Sorry because it has been a while again since my last blog update. I’ve kind of got into a rhythm of living here and sometimes forget that I am still travelling.
I can’t believe that September is nearly over, almost a year since I started my travels. The time has gone by so quickly and I have no desire to return to ‘normal life’, whatever that means. My plans have changed somewhat over the months. I originally planned to spend 7 weeks in Costa Rica and I have been here 6 months now. I have a flight back to the UK in November from Chile but I’ve already decided to forfeit the flight and make my way back when I’m ready. I have the rest of my airpass flights to use and have pushed them back as far as I am able to without losing them so I fly to Venezula mid January for two weeks, then onto Colombia for about 3 weeks before flying to Ecuador. That means I will get to stay here for Christmas and my Birthday. January is still 4 months away so all sorts of things could change my plans between now and then but that is where things stand at the moment.
I thought that it would be a good idea to give you a feel for what life is like for me here.
Puerto Viejo is situated on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and is fairly close to the Panama border which is about 2 hours away. It seems to be a place that people love or hate but most love it. One of the best things about PV is that it has escaped major tourism exploitation in that it is not really built up. There are no large hotels, you still have access to all the beaches, the businesses are all still local businesses and everyone seems to know everybody. Most of the roads are still dirt tracks so there isn’t really a right or wrong side for driving, it is just the best route to avoid the potholes. There is a bank but that only arrived about a year ago. There are a couple of grocery stores and the usual tourist shops so it is always difficult and expensive to buy anything here. We therefore take advantage of anyone making the 4 hour trip to San José to stock up on things.
The Caribbean coast is a real melting pot of cultural differences. There are the tico’s or Costa Ricans first, then there are those of Indian decent and then you have the black descendants from the Caribbean. There is a mix of Rastafarians and surfers, jocks and babes, locals, foreigners living here and tourists. Bob Marley, reggae and reggae roots are everywhere but you can still find good salsa, calypso and meringue.
I live in Cocles, about 2kms from Puerto Viejo. I live opposite one of the best beaches on this stretch which is great, only about 20 meters away. I have a little rustic wooden house consisting of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and large outside deck area. The house is up on stilts which are needed when we are in the rainy season. I had a moat around the house once and I’ve heard that it can become an island. I can hear the ocean from my house but I am also on the edge of the jungle so I am surrounded by banana, coconut, orange and lime trees. The sound of the jungle is amazing, especially at night. Usually I wake to hear the howler monkeys and the dawn chorus at around 5am. It always sounds so great that I’m rarely upset that I’ve been woken up so early.
Usually I’m leaving the house around 7.30 and I bike into Puerto Viejo. I’m in the dive shop most days either going out on a dive, working or just hanging. The dive shop is right on the beach so it is a pretty nice place to hang out and gaze across the ocean.
We get all sorts of people coming by. Next door is Chino’s, a little grocery store that sells just about everything. Most mornings there is a drunk or 2 sleeping on the benches outside. As soon as the store opens they are in getting their small bottles of Guaro, really nasty cheap vodka. By 10.30 most of them are drunk again. Normally the mornings are busy and we are taking out divers and snorkelers on the boat. We usually get back by 2pm and after washing all the gear and filling the tanks we settle down for a few beers to watch the sunset.
We shut up shop at 6pm and sometimes go to sit outside one of the liquoreria for another drink or two before heading back. It is strange because it is the equivalent of sitting outside the off licence at home but here they have put out tables and they are more like bars except the beer is much cheaper.
For nights out I usually visit Mango, a bar restaurant near my house run by a guy from Guernsey or I get a taxi into town. The town doesn’t really get going until around 10pm. Everyone usually starts of in Tex Mex, a open air bar in the center that usually has live music or a DJ. For dancing there is the choice of Johnny’s, Baba Yaga or Bar Maritza. Bar Maritza is more traditional music and is popular with the locals. I love to visit and watch them dancing salsa, merengue and soco. I guess before long I’ll be up giving it a go too. Johnny’s and Baba Yaga are more reggae, reggae roots and sometimes a bit of dance.
There are some good places to visit in the area. There is a national park 13km down the coast. About 1 hour away is Bribri where there are some great waterfalls and recently the office staff took a trip to the Pacuare river and spent the day white water rafting which was great fun.
Nearly all of my time has been spent on the Caribbean coast in Cahuita and Puerto Viejo so I really must take a couple of trips to see some of the rest of the country. I want to visit the Pacific coast, the mountains and get down to the Osa Peninsula when I can motivate myself to leave. It is so easy just to relax into the way of life here.
Hopefully the pictures will give you an idea of what I’m talking about here.
Well I hope that everyone back home and around the world are safe and well. Best wishes to everyone and drop me a line to let me know what you are doing.
La próxima vez voy a escribir en español.
Nikkie
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