Panama, blink and you miss it!
The countries in Central America are so small when you compare them with somewhere like Argentina; we seem to have zipped through Panama. Anyway, we spent New Year’s Eve on the campsite in Santa Clara with our Swiss friends (and pet Toucan) …..drinking, dancing and diving fully dressed into the swimming pool at around 4am ….a fairly ordinary evening really. A couple of days later I managed to get the two rear tyres changed, and we set off again down to the end of the Azuero peninsula, to a campsite at Playa Venao. Beautiful beaches again ….and Howler monkeys living in the forest. These monkeys are not very big, but the noise they make is impressive! No need for an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, around 6am they start « howling » ….a noise that sounds rather like a lion with laryngitis ….and LOUD!
We drove from there to Boquete, a pretty little town in the mountains, surrounded by rainforest; nice and cool, and wonderful views of the mountains through the mists. Most afternoons there was a light drizzle of rain, which produced the most spectacular rainbows. One day we decided to try driving up the vertical slopes of the nearby active volcano just for fun! We got about halfway up before we decided that maybe we were being a little optimistic; the rocks were getting bigger and bigger, and the gullys deeper and deeper. Also, when you’re going up very steep slopes, you can’t stop to check the trail ahead (you wouldn’t get started again, …and there’s no way you can turn round), so you have to make split second decisions which way to go!
Coming down was just as bad ….the ground clearance of the vehicle is less …so Ann had to get out and clear big rocks from the trail (it’s good for her muscles!) Anyway, we made it safely down again with the car more or less in one piece!
Next stop was Playa Estero Rico, a weekend beach for the local people, where we took a little boat trip round the mangroves.
Now we headed north towards the Costa Rican border on the Caribbean side. We crossed at Changuinola; a bit complicated as usual but no problems. However, the approach to the customs post was rather unusual ….you had to drive over a very unstable RAILWAY bridge! …..watching where you put the wheels, and crossing your fingers that a train didn’t come the other way!!
Costa Rica
We drove from there to Boquete, a pretty little town in the mountains, surrounded by rainforest; nice and cool, and wonderful views of the mountains through the mists. Most afternoons there was a light drizzle of rain, which produced the most spectacular rainbows. One day we decided to try driving up the vertical slopes of the nearby active volcano just for fun! We got about halfway up before we decided that maybe we were being a little optimistic; the rocks were getting bigger and bigger, and the gullys deeper and deeper. Also, when you’re going up very steep slopes, you can’t stop to check the trail ahead (you wouldn’t get started again, …and there’s no way you can turn round), so you have to make split second decisions which way to go!
Coming down was just as bad ….the ground clearance of the vehicle is less …so Ann had to get out and clear big rocks from the trail (it’s good for her muscles!) Anyway, we made it safely down again with the car more or less in one piece!
Next stop was Playa Estero Rico, a weekend beach for the local people, where we took a little boat trip round the mangroves.
Now we headed north towards the Costa Rican border on the Caribbean side. We crossed at Changuinola; a bit complicated as usual but no problems. However, the approach to the customs post was rather unusual ….you had to drive over a very unstable RAILWAY bridge! …..watching where you put the wheels, and crossing your fingers that a train didn’t come the other way!!
Costa Rica
Ann has a talent for finding these wonderful little villages, and once again she triumphed. Puerto Viejo de Catamanca, a little fishing port on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica just over the border from Panama. Inhabited by an amazing cocktail of different nationalities including Jamaican, native Indian, Canadian, Italian, German, French, English ….. Lots of examples of mixed relationships with white and black parents walking round with little coffee-coloured children with blond hair. And if Bob Marley is still alive ….he’s living here! Rasta and Reggae dominate the streets, bars and beaches! …and the atmosphere is just one long party!
We came intending to stay one or two nights ….now its 8 days and we’re still here! One of those places that are so hard to leave (« I really need to check over the car before we go, but it’s too hot today …..I’ll do it tomorrow, or the day after, or …. »)
The beaches go on for ever, with lots of surfers, and there are immense coral reefs just off shore, easy to swim to and go snorkelling. Also we took a boat trip to find the dolphins; we watched 7 or 8 of them playing round the boat; Bottle-nose and another variety (smaller with a pink belly …Tukusi? …must look it up). The vegetation is rainforest, right up to the beaches; so we took a trip with Alex, a local guide to see the birds ….and frogs, including tiny little bright red ones.
We’re staying on a campsite run by « Miss Elena », a big, cheerful Costa Rican lady who keeps giving us samples of local cooking and drinks (a wonderfully refreshing Christmas ginger drink, big plates of red snapper in a curry, ginger and coconut milk sauce with fried bananas, beans and rice …..mmmmm) We also have a plentiful supply of ripe coconuts dropping from the trees around us (just don’t stand underneath when they fall!)
……Now reluctantly we are just about ready to move on again, towards the Arenal volcano.
Next update soon ……
PS. The digger picture is for Jack and TJ …
We came intending to stay one or two nights ….now its 8 days and we’re still here! One of those places that are so hard to leave (« I really need to check over the car before we go, but it’s too hot today …..I’ll do it tomorrow, or the day after, or …. »)
The beaches go on for ever, with lots of surfers, and there are immense coral reefs just off shore, easy to swim to and go snorkelling. Also we took a boat trip to find the dolphins; we watched 7 or 8 of them playing round the boat; Bottle-nose and another variety (smaller with a pink belly …Tukusi? …must look it up). The vegetation is rainforest, right up to the beaches; so we took a trip with Alex, a local guide to see the birds ….and frogs, including tiny little bright red ones.
We’re staying on a campsite run by « Miss Elena », a big, cheerful Costa Rican lady who keeps giving us samples of local cooking and drinks (a wonderfully refreshing Christmas ginger drink, big plates of red snapper in a curry, ginger and coconut milk sauce with fried bananas, beans and rice …..mmmmm) We also have a plentiful supply of ripe coconuts dropping from the trees around us (just don’t stand underneath when they fall!)
……Now reluctantly we are just about ready to move on again, towards the Arenal volcano.
Next update soon ……
PS. The digger picture is for Jack and TJ …
1 commentaire:
Small countrys with lots to see, nice weather and good food, so take your time and enjoy everything.
Love HaJa
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