COSTA RICA
745 Kilometres – 22 Days
31 May – 20 June 2012
31 May - Paso Canoas – Palmar - 95 kilometres
Our first day of biking in Costa Rica provided
exceptional vistas through thick and dense forests, making it an utterly
enjoyable ride. Although scorching and humid, the landscape was scenic and less
hilly than envisaged. So wet, hot and humid was it, conditions allowed farmers to
grow rice.
The tiny river town of Palmar Sur was home to
mysterious granite stone spheres dating back thousands of years to Costa Rica’s
pre-Columbian period. While larger stones weighed as much as 13,000 kg, others
were as small as bowling balls. The mysteriousness of these stones is mainly due
to their perfectly spherical shape. Yet, to this day, I’m clueless about their
use.
1-4 June - Palmar – Uvita - 45 kilometres
The coastal route between Palmar and Uvita
didn’t run flush next to the coast, but it remained a gorgeous ride sporting
plenty of ceviche traders and spectacular vistas.
Uvita’s unusual hostel had dormitories consisting
of mosquito-netted beds in tree houses in gigantic mango trees. A pleasant
kitchen area was where nearly everyone gathered to devour the many mangoes that
fell to the ground. Our tents were pitched under cover, which prevented mangoes
from falling on the tents. Uvita, situated within the Marino Ballena National Park,
sported a flat, sandy beach stretching miles along the coast, which is blessed by
crystal blue waters. So pleasant was it; three full days were spent in Uvita. A
slack rope in the garden provided hours of fun, but none quite mastered it.
5 June - Uvita – Dominical - 23 kilometres
Costa Rica was unique in that it didn’t have a
military. It must be one of only a handful of countries that doesn’t have an
army (very clever, if you ask me). I hope its lack of military was a sign of a
peaceful nation.
Costa Ricans are known as “Ticos”, and the
Costa Rican currency is colón (plural colones) named after Cristóbal Colón or Christopher
Columbus.
The ride to laid-back Dominical, a surfing
community, was short and the remainder of the day was thus spent walking along
the pretty, rocky beach, surrounded by dense forests.
6 June - Dominical – Quepos - 47 kilometres
Our path north continued past the dreaded oil
palm plantations. Although a common cooking ingredient in parts of Africa,
Southeast Asia and Brazil, it, by now, appeared planted almost wherever it would
grow. Worldwide demand has increased tremendously; today, nearly all processed
foods contain palm oil.
The removal of forests to make space for oil palm
plantations has resulted in massive losses of natural forests, and one can
understand the concern of environmental activists. However, I was not too fond
of these plantations for an entirely different reason, as they always seemed
planted in extremely hilly areas. The ride to Quepos, a small harbour town, was
proof of this.
7 June - Quepos – Jaco - 66 kilometres
The ride to Jaco was scenic on a flat road alongside
the coast. Jaco had a dilapidated campsite, close to its famous and beautiful beach.
The coast was a real surfer’s paradise as the waves were good and the water
warm. Supper was from a food stand, known as soda stands, the most economical
eateries in Costa Rica. One could choose from various dishes; amongst them were
always the ever-present rice and beans.
The weather was sweltering, and it was virtually
impossible to be in a tent, but rain forced us into our private saunas. While lying
there, sweat dripping, I could think of many more comfortable places to spend a
night. Eventually, I crawled out in search of a cooling breeze, but there were none
and the mosquitos were so fierce I had no option but to return to the tent. I couldn’t
wait until morning to pack up and get out of there.
8 June - Jaco – Puntarenas - 76 kilometres
After studying the map, our assumption that it
would be an easy ride along the coast was, clearly, incorrect. Although picturesque,
the day’s ride had its fair share of hills. The heat was intense, and I swear I
didn’t know my body contained that much fluid. Sweat poured out of my clothes to
such an extent that one could easily have assumed I had a swim.
Eventually, the hilly route spat us out at Puntarenas,
a strange town on a narrow, flat peninsula. Our nightly accommodation was in a basic
wooden shack at the water’s edge. Across from our rickety abode was a pier
where fancy passenger liners docked. Some people, clearly, travelled in more
style than us.
9 June - Puntarenas – Tambor - 29 kilometres
By morning, we made our way to the small harbour
to catch the ferry across the Golf de Nicoya to Paquera, situated on Peninsula
de Nicoya. The peninsula is known for its gorgeous beaches and tropical rainforest.
Therefore, I thought it worth investigating as it’s blessed with abundant fauna
and exotic flora.
A quick ferry ride brought us to Paquera, and
it immediately became apparent that riding wouldn’t be easy. The weather was
humid and hot, and the narrow winding path led straight up a mountain. It wasn’t
that the climb was high, but that the gradient was impossibly steep. Nevertheless,
we wrestled our bikes up almost vertical inclines and slinked into Tambor soaked
in perspiration. Despite the difficulty in reaching it, Tambor had a magnificent
location along a horseshoe-shaped bay, and it dawned upon me that Costa Rica was
indeed one of the world’s most scenic countries.
10-13 June - Tambor – Montezuma - 21
kilometres
The following morning, the route remained narrow
and near-vertical in places. Barely twelve kilometres down the drag, a sign
pointed to Montezuma Beach. Being curious about what was at the end of this
potholed dirt track, we turned off to investigate. Seven kilometres further, the
tiny beach village of Montezuma appeared. Hidden amongst dense forests, Montezuma
was a true paradise and home to surfers and hippies alike. So laid-back was it that
the place became known as Montefumar (‘fumar’ is Spanish for smoke). It was an
excellent place to follow suit and swing in a hammock while puffing away for a
few days.
We read books, swam in the ocean, and eventually
trundled to a nearby waterfall. Doing little made the days fly by, and soon it
came time to continue our journey.
14 June - Montezuma – Puerto Coyote - 40
kilometres
In the morning, I gasped up the sharp hill to
the “main road”. So extreme was it that I had to walk the bike. Unfortunately,
our joy getting to a paved section was short-lived as the path soon turned into
a dirt road which later deteriorated into a muddy track.
Mercifully, the rivers we encountered weren’t
deep and we could walk the bikes across. Thank goodness, my panniers were
waterproof. The path became steep, muddy and rutted to such an extent that we
had to help each other push the bikes up the near-vertical hills, as so
slippery was the mud that we kept sliding down. LOL. We never saw a soul, and
the single person we encountered was a chap asking for directions.
After what felt like hours, an idyllic beach emerged,
and was made even more idyllic after a hard day’s riding along a muddy track. The
tents were set up at the beach amongst palm trees, where one could wash the day’s
mud away and watch the sunset over the ocean.
15 June - Puerto Coyote – Playa Carrillo - 46
kilometres
Our euphoria in reaching Puerto Coyote didn’t
last long as the track continued up more hills, which worsened as the day
progressed. The bikes again needed hiking up muddy and rutted paths (two to a bike)
and I couldn’t believe another day was spent slip-sliding along these muddy
trails. So sharp was the gradient we kept sliding down while wrestling our
bikes up the slippery path. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight we must have
made, as there wasn’t a great deal one could do; we were in this mess and had
to push on.
It felt like we were getting nowhere, and the
kilometres increased instead of decreased. I was convinced we were on the wrong
road. At a tiny settlement, we asked for directions and, in true Costa Rican
style, were told to return to where the sign indicated right and turn left. Fortunately,
it wasn’t far, as again it required pushing the bikes across a river and, low
and behold, would there not be a paved road on the opposite side.
So great was our happiness, we booked in at
the first opportunity. If ever one needed to “get away from it all”, Playa
Carrillo would be your best bet.
16 June - Carrillo – Ostional - 51 kilometres
A paved road continued to the touristy beach
of Samara. Again, a sign indicated to turn left but this time we first checked
with villagers and, as anticipated, were told to go right.
Not long after departing Samara, the paved section
again vanished and turned into a dirt track. Still, the day turned out considerably
more effortless and, although rough, it had none of the severe hills of the
previous day.
Our route led past numerous beaches, one more
idyllic than the other, and tiny Ostional seemed an excellent place to call it
a day. Unfortunately, it rained throughout the night, making me fear it would again
turn our way into a mud bath.
17-18 June - Ostional – Playa Tamarindo - 67
kilometres
Upon waking, Ernest discovered nearly all his
equipment left on the bike stolen: helmet, gloves, sleeping bag, etc. Strangely
not the essential items. No one needs a sleeping bag in the tropics, and Ernest’s
sleeping mat was punctured and thus useless. Amazingly, my bike with sleeping
bag and tent was in front, weird. I surmised it wasn’t stolen but sold. Hahaha.
Eventually, we got going and found the road more
level, and although not pan-flat, it made for comfortable cycling. Occasionally,
the route followed the coast past magnificent surfing beaches, and at times it
headed inland over hills through thick and dense natural vegetation.
Touristy Playa Tamarindo came as a pleasant surprise.
I understood the surf movie, Endless Summer 2 was filmed in the area which firmly
put Tamarindo on the map. Unfortunately, development took off at an alarming
rate, to such an extent Tamarindo lost its Blue Flag status.
The sea turtles were long gone, but at least
development seemed to have slowed, partly due to the recession and partly due
to more control over new developments. Still, it remained a beautiful place and
offered a convenient tourist infrastructure.
I enjoyed staying in a hostel as they usually
provided Wi-Fi, fast food, and other touristy treats.
19 June - Playa Tamarindo – Liberia - 79
kilometres
There was no hanging about at pretty
Tamarinda and after saddling up our iron horses, we headed over the hills to
Liberia. The route turned away from the coast and led slightly inland. Biking
along a paved road was a pleasure and the day came without the usual sharp
hills.
Therefore, Liberia was reached in good time, where
a comfortable abode made for relaxing the rest of the day. A nearby restaurant
provided a typical Costa Rican meal consisting of rice, beans, meat, and a
small salad.
20 June - Liberia – La Cruz - 60 kilometres
Once along the Pan-American highway, the
route proceeded north toward Nicaragua. We continued through Parque Nacional
Guanacaste, which meant it came with its fair share of hills; fortunately, an
abundance of trees gave protection from the relentless heat. Digs in La Cruz allowed
crossing the border into Nicaragua the next day.
