Cahuita, Costa Rica
From La Fortuna Lucy, Jack and I headed east to Cahuita and the Caribbean. The national park playa blanca awaited and it's stunning shoreline and coral reef provided the backdrop for topping up the tan and hunting snakes.
 |
| Welcome to the Carib and Cahuita, Costa Rica. |
 |
| The local beach, playa blanca in the National Park |
The plethora of animals visible from our towels on the beach was fantastic, straight away we spotted (and heard) screaming howler monkeys.
 |
| Monkeying around (Howler Monkey). |
 |
| Iguana chilling on a branch |
 |
| Small but noisy |
I took a walk with a ranger taking in pitvipers, sloths, capuchin monkeys, black caimen, biting ants and iguanas. The bite of the pitviper here in Costa Rica would give you under 6 hours to live and my camera provided the ample zoom to get in close.
 |
| Caiman, relatively small crocs, with most species reaching lengths of only a few metres, although one species (this one) the black Caiman exceeds 4 metres in length. |
 |
| He loves a mozzie |
 |
| Eyelash male Pitviper. I´m not even getting remotely close to it. I like my life. |
 |
| Female Pitviper. They have a sixth sense with a pair of extremely sensitive infrared detecting organs. |
We stayed a solitary night due to the unfriendliness of the locals and the call of the infamous Rocking J's hostel in Puerto Viejo.
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Rockin´ J´s hostel:
 |
| We opted for hammocks, it seemed the right idea at the time, how wrong it became later when drunk! |
We joined forces in the evening with a multitude of nations for an inaugural ring of fire. Jorge from Mexico, Hannah and Ella from England, Christian from Denmark and Mathieu from Canada. We opted for abuelo rum from Panama.
 |
| Mexico, Jersey and England. Represent. |
 |
| Ring of Fire |
The night was brilliant resulting in the newly formed united nations all suffering from acute hangovers and a new mutual dislike of hammocks. When the room is spinning the last thing you want is to be swinging to dreamland.
Bocas del Toro, Panama.
The next morning we all took a bus to Panama and Bocas del Toro.
 |
| Crossing the bridge for the border crossing from Costa Rica to Panama |
Upon arrival en masse, we decided to skip the hostel dorm and hired a house for as cheap as a dorm.
It was incredible, our own rooms, wifi and two floors.
 |
| Mi casa es su casa che. |
Fortuitously, Jorge was doing his PHD at the Smithsonian Institure on the Isla de Colon. We grabbed a truck and he drove us to starfish beach for snorkelling and caribbean azure waters. This was the life.
 |
| Back from snorkelling |
 |
| Stunning walk to Starfish beach |
 |
| Rubbish view |
 |
| Exactly as it is |
 |
| SLR times |
 |
| Coconut drinking |
 |
| Our fantastic fish and coconut lunch by the sea. Jack didnt speak, just ate. |
 |
| The Mexican. |
 |
| Football, football |
 |
| Le foot |
 |
| Calcio |
 |
| Jersey´s finest |
That evening we stocked up on booze and I made a Panamanian spaghetti bolonaise for our newly formed family.
 |
| El chef. |
 |
| The hot meal with the fam. |
Barco Hundido:
Bocas nightlife is on another level. We kicked off the crazy night in a few bars before heading to Barco Hundido. An open-air bar with a sunken banana boat that rests in the clear carib water at the front. The shortwalk boardwalk provided the perfect seating area for stargazing amidst booming Latino salsa. It also meant great drunken diving and swimming. Yes I loved that bit!!
 |
| Jaeger bombs going strong in Bocas it seems |
 |
| Swimming at the nightclub (me on the right, Arianna on the left)!! |
 |
| Post free tequila shots |
Waking the next morning the family all looked shellshocked. Our salsa legs were tired, clothes wet from swimming and the house a state. Result.
Surfin' con el Mexicano:
Tired but smiling we took a short water taxi to another island in the archipelago for some, well quite frankly mental surfing.
 |
| The island we took a boat to for sun, sea and surf. |
 |
| The surf shop owner was an Argie, so I had a great convo with him about Boca Juniors |
 |
| Great surf backdrop in Bocas |
Officially, I've only surfed once before on a big board. So when Jorge handed me a much shorted, fibreglass board, my hungover face faked a fragile smile. No joke we had to paddle out from shore for 20 minutes. Being hungover did not help. The waves though were amazing, the shallow coral no thank you. The scrapes and scars live on but so does the brilliant surf Jorge introduced me too.
 |
Pre-surf. Amazing, I learnt so much with Jorge. Super LAD
|
Therefore, the three places, two countries merged gloriously into one laid-back, hazen experience of Caribbean fun. Pura vida che!
No comments:
Post a Comment