Jan. 27 – La Marina to Puerto Viejo

2009 January 31
by joe

We got off to a very slow start, what with another homemade breakfast and lots of goodbyes to Pete, James and Kattia.  It was an easy ride to Puerto Limon, the only town of any size on the Costa Rican Caribbean coast.  It is a big, busy commercial port, and a bit of town with it.  We tried going left at the coast, but that seemded to dead-end with little to offer.  We did stop at a public beach for a quick rest and a beer.

Then we headed down the coast for 58 kilometers, to the ‘town’ of Puerto Viejo, which means old port in Spanish. The road got worse and worse as we left the main road towards this dot on the map, and there were several one-lane bridges with hidden approaches that I can only describe as ‘widow-makers’.  I put town in quotes, because, what is at the end of the road called Puerto Viejo is not really like a town, but a weird collection of hotels, bungalows/cabanas, restaurants, craft-shops, bars, discos, hostels, etc, all that cater to the new generation of ‘hippie’ travelers.  Almost a disney-land parity of a Caribbean vacation spot.  We stayed in a hostel-like ‘room’ (think closet) at a place called ‘Rockin J’s’ on the beach.  Lots of 20-something kids from everywhere on earth, sleeping in tents or hammocks;  drums and campfires on the beach at night.  We shared a hookah at the bar,  had some of Pete’s crackers and coco juice for dessert before bed.  It was a unique experience.  It was a short riding day (again) but it left us really close to the border for an early cross into Panama.

Comments are closed for this entry.