We went to Granada and wondered around, went to the 2 museums that ´the book´ says are "unmissable" were bored out of our trees, found a street football match that was very organised even had a referee. We met a street artist called John who recited a poem for us (it is quite good if you want to hear it, the video is on my facebook page) unfortunately like almost every one over here he thought my name was Jenny. I have now started introducing myself as Gin. I do feel sorry for people with weird names we met a girl called Maryiael you would spend all you life saying no not Murial, Maryieal.
From there we headed to San Juan Del Sur it was our first look at the Pacific Coast and to be honest we were not impressed. The day was dull and the beach was uninspiring we had a long discussion about packing South America in and just getting a flight to South East Asia and getting a hut on the beach. Not to mention the fact that we were put in to other peoples beds in the hostel so we had no beds, the owner offered us her couch. Then we realised that Stu´s big bag was missing!!. Panic ensues, I am already thinking of how we are going to get a hold of our insurance company and if I can get some new clothes and claim them as Stu´s. I think he would look fetching in a new bikini!!! At this stage the hostel owner isn´t even listening to us I am asking where the police station is. It's at the sound of "Police Station" she remembers that they moved someones rucksack cause they hadn´t paid that night. Low and behold it was Stu´s and was put up into some attic room where there were some beds found for us in the hottest room ever. We went down stairs to bitch about the owner of the worst run hostel we had been in and had a beer.
The next day we took the truck out to the better beach, the sun has come out and we spent the day in and out of the water, lying on the beach and drinking beer. Our faith in Central America was renewed. Back to the hostel and we met up with Dave the Kiwi we met in Utila, more drinking was in order. The Germans turned up the next day and we had a few good nights out in The Iguana bar. Drinking Flore de Cana extended our trip by a day as we were too hung over to take the big trip to San Jose in Costa Rica.
The next day we were bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go to our next country. One of the Germans, Kat came with us, she was picking up her boyfriend in San Jose the next day. So, so far we have been really lucky with our border crossing, no really difficult questions (apart from when we were asked in Spanish where we were staying and I said about a week or so), no bag searches( if they opened my bag it would take years to get everything back in), no really expensive taxes, no long queues....that was until the Costa Rica Border!!!
We got a chicken bus from San Juan Del Sur to the next town to get the bus to the border. Where we were told by all the taxi drivers that there was no bus for hours and that they could take us. With that the bus pulled in, I jumped on and fought my way to a seat (elbows in use, I knew I learnt something on the commuter trips to and from work). With that the bus starts moving and Stu and Kat aren´t on yet. This is a little disconcerting as I am trapped in the middle of the bus with no bag and no money not really knowing where I am going. Then they jump on the moving bus and we are all (thankfully) off the the border.
We had been told that this border was going to be a ball ache that it could take up to 4 hours to get through. We decided that it couldn´t be that bad. We got through our exit queue really quickly and were walked through the border by this guy that latched on to us and would not leave, who told Stu that he did this as a job to help tourist through the border so they didn´t get lost or robbed, but the government did not pay him he did it just for tips. We gave him about $1 and he was not best pleased but what the hell he just wouldn't go away and we didn´t really need him.
So we get to the office where there is a huge queue that isn´t moving at all and wait, and wait, and wait. TWO hours later and we are at the top of the queue and there is a rumour that the office closes for lunch at the stage I am ready to kill. We finally get through the door and are up to the front, stamped and out in record time. I just don´t know why it took so long. Then there is the queue for the bus, another hour or so, that was fun. And then we are away.
We have one night in San Jose it is not really that nice the hostel is hidden from view and the
taxi can hardly find it. But it is like the tardis it´s massive on the inside with a bar, swimming pool, chill out area and a mechanical bull (that we never found). Kat picked up Ollie and we all headed to Talamanca back to the beach.We arrive in Talamanca and head to our Hostel, Rocking J´s a very weird backpacker hippy haven, dorms, rooms, tents, hammocks, a tree house and a great restaurant. We rented bikes and headed out the the beach. Found a bar with an open Mike Night for the local Reggie lovers, it was great they were awful. When we hailed a taxi, a truck with a taxi sign made out of cardboard in the window appeared, it was one of the guys from the bar. It really instilled confidence in me when I saw the glass of beer in his coffee cup holder as we climbed in!!! Ah well we made it home alive. The next day there is not much to do apart from go to a bar where we meet an amazing magician, with tricks that would blow your mind. There was a dice trick that Stu has now perfected and will show you all at every given opportunity when we get home.
Dave the Kiwi showed up on our last night and we all drank and ate and decided to go to Bocas Del Toro the next day. He doesn´t normally look like this but he has had a few choice photos that needed to be shown to the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment