Costa Rica - Well That was a Border Crossing!

 Another early start and we were off to the  Costa Rica border, passing farmers busily working in their banana, sugar cane and  crop plantations. Occasionally we passed loaded horsedrawn carts and large groups of workmen tidying the well groomed verges. 

At the  Nicaragua/Costa Rica border we unloaded our luggage from the bus and towed our bags to the border check point. We had been told we would need $1US to pay a bureaucrat there but he was absent that day so there was nothing to pay. Hmm, interesting! 

From the checkpoint it was a couple of hundred metres walk to the Nicaragua border control where we had our passports stamped and paid the $3US leaving tax. After having our luggage scanned we set off to walk to the Costa Rica border control. It was at least half a kilometre towing our luggage along the foot path. We looked like a bunch of illegal immigrants attempting to enter Costa Rica on foot! The Costa Rican passport control office is smart and modern, and it didn't take long to be processed  and then, would you believe, another long walk to our new bus and driver for our Costa Rica part of the trip.

Right above and below:  We trudged and we trudged                                                       Both photos by Amanda Schofield

Phew, that had been a good work out so were grateful to finally  board our bus and set off into Costa Rica. It was immediately obvious that this is a more affluent country than the other Central American countries we had visited. The farms are large and well maintained  and there are more good quality houses but I couldn't say the same for the road we travelled. There are speed limits in  Costa Rica but  our driver seemed to have his own ideas as to what they were, belting over potholes and careering around the corners of the winding, hilly road. It felt a bit like being on a roller coast as we bounced over bumps,  so much so that my FitBit was registering them as steps. It didn't take long for a few of us to feel decidedly queasy.  We made a brief stop at a small beach, Playa la Virgien, it was dismal with black sand, lots of litter, grey seas with choppy waves rolling in and vultures on the beach eating dead birds.  Not pleasant and not the best advertisement for the country. 

Vultures on the beach at Playa la Virgien

Our next stop  at a cafe on the top of a hill with a magnificent  view out over lush rolling, green hills, fields and valleys was much more pleasant and was just long enough to settle our stomachs.

Verdant Costa Rica    Photo by Thomas Bauer

When it's wet and windy, play cards.

Our accommodation was in the small town of Monteverde.  Monterverde was established by a group of American Quakers fleeing the US draft for the Korean war.  It is a plain little town full of tour companies and, to be honest, not particularly attractive, but it is the starting point for many of the wild life tours Costa Rica is famous for. The weather had turned wet and windy and, being in the mountains it was much colder than the other countries we had been to.  Our group, which had become like a harmonious family got together to play cards. Our patient fellow traveller, Amanda, tried to teach us an Australian card game called Rickety Kate, suffice to say we were useless and never got the hang of it but there was lots of laughter and fun nevertheless. 

Later we headed down the long steep hill for dinner in the township.  The restaurant was very attractive, built around a large tree it is aptly named The Tree House.  We had a very enjoyable evening eating good food and listening to live jazz before heading back up hill to sleep our first night in Costa Rica.