What a Difference 100m Makes

Costa Rica - Day 1 - Puerto Viejo - Wow

5th Aug

Ohhh man you can't believe how good it felt to finally arrive in Costa Rica!

I rolled across the bridge in slow motion and pulled up in the gravel outside immigration where an organised que of people waited to get their passports stamped, I don't think I saw a proper que in Panama once! After getting my stamp I went over to the customs counter which was in the same office literally 5m from immigration!!! Progress comes in simple forms.

A fella in his mid thirties came to the window and asked for my papers and copies... fully prepped I gave him what he wanted and he explained I just needed to pop down to the pharmacy, 20m down the road and get my insurance and he will complete my papers. My insurance cost $26 and I returned to the desk... 20mins later I was done. Soooo easy!!!

I set my GPS to Puerto Viejo and took off on what should have been an hour ride to the coast. I had expected to ride to a place called Brimbi on the main road and then cut back toward the coast, however as any good sat nav should I was directed off the main road after only ten minutes and onto a single track gravel road that took me away from the main road and off into the jungle!! The road wiggled up and down taking me over sketchy bridges and even through a couple of shallow rivers! The scenery was awesome, with lush vegetation, huge trees and little thatched huts along the side of the road. Blindly trusting the sat nav I carried on and after 15mins popped out on the coast, a most excellent shortcut!

Puerto Viejo (PV) is a special place, the little town is full of life with people bimbling around from coffee shops to market stalls and boutiquey little places... there is a strong Caribbean vibe and everything is about Pura Vida! Within 20seconds of parking my bike by the beach I was offered some grass.

Along this palmed lined stretch of coast are a string of beautiful white sandy beaches that form the boundary between the jungle and the sea. From Puerto Viejo heading East back towards Panama there were a load of beaches recommended in the lonely planet so I buzzed off up the road to check em all out before selecting a place to stay. The setup here is totally different to Panama and the road was lined with cool (and clean!) looking 'Eco Lodges' and nice likkle cafes & restaurants. From what I'd read they were mostly going to be way over my budget but I imagine they would be perfect for a two week holiday sometime in the future.

Anywho... coming out the bank in PV I met a real nice American guy called Thomas who was checking out my bike... we got chatting and he said to meet him in a cafe up the road for coffee so he could hear about my trip. CariBeans is owned and run by a chocolatier called Paul who had moved from the States to PV and setup a coffee shop... after a bit of time he got interested in making chocolatey creations using locally sourced, organic ingredients and has spent the past ten years experimenting and building a very cool chocolate business. Thomas knew the guy so we all sat round had a coffee and chatted for an hour or so... Thomas was good and totally innocently carressed the ego of the master into bringing out one of his latest creations... Sea salt and caramel chocolate with 81% Cacao! Nyom, nyom, nyom! Anyways check out the shop online - www.caribeanscr.com - he will fly it to your door for a small fee (obviously a lot more than a mars bar from tut shop) and it's real good chocolate!!

Thomas had done a similar trip to me, starting on the West coast of the states he had bought a truck, stuck a bed in the back and hit the road south. After 9 months he arrived at Puerto Viejo with the intention of carrying on South but he liked it soo much he just stopped and has been there for four years! I could see why. I asked where he would recommend slinging my hammock for the night and he suggested Punta Uva which was about 8km's East of PV. I thanked them both, slipped into my boardies and went off for a surf...

PV became popular as a surf destination because of a heavy reef break called 'Salsa Brava' or hot sauce! As was my luck with the caribbean swells it was too small to surf the day I arrived but there was a fun and pretty heavy beach break around the corner at Playa Cocles which provided the salty antidote to my enforced wave drought. It was sooo good to get wet!

I stayed in the water for too long that afternoon and as I rushed to get changed, wash off the salt and re-pack my bike I knew I was going to end up putting the hammock up in the dark... I raced off up the road to Punta Uva and found a perfect spot with a couple of palm trees just 5m from the beach and miles away from anyone. As I setup my bed for the night the sun was just dissapearing below the horizon and I was treated to the most incredible sunset... I have never slept in such a beautiful place.

The contrast of my frustrations in Panama and the freedom and beauty of my experience in Puerto Viejo was immense and the emotional, travelling roller coaster was definitely on the way back up! Days like this are why I love to travel!