Costa Rica: Outside my Comfort Zone

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Safely aboard Unsinkable II...



...we check out the vessel...



Seeing the tidy fleet tied off at the bottom of the harbor instills boatloads of confidence.

We scan the boat for floatation devices...



...



Lifejacket drill completed, key turned in the ignition...



...we get underway...



Another beautiful day...



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Always helpful, Dave points out to the wandering passengers which way the stairs go...



Down.



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At the snack bar I wonder if they have pills for this...



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More than an hour has passed as we approach Puntarenas...



We start jockeying for position to get back down to the bikes...



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Back on our bikes...



...we pull into port...



...and prepare to disembark...



Trying to get as many nautical terms in here as I can.


Off the boat, we carefully weave our way through the crowd...




...and find a spot to regroup...



Ricky's looks good...



Meet Ricky Ricardo...



Nope. Not that Ricky Ricardo.



After talking with Ricky awhile, we order some empanadas...



...and something to drink...



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Snack time over we gear up and get back on the road...



We've got more exploring to do...

Ferry crossing and snack time out of the way...



...we pick our way through the streets of Puntarenas...



...interesting...



It's Sunday...



...people are out...



...even a few riders...



Biggest bikes we've seen since arriving...



Somewhere along the way out of town I even spot a 990. There's a bit of a bike scene here.



Before we get too far we have one more stop to make...



That out of the way, we're on a mission...



Whizzer tells me there's this bridge...



...where the crocodiles live...



...so I follow him...



The GoPro's got to be an odd sight for the average Costa Rican...



...once they get past the riding gear, that is.

We're following the coastline...



...and a smelly diesel...



...



Not the kind of riding we've gotten used to over the last few days...



Traffic jam...



Ahhhhh...no wonder. These guys are making their way around the country with their paving machine wrecking all the good riding...



...and Dave's not too happy about it...



...



We finally arrive...



...park the bikes...



...and go have a looksie...



These guys are rather large...



...some at least 15 feet...



...and they're everywhere...



Those aren't just logs along the banking over there!

We look around for a meat case with a chicken or something we can toss down there...



Nothing.

That might be entertaining to watch.

Oh, well. Show over, we make our way back to the bikes...



...and spot this iguana...


photo courtesy of whizzer's smuggy

...he's about 4 feet long. Biggest one we've seen so far.

Quick stop inside for something to drink...



...then back out to climb on the bikes...



...wondering what this tour might be like from a bus.

Don't know about Dave, but I'm thinking the pavement's getting old...



...



...apparently, he agrees...



...



...past the old school bus turned bridge deck...



...we head up the side of a mountain...



...



...it's steeper than a cow's face and the loose clay is a bit 'live'...



...



...little break...



...take a look around...



...across the valley we see the mirror image of the road we're on. The switchbacks are steeper than they appear...



Moving ahead we eventually meet the end of the trail for us...



...and make our way back down the mountain...



...



At the bottom, near the school bus bridge, we had spotted a soda sign. We pull in thinking we'll see if they can tell us whether or not there's a road that goes all the way through.



Turns out the sign is old and this is not a soda. It's a residence. They're having a Sunday afternoon family get together. No problem, though. They're still willing to help us out. All of them.

Dave whips out the map and they go at it...for at least 15-20 minutes it seems. Hanging by the bike, clapping my hands so he knows where I am, I just kind of watch the pandemonium unfold as they each take turns trying to figure out what we're saying and what exactly the map is depicting.

I think Dave even finally stands back to watch...



Fun stuff.

We eventually get something helpful out of all of it and say our farewells and ride back out past the bus bridge...



...thinking they'll now have stories to tell for at least a little while.

Chuckling to myself in my helmet about how much fun that little interaction with the family back there was...



...we scan the countryside...



We're in search of more good riding.

We wait for what appears to be a construction zone bottleneck...



...but it really is a 'there's a giant hole in the road, and btw, it'll be there forever so you may want to not drive into it' zone bottleneck.



Just an observation...somewhere back in time they got the funds to build but they don't seem to get the funds to maintain.

Regardless, the fact that the country isn't overrun yet by a bunch of cry babies is refreshing.

"When you arrive at a fork in the road...



...take it." ~ Yogi Berra

Kinda spooky ...



...as it takes us to a baseball game...



After watching for a few minutes with the rest of the crowd in the cheap seats...



...we move on only to find it is another dead end...



While back home these dead ends might be frustrating, here they are simply opportunites for glimpses into the everyday lives of the Costa Rican people and their culture...



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We make plenty of opportunities...



...


photo courtesy of whizzer's smuggy

If my tippy toes and body English don't give it away, this may give a better indication of just how steep that road is.



We continue to wander around the outskirts of the Jaco region. The landscape varies from small, seemingly remote villages...



...to deeee-lux appartments in the sky...



...complete with pizza delivery via motorcycle.

Eventually, one of our gambles pays off...



We head up into the hills...



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After riding awhile, we blast past a soda...



...but decide to turn around as it may be some time before we find anything else.

Good call.



Getting hungry, we order some lunch...


photo courtesy of whizzer's smuggy

...and have a look around...



...



The views from up here are spectactular!



Looking around the site...



...we wonder what this contraption is...



...and eventually ask.

Henry, on the far left...



...and his assistant rinses off the catch tray to prepare a demonstration. We volunteer from the audience...

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...while Henry feeds in the sugar cane.

Looking closer at the device, Dave makes an observation or two about it's components and Henry's assistant takes care of a stubborn cane...

This one's a bit long but at least watch the first minute or so.




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...all the while I'm smiling inside as I know what's coming next. If anyone has any reservations about what they ingest it's gonna be time to get over them soon.


photo courtesy of whizzer's smuggy

Sure enough, after a bit of a workout we've got a pitcher of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice!



...and Henry pours us each a sample and we try it. It's pretty good.

About that time our lunch comes out...



...and having worked up an appetite we dig in and take in the view...



It's like sitting at the lunch counter in heaven.

Thanks for the kind words, folks. We'll be taking yet another break from this RR. Had to run down and check if the sticker was still on the window at Wild Rider.



It is.

Sorry. Still enjoying your beautiful country.



Going to try and cross from Buenos Aires over to Kichuguecha today. Only one of my maps shows a through route. 'They' say it can't be done. We ain't smaht enough to listen...

Amazing people in your country, amigo.

Not sure I can fully explain it yet but we were up in the mountains north of Buenos Aires exploring. North of Ujarras as far as the 'roads' will take you.

Incredible roads with amazing vistas. After several hours of riding we head back down in search of food. No luck.

It starts to rain. The only way it can here which means tropical downpour. We pull over and take cover under a tiny tin roofed bus stop so I can get my rain liner in my pants.

We hang out a bit. Dood nextdoor wanders over. Carlos. We talk. Dave mentions we're looking for a restaurant or something. Very hungry.

"Uno momento."

Next thing we know he's leading us back up the road - presumably to his house.

Nope. Someone else's house. He's made arrangements for them to make us something to eat.

He takes off. It rains even harder. Picture the hardest you've ever seen it rain. Multiply that by...oh, let's say 10. Then add some.

Alex (Alejandro) comes out. Invites us into his home. We go in. Meet the family. Margerita starts cooking something up. From scratch of course.

We hang out. Alex speaks fairly good English. He lived in the US for 7 years.

It is still a full on tropical downpour.

There's 3 kids hanging around. They get the balance of the bubbles and some pencils. We talk some more.

At least an hour goes by and it's announced dinner is ready. For just us two, I might add. It's not like they were going to be eating anyway.

A table is set up complete with a tablecloth out in the back area that is just covered - no walls.

Rain is blowing in once in a while and a few drops here and there from the holes in the tin roof.

At some point while we're eating, Alex asks if we want to stay for the night.

The thought has crossed our minds as he has to nearly shout this over the sound of the rain on the tin roof. We thank him but tell him we hope the rain stops or slows down enough to continue.

We finish the best meal ever in Costa Rica! "Muy bueno!"

"Cafe?"

"Of course!"

After coffee, I set the camera timer and we do a group photo on the front porch.

It's tapered off enough so we pack up, pay for our meals, say our goodbyes and head back out of the mountains.

Third day in a row of similar acts of kindness by the people of Costa Rica. The others are just as, incredible but they'll have to wait until the next ride report: 'Costa Rica - No Reservations' ...if this one ever gets finished.

The bus tour doesn't take you here, folks.



Pura vida!

View of the rain from Alex's place...

Thanks EC! Cool stuff and a great report/pix!

Thank you!

I'll let Dave give you details on his jacket but will say he's brought it here 3 times so I'm guessing he likes it.

Myself, last year I had a jacket that would convert to mesh. Joe Rocket Alter Ego. Love it but learned too much ventilation can be a dangerous thing. This year I brought a First Gear Kenya for three reasons. First, not mesh but good ventilation. Waterproof without another layer. Last, lighter color to reflect some sun.

I do however still love my FirstGear HT Airs. They are semi-mesh.

I won't sugarcoat it. It gets seriously hot here, particularly on the coast. 110-115*F is an everyday thing in March. Mountains are cooler but still hot.

If you're moving it isn't bad. The riding is generally amazing so you don't really dwell on it.

Bikes? We find the 250s to be perfect here. We look for the out of the way roads and only connect regions with 'major' roads when we need to. They do fine even on the Pan American Highway, though.

Can't imagine sitting on a DRZ for a week or two and not hating myself for choosing it but that's me. Not to mention having it loaded in some of the techincal stuff.

Which brings us to boots. Off road boots and preferably waterproof. At least a dozen times rocks have been kicked up that would prolly cause one some issues without the protection. I'm talking on roads!

Advice for seasoned riders? Prolly go into more details when not using a phone but they'll be more suggestions than advice.

Either way, start making your plans now.