PEDRO GETS WET!

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Geo: 10.4738, -84.6467

PEDRO GETS WET!

OK then.......if I keep the revs high and try and drive on the left hand bank we may make it!.........I nervously watch the Toyota Land Cruiser coming in the opposite direction.........it's up to it's doors in water and with vast plumes of water spraying from either side crashes through the flooded road!!!!......PEDRO takes a deep breath and I put him into low gear and go for it! A strange bobbling noise can be heard from his submerged peashooter exhaust pipe......we make it! Only two more like this to go before the track claims to higher ground.............he is only little in comparison to the rugged 3.8 V6's but does well......

It's been a tough 23km drive from Upala taking about 1hour 30 minutes. The unmade ochre coloured muddy track is waterlogged and full of potholes and we have had to negotiate three completely flooded sections that to be frank, could have been the finish of little Pedro.

On and on we press passing pineapple plantations and yet more rustic village where scruffy but well cared for dogs welcome us by running dangerously close to our front wheels woofing madly before loosing steam and heading back to their little wooden cottages with open verandahs. Inside, families are celebrating Christmas (26th) and merrily wave to us as we splash past.

Eventually and with some considerable relief we arrive at the rather ramshackle and remote settlement of Cano Negro at The Northern extremities of Costa Rica and only a few miles from The Nicruagran border. This is the gateway village to a vast untamed wetland reserve that is famed for its partly submerged jungles containing a plethora of wildlife including Spoonbills, Macaws, Tucans, Caymen (freshwater crocs), Turtles, monkeys and a vast array of bird life. The whole region drains into the vast Lake Nicruargua a vast freshwater lake almost the size of a small inland sea.

The Natural Lodge Cano Negro is to be our abode for the next "4" nights..........and as we pull into the unmade up drive the heavens open and we sit peering through madly flapping wiper blades wondering if we had made the right decision........

My immediate concern was one of flooding and be able to pilot back Pedro to civilisation. Across the track I could already make out a vast lagoon that looked only inches from overflowing.

Eventually the rain abates sufficiently to allow us to dash into the little reception hut and sign in.

CHANGE OF PLAN

Cathy has one of those "looks" as we troop in single file behind the receptionist to our "TENKOESQUE" abode (Room 29) some considerable distance through the pouring rain........the exterior glass door slides open and the tumbleweed of "under-whelmingness" rolls across our already dampened sprits.

OK LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS ........we have 4 nights here......miles from anywhere....... and to get to civilisation we will have to battle across really difficult unmade up and potentially submerged tracks..........ADMITTEDLY.......there reason we are here is because we did specify that we wanted "OUT OF THE WAY PLACES" and cheerily accepted that we would need to trade comforts for remoteness. Perhaps we are softening up as 10 years ago in West Africa (with our good friend Candace) this place would have been considered "luxurious".......no brothel in the adjacent room, no 400 killer Mosquitos in shared wc round the back.......no AK47 toting kids in the road outside..........

Plan"B" begins to hatch........we get to the "wifi" area and search Booking.com.....a "back packers" 100km south (through more swamp) and a spare room for 10 with shared facilities on a pineapple picking farm some 50km east......both at 8$ a night is not exactly encouraging. In desperation, Cathy emails our tour company and Plan B unfolds but takes 24hrs to fully hatch.

27th Dec. We awake too more rain which thankfully clears as we head toward the lagoon for a personally guided tour of the wetlands .......by this time the sun was out and large green and orange parrots were swooping form tree to tree. This is rather pleasant I offer as we chug off in Antonio's little fibre glass craft complete with a small white canopy.......we pass all sorts of bird life.......Iguanas the size of Labradors perched high in the surrounding jungle and Caymen (small crocs) as well as turtles........

Every few minutes Antonio pipes out in Spanish..............herono....EER? AH yes a HERON...
Antonio who is in his early 70's is a safe pair of hand runs a rather good B & B establishment with his rather weather beaten wife........who interestingly keep a 2.2m long Garfish in a tank in the garden.....peculiar....

We head back and are delighted to hear that we leave the next morning for an upscale Hotel in The Arenal Volcano.......

NEAR DISASTER...........Cathy decides to go to the pool for a read whilst I stay near the wifi area.......After about 5 mins I felt that somethings wrong.........I head for the room to find Cathy mopping blood form a huge gash in her forehead!!!!!!!!!!!

Without going into too much detail, to escape the drizzle, Cathy headed for a table/chair in a sheltered area in the unattended pol/bar area. She walked "smack" into a unseen dark stained wooden down support about 5ft high and immediately started to bleed from a gash above her right eye. Not being one to panic, she grabbed a half pack of tissues from her bag and headed back to the room so as not to scare the locals with the blood dripping down her face and leaving a trail by the pool

Let's leave it as that.... She was extremely lucky she didn't panic/slip or fall into the pool - but made it perfectly clear to the staff that this could have been far more serious and totally avoidable. It would also have been at least a hour over a poor/flooded road if she had needed stitches/any medical advice.

She is absolutely fine now... End of discussion

28th Dec. After a long drive South we are now sitting in superb wooden bungalow in the shadow of the elusive Arenal Volcano........

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Comments

[Viv]

You poor poppet! I'm sure you'd have been stocked with a full medical kit/surgical unit, had it been worse. Or did that get left with the batteries for the coffee machine?