was one waiting for Tamarindo. I was surprised because I actually thought I would have to spend the night in Liberia. Frankly, I was a little nervous to hop on a bus that would drop me off after dark, but everyone assured me that Tamarindo is really safe and I shouldn't have any problems. Good thing they were right! I met a couple on the bus and we set out together in search of a hostel in Tamarindo.
Tamarindo is VERY commercialized. It's a surfer town, to be sure, but it feels like America invaded the little slice of heaven that would be Tamarindo. Don't get me wrong, the town is delightful, but I wasn't prepared for how built up it is. After living in the Nicaraguan jungle for nearly a month, it was somewhat surprising to be back in the middle of tourist traps, shops, every variety of restaurant and plentiful surfer establishments. I found it both nice and sad. Sad that my first impression of Costa Rica was a tourist trap, but nice that at least I had the amenities I needed.
The beaches surrounding Tamarindo (Playa Avellanas, Playa Grande, etc.) are beautiful. There are full of surfers and beach goers just about any time of day. I was no exception. I basked in the glorious rays of the sun for the first time in nearly a month and enjoyed every second of it. I tried surfing. Tried. I can honestly say that I didn't try as hard as I wish I had, but it was still fun! I will try again at some point in my adventures. I met some amazing people to hang out with for the week I was there.
After Tamarindo, I made my way to Monteverde/Santa Elena, which is in north central Costa Rica. It's in the mountains. Way up in the mountains. It's much colder there and windy. The continental divide runs right through the area, separating the rainy forests from the dry forests. So cool! I went hiking through the Monteverde Cloud Forest one day. My friend (who came through the treehouse a month earlier and whom I re-met on the way to Monteverde) and I opted to skip the extra cost ($17 per person) of getting a guide. It was probably a dumb idea to save the money, because we saw virtually nothing on the hike whereas other people usually see plenty of wildlife. Oh well; no matter. We had a delightful morning hike anyway. We also went to a butterfly garden (worth every penny of the $15 fee) and an orchid garden (also worth the money). We had coffee with ome white-faced monkeys at a cafe in Santa Elena (the monkey were free). The best part of the Monteverde stop? Zip-lining! Holy crap that was an adrenaline rush! We had many zip lines, a tarzan swing and a zip line where we flew through the air like Superman! I'd do that again in a heartbeat!
After Monteverde, I went to San Jose (the capital city) for a night. Most importantly (wink, wink), I was able to watch my Atlanta Falcons beat the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoff game. I ran into the couple I met on the bus to Tamarindo and met a new girl from Finland. We were all headed to Puerto Viejo within the next day or two. I ultimately traveled to Puerto Viejo by myself, but...shocking...met more people along the way.
Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. It has a decidedly different vibe from the Pacific side. It's hard to describe, but you can feel the difference. Maybe it's the music. Maybe it's the sound of the waves lapping the shore not more than 30 feet from the vendors. Maybe it's the plethora of bicycles used by everyone to get around the area. I can't put my finger on it, but it's definitely different.
The first full day in Puerto Viejo I joined some new friends on a 13 km bike ride (each way) to Manzanillo, another coastal town. The ride was beautiful! Most of it was along a road running parallel to the coastline and the turquoise waters were visible through the palm trees and other tropical plants. We stopped to enjoy the beach at Punta Uva about halfway to Manzanillo Ahhhhh! Bliss!
I also went to the Jaguar Rescue Center. It's an animal rescue center in Playa Castillos. They didn't have any jaguars when I visited, but they had lots of other animals. I saw my first sloths there, lots of birds and got to play with some howler monkeys and some spider monkeys. By the way, in case you're wondering, spider monkeys are really playful and will try to pull off anything from your clothes (like buttons) and jewelry. Worth the $15 entrance fee for sure!
The rest of the time, I just chilled out with some people from my hostel, went for more bike rides in the area and enjoyed life. Can't get much better than that! I would've liked to find some time to write, but that will come. I can't rush it. I'm now in Bocas del Toro, Panama. I will have to update you later on that!
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