Here are all the posts for Costa-Rica
leaving Panama, arriving Costa Rica
I took an exciting boat ride along a banana canal from Bocas to Changinola. From there, I took a micro-bus to the border and walked across the railroad trestle across the river that marks the frontier between the two countries. A couple of bus rides later, I was at the end of the road in Manzanillo, the most southeastern point in Costa Rica.
map, Costa Rica
I entered Costa Rica in the southeast from Bocas del Toro. I went east of Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo, then north to Playa Bonita. After that, north to Tortuguero on the northern coast and on to San Jose.
Manzanillo
I awakened in the Cabina in Manzanillo to the sound of a male monkey asserting his domain. I could hear the surf pounding against the shore and the birds singing. Manzanillo is a sleep, quiet town at the end of a dusty, bumpy road. No banks or Internet. It has one restaurant and a snorkel shop. A perfect place to chill, relax and take in the tropical breezes.
Beyond Manzanillo, I hiked into the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo. It was wet, hot and humid–a swampy, tropical jungle. It was full of birds, flowers and butterflies. I also saw monkeys, fish–and red frogs. The red frogs are about the size of a dime, poisonous and intensely red. The trail paralleled the coast. I found a lagoon, had lunch and went for a swim.
I stayed at Cabinas Manzanillo which were very nice with friendly, helpful owners. I ate at Maxis which had large, tasty dishes although the service was sometimes slow.
Playa Bonita
I passed through Puerto Limon and stayed at Playa Bonita. There is a pretty beach there (of course) and I had a nice swim. I stayed at Hotel Cococi; it had a great view of the beach and surfers. The restaurant was good with comidas tipicas.
Moin to Tortuguero
I took the four-and-a-half hour boat ride from Moin to Tortuguero. It is a long ride but very interesting. It follows a combination of rivers and banana canals. There are lost of birds and crocodiles. I paid $35.
Tortuguero
Tortuguero is in the middle of nowhere on the Costa Rican Caribbbean coast. You can only get there by boat or plane. There are lots of tourists here–more tourists than turtles.
I rented a canoe and went on an aquatic trail early in the morning in the Parque Nacional Tortuguero. Part of the trail is closed to motors, so I left the tourists behind. The channel narrows and finally ends. In places, I had to squeeze the canoe under tree limbs. I saw three species of monkeys in several groups (families, bands, bunches??). I also saw green iguana and lots of parrots, butterflies, fish, heron and egret. The monkeys were feeding and very active–swinging, moving and jumping from tree-to-tree.
I stayed at Miss Junie’s, a good hotel with clean rooms, bathrooms, fans and a large garden on the river. Restaurants charge tourist prices. rice and chicken, a simple typical dish, costs 8 U.S.
San Jose
From Tortuguero, I took a 5 a.m. boat ride to connect with a bus to take a bus to take a bus to San Jose. I didn’t see much of San Jose because I took a 5 a.m. international bus in the morning to Granada, Nicaragua.
Scam? When I first arrived in San Jose, a taxi driver immediately latched on to us and said the international bus terminal had moved and the hotel we planned to stay at would put us too far away for a morning departure. He recommended another hotel that would be closer to the new terminal.
I had read in the guide book and been warned that the taxi drivers receive commissions from the hotels and will do just about anything to get you to go to their hotel. I scurried around the domestic bus terminal asking people what they knew. They confirmed the international had moved and was in Barrio Mexico. When I asked the driver where the new terminal was, he said Barrio Mexico. Still not convinced, we first had the driver take us to the new terminal, got out of the cab with our luggage, went into the terminal, bought the tickets and then had him drive us a couple of blocks to his hotel. In this case, the driver was honest and helpful. I saw him later at the hotel receiving the commission he had earned. The hotel was very nice, Meson del Angel, about two blocks from the new bus terminal.
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Photos from Costa-Rica
Costa-Rica -