New Year's in Costa Rica

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The comforting thing about the timidity I had about traveling solo is running into people who are even more clueless than I am. I don't know how many people I met that didn't speak a lick of Spanish or who had never even made it out of the country before starting out on a 6 month journey...I felt quite reassured that I need NOT be so concerned.

Anyway, yes, I actually did make it to San Jose alive after a very long layover and customs line. Once arrived I searched for someone resembling a backpacker type to try to split a cab to the center of town. I lucked out and found some girl staying at another hostel and we thought the cab driver said that I would have to pay the full amount anyway, but when he dropped me off at the end he didn't even charge me. The first night in the hostel I was so exhausted but slept maybe 3 hours due to all the noise and the ding dong who got in at 4 in the morning and turned the lights on 2 or 3 times while all the rest of us in the dorm room were sleeping. One word: flashlight. Try it sometime.

Anyhow, the next day I set out right away for Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on the Caribbean coast and chatted the whole time with these 2 guys from Austria. None of us had arranged accommodation prior to arrival and started to get a bit concerned when everyone told us that every Costa Rican goes to the beach for New Year's and that everything was probably booked up. I planned on going to a particular place but stopped with them at the tourist office to help them locate a double room. Long story short, they found a room, I didn't but this guy Manu we had been chatting with earlier took pity on me when the tourist lady had called every hotel in town and got a no vacancy reply from all of them because there was an extra bed in their room.

Manu rented a motor scooter and we went to Punta Uva, Playa Cocle, Manzanillo, and then back up to Parque Nacional de Cahuita. Amazing. The beaches were AWESOME and there were jungle rivers to cross, amazing seafood to eat on the beach, Costa Rican people gave us beers to enjoy while sitting under palms at the beach, and I saw eight monkeys jumping about overhead while checking out the beaches in Cahuita.

The evening's festivities started out with a local band with music kind of like Buena Vista Social Club and another awesome seafood dinner, then two beach parties until the fireworks started at midnight and some dancing in the local clubs.

The rest I gotta update tomorrow since I am getting kicked outta here....

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Photos

Surfer Ticos taking a break
along Punta Uva

Can this place possibly get more spectacular?
Manu and I found this little beach area with all local families lounging and some nice guy and his family gave us some cold beers and had us hang out with them.

Jungle river
Along the scooter ride to Manzanillo; I think this is Cocle River

Comments

[Katee]

We had just left
You must have followed us there! We stayed 10 nights in Punta Uva, departing December 14. What a great place. We're planning our return trip now.