How are we doing? PURA VIDA! Cause that´s what you say when you’re in Costa Rica. You can use it as an exclaimation, a reply to how you are feeling or just to fill in a blank space. It translates into ‘Pure Life’ in English and only became cool and a definitive part of Costa Rican culture after the President said it on television.
One would think at about 1500 meters it would be a free ride to the Pacific coast. But our route had much more in store for us! However, after climbing out of the valley from Alajuela we stopped for a well deserved coffee break at a restaurant perfectly positioned to appreciate the spectacular views of the farmland leading to the Pacific.
After briefly taking in the resort beach town of Jaco we quickly left (as it’s not particularly our scene) and found a sweet campsite with our very own personal security guard and illumination. Truth be told, we had pitched our tent next to a radio tower and so the guard also had to keep his eye on the tower too.
The coastal highway not only gave us teasing peeks of the ocean but two places to stay through Warm Showers. 14kms from Quepos we stayed at Elena’s Finca where she also runs a Bed and Breakfast. We didn’t get to meet Elena but enjoyed a quiet evening to ourselves with the company of her dogs, with Shadow favouring our tent as an excellent sleeping spot. A few days later and just for fun, we decided to cycle up a stupid steep hill for 20kms that didn’t help us in our endevour to go south. However, the views from the top were amazing and also the road lead us to Scott, a fellow touring cyclist who had just completed a tour from Seattle to his home here. It was interesting to check out his Finca and marvel at how he manages to live off the land and only spend 30 cents in a month and a half. We were smoking hot on the way up and Big Bird was smoking hot on the way down (as you can see by the above video).
Next thing you know we are in Panama; our 10th country on this trip and the last before hitting South America. From everything we had heard, the roads where flat with generous shoulders and in better condition than Costa Rica. Yes, in parts and then a big FAT no in heaps of other parts. To enhance team moral we splurged and stayed at the Purple Hostel. It’s probably the cleanest and best managed hostel we have ever encountered. Big Ups to Andrea who runs the joint, which is true to its name and is saturated in everything purple from mops to clocks to kitchen appliances and even the washing machine.
From prior success staying next to radio towers, another night we found one just as it was getting dark and starting to rain. However, this one turned out to be on the property of a lovely poor farming family. They were very surprised to see us first off and then very inquisitive with our tent, stove, bike and Roland’s hairy face. We felt like fish in a fish bowl but were very grateful to again have a safe place to rest our heads for the night. The following morning they gifted us a flag of Panama to add to our collection.
We cycled nine days straight to Panama City from Alajeula and two of the days where we had shelter above our tent it didn’t rain! Go figure! Our last night before reaching Panama City was spent on the front lawn of a eldery couple as the closer we got to Panama the more populated the highway became. On checking with them if it was safe to be camping in the open; they quickly assured us as their son lived to the left of them, another son to the right and directly across the road was their daughter. It was like the mafia. They were super cute and gave us a table and two chairs to use, allowed us to use their bathroom and primed us with coffee in the morning.
Interesting stuff:
· Costa Rica uses a wooden filter apparatus to prepare coffee. They look pretty fun and simple to make so that’s on the list of things to do when we get back home.
· It costs to go to the beach in Costa Rica, like $6. We managed to get in for five minutes for a quick dip and a friendly chat with the security guard. However, we found the rivers a better bet: they were free, cool, fresh, and close to the road.
· The conditions for growing are so exceptional that farmers ‘plant’ their fences, literally using trees that continue growing up and around the wires.
· Roland has sunk to an all time low with his coffee addiction. He drank coffee out of a cup that had been used to make tuna, mayonnaise and corn filling for our sandwiches. I still can’t believe he even asked me if I wanted some. I may have hairy underarms but I won’t sink that low…….. not yet.
· We met some north bound recumbent cyclists from France (Antoine and Hoelig) and we lost track of time inquiring about the road that lies ahead and swapping stories. This is their website: www.velos-andins.com
· We have a confession. We are guilty of stopping into McDonalds for a cool treat or two, the occasional beef injection and the sweet sweet air conditioning. In reality this was all of three times in Panama but we went into everyone we saw!!
· We saw an abandoned cement truck’s mixing unit on the side of the road.