Click on a photo to enlarge it.
The border crossing from Nicaragua to Costa Rica took just over 2.5 hours. The Nicaraguan side was very muddy and we were pestered for
money. The Costa Rican side was more organised but there were long queues. At least there was an office where we were told exactly what
copies we would need for the vehicle and where to get insurance so that we had everything when we got to the vehicle office 300 metres
away.
At the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica
After the border Helmut and Agnes drove ahead to San Isidro to meet up with family and we arranged to meet a week later. Our first stop
was at a gas plant to get propane but we had the same problem as in Nicaragua - they don't have the right size tube and connector. But
the boss was very nice and went through the map of Costa Rica with us and showed us all the places where we could get propane. Very
helpful indeed.
After an overnight stop at a petrol station in Limonal we finally got propane the next day and got our fridge back! We found a free spot on the
beach in Esterillos for three nights. We went for walks on the beach but couldn't find the research station we had been told about where you can see
turtle eggs hatching.
Sea snail in action
We drove further south along the coast and went up a very steep hill to get to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio which was absolutely
packed! No parking spaces at all. We had made the mistake of turning up on a Saturday.
We managed to find an illegal parking spot and went to ask at a hotel nearby if we could park behind the hotel. Overnight parking
is not allowed at the hotels here but we could park until 9pm. So at least we had somewhere where we wouldn't get a parking ticket!
It turned out to be a waste of time anyway. We spoke to some women who had paid a lot of money for a guide ($40 US per person) but
weren't impressed and said the snorkelling wasn't any good because the waters are tidal and therefore the visibility is poor. When
we walked up to the entrance station to check on prices we found out that the two main areas of the park we wanted to go to were
currently closed and the $10 US per person fee wouldn't have been worth it. Add on that it was 34 degrees and crowded and it's easy
to see why we moved on.
We headed further south and found another beach spot that was free at Matapolo although we had to drive over a very rickety bridge
without knowing if it would hold our weight! We stayed for two nights - the beaches here are certainly very relaxing and our little
bit of paradise. We even managed to write some reports for our website!
Toucan and parrots at Playa Matapolo
Our next stop was Playa Uvita where the tourist info centre told us about a free spot in the National Park which is free during the
week. Otherwise it would be $6 per person. We sent an SMS to Helmut and Agnes with the directions so they could meet us here the next
day.
Kirsten went snorkelling and managed to get some photos even though the water was murky. Helmut and Agnes arrived and we stayed for
another night on the beach. Life is hard!
Snorkelling at Playa Uvita
