Costa Rica ...

This blog is becoming a 'border' crossing diary, what can I say ? nothing focuses the mind in quite the same way. Re-packing the night before, money sorted, maps, possible places to stay when clear of the border .. on and on it goes. They capture everything about the journey so far, anxiety/fear, cost, excitement, even, and most importantly, fun .. all those things that anyone who has travelled will understand. So, the Nica/Tica crossing, a construction site, relieved by the presence of two 'bandidos' from Panama riding Harley's, they were real 'one percenters', I knew that because the patch said so, one was fully 'paid up' the other just a 'prospect', yes, another patch. The older member nodded at me, the 'prospect' talked and was a great help. He told me after we had cleared Nicaragua, 'moto rapido, moto rapido', meaning it would be quick to get into Costa Rica with a bike, 3 hours later I didn't believe him. Essentially my poor Spanish and a disinterested customs guy set me on a wild goose chase, I got everything in the wrong order and then they went to lunch for 1 1/2 hours. I met another rider, a website developer on his way from San Francisco south, he had taken 7 months. As his money ran out he stopped and worked for a month or so in a cheap renter and then carried on. I passed on my mistakes and wished him well. There was also a Nicaraguan guy who I kept passing when trying to import my bike, he was doing the same with his car, he kept giving me updates on his progress, at last he came up to me and said 'we are now done, go, go', I already knew I was clear but I did as I was told.

A better view of Costa Rica than the border

I rode and stopped in Liberia at a roadside hotel. I went for a walk to get some food, found a 'food court' and a supermarket, amazing. I walked around that supermarket for about an hour, so much choice. The dollar is the legal tender in Costa Rica and much about the towns/shopping mirrors the USA, very different to what I was used to. Well fed I returned to the hotel and planned the ride for the next day. I aimed to ride around the capital San Jose and up to the Caribbean coast at Limon, another sea to see.

The 'truck road' after the tropical forest and en route to Limon

Having got badly lost in San Jose I paid a taxi driver to lead me to the right road, who needs GPS. The ride through the tropical forest was amazing but slow, mostly down hill the speed was governed by the hundreds of trucks heading to the Port of Limon. Even on the coastal plane the trucks ensured 2 and 3rd gear was the norm, not a great ride so I decided to stop short of Limon at Siquirres for the night. I set off again in the morning, skirting Limon (which was stacked high with containers, ships waiting out at sea, take a look at the label on the next banana you eat) and heading for the border with Panama at Sixaola, well away from the Panamerican and meant to very laid back ... here's hoping

The Atlantic, Pacific and now the Carbbean