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Published: January 4th 2012
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www.costaricahostelnetwork.com
They have a number of places to stay in Costa Rica although I am not sure if all have pools. After our very low-key and incredibly relaxing Christmas in the expat haven of Boquete (pronounced bo ke te, or bo ke ta), we caught a bus for the ride to David, Panama. then to the Panama/Costa Rica border and finally, from there to the capital, San Jose our intended destination. We were up before 4:30 AM to begin our journey in Boquete but not because of my wife-but because of me and my anxiety We caught a bus in part related to some anxiety related to travel to a new place, because we did not want to miss our bus as with limited time for our vacation, and we did not know what time the bus left the station in David.In David we found our bus which was leaving in just minutes-honestly, it is amazing how things can fit into place so smoothly when you are traveling. We arrived at one of many of the Costa Rican bus stations in the early afternoon and decided a night in a thoroughly western hotel would help us recharge and we could clean up in the lap of luxury, relatively speaking. We had paid no more than $66 per nighty for a couple nights
Beauty coupled with advertisement
The palms are the oasis, the billboards a reminder. in Panama City and that was for a rather dumpy hotel. The Hampton Hotel was a supposed bargain at $140 + a night (we had agreed we would stay somewhere 'nice' after a stretch of not so great places and long, tiring bus rides). In the AM we caughty a taxi into town and found a really fantastic hostel/hotel called Pangea. We opted for a room with bath--they had dorms with shared baths, shared rooms with shared bath, and finally private rooms with bath ensuite. The place had a pool with lounge chairs surrounded by palms swaying in the breeze, excellent bi-lingual staff, a regular movie night in their movie theatre, free internet/computer access, excellent security, a roof top bar and restaurant with a portiion of it uncovered for sun lovers. It was an oasis in an otherwise barren cityscape. All for $40/night and free Costa Rican coffee in the AM.
After starting our journey at 5 we arrived in Managua at 11:00 PM. We had a place in mind to stay at after referencing our 'Central America On A Shoestring' by Lonely Planet--absolutely indispensible, for the night in Managua; however, the area around the bus station was a
bit sketchy (if you ask Bee she'll say it was pretty scary)-besides, aren't many of the areas around bus stations everywhere a bit dodgy? After being hustled a bit we asked around and were given the proper directions to this small guest house run by a family. It fit the bill perfectly: 1) bed, 2) shower, and 3) fan. It was late but we were a bit restless so we asked around for a place to get a beer and a bite and ended up at this delightful bar frequented by locals - music, laughter, good beer, food, and wonderful service; we really enjoyed the ambience. Early the next morning we were back on the bus for the last leg of the trip. Total travel-time for the ride was roughly 18 to 20 hours.
I can truly understand why there are so many people retiring in San Jose. It´s warm enough, with breezes, and no noticable humidity, while we were there. There are a good number of parks in the downtown core, there are produce markets everywhere, there is a very strong Security and police presence which is both comforting and alarming-glad that we have it, but why do
Whiskey and women
Inextricably and universally linked we need it?. ATMs are sufficient, bakeries are everywhere. They have more than their share of KFCs, Burger King, McDonalds-well, they want to have what we have. Although I am certain that obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hight cholesterol as well as shorter life spans aren't quite what they had in mind! 😉. Bee has been sick with respiratory problems coughing and so she has spent time in bed or at the guest house recuperating while I went traipsing around town.
Our next journey took us to Tegucigalpa, Honduras where we were going to spend the night and in the morning take the bus to La Ceiba before we took the ferry to the Island of Utila. Bee, ever the social one met an Israeli couple who were planning on taking a bus that day to La Ceiba and arriving in the early AM the next day. I must confess, I whined a bit--"I was looking forward to having a beer and relaxing," and "why didn't you run it past me when just you and I were together instead of telling me when they were right there?
**Bee and I were married on December 17th this year and this
Almost a beach
Only thing missing was the sand was our honeymoon and the chance to really get to know each other, as travel seems to provide. I remember years ago reading in Rick Steve's 'SouthEast Asia through the Back Door' that travel was one of the best ways to really get to know someone. We have had our bumps and bruises, but we are still going strong, and loving each other.
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