Time out for two... 10 days in evergreen Costa Rica

Our plan to travel flexibly didn't quite work out. For Mexico, we already needed a return or onward flight ticket for entry. The same applied to Costa Rica. However, we didn't know that because there was no information available. The lady at the counter at Mexico City Airport wouldn't let us board the plane... great. I quickly booked a flight ticket to Peru online. Since we had already rented a car for the first 10 days in Costa Rica, the decision was made pretty quickly. Well, 10 days, at least we can explore the northern part of the small country...

We landed in the capital city San Jose. We had already read on the internet that the city is not very beautiful. However, the descriptions were still completely underestimated! So we will make it clear here how the capital of Costa Rica really is: An absolute dump!!! Everywhere completely littered, covered in shit and pissed on! And we're not exaggerating with our statement. On every street corner, we had to be careful not to stumble over homeless people and end up in their landmines, urine, or garbage mountains. Yes, many big cities have their "dirty spots", but in San Jose, it runs through the entire city. Even the center didn't get any nicer. We were really happy when we were out of the city again and could finally breathe clean, fresh air. Costa Rica is surrounded by incredibly beautiful rainforests, and the government is committed to maintaining and caring for the nature, the many small towns, and the roads to boost tourism. But why they let the center of the country deteriorate so much is a mystery to us...

To continue with my anecdotes, I managed to drive the old man crazy again, as clumsy as I am... I don't only lose wedding rings and drones on the trip, but also the location of our parked car :-D Well, thank goodness I have Nico. He helped us (or me?!) out of the pickle again by having a great idea. Luckily, we had taken lots of pictures during our city stroll. So Nico could ask a local where the church building in the picture is located. From there, we knew where we had to walk. Hehe, no big deal! The old man can handle it 😉

We continued north and headed to the Arenal Volcano. On the way, we saw a few coatis walking out of the rainforest, as well as a toucan (Ok, only Nico saw it while I was distracted on the phone... Maaan eeyy...), parrots, and various other colorful birds flying past us. We were once again denied a hike on the volcano, as climbing the beautiful volcanoes in Costa Rica is prohibited. Too bad! So we looked for a kayak station at Lake Arenal, paddled into the calm water, enjoyed the absolute solitude and peace, and the wonderful view of the volcano. It was magnificent! Beautiful jungle sounds came from the thicket of a small island in the middle of the lake. You hear so many animals in the jungle, but because of their perfect adaptation to the forest, you just don't see them.

After our 3-hour paddling session, we drove a few more kilometers to Monteverde, to the cloud forest. It is one of the attractions in Costa Rica and boasts a breathtaking jungle, a suspension bridge, and colorful wildlife. The jungle was really beautiful, but what was missing was the colorful wildlife... They didn't want to show themselves. Well, you can't order the animals. Still a pity though. The parrots and monkeys were hidden so high up in the trees that they were hardly recognizable. A coati came out unexpectedly, and that was it. Other visitors didn't even spot hardly any animals. Monteverde and the surrounding green mountain landscapes were still beautiful sights. In the small, modern town, there were a few nice cafes and restaurants here and there.

We continued to the west coast from the north. There are plenty of cool surf spots waiting for us. Just right for me😊 Tamarindo was the ultimate relaxed surfer-tourist-hippie-eco-place. Relaxed atmosphere, beautiful hotels and cheap hostels, cozy restaurants with fresh and delicious dishes, and cocktail bars on the beaches offered themselves in this small nest. We opted for a cheap hostel. The staff and some guests were probably constantly stoned, the accommodation was a bit run-down, but the atmosphere somehow suited the place, and the prices for the rooms were super cheap. There were no very big waves in Tamarindo. Here it is more suitable for learning to surf.

Thanks to the good tip from my Californian surf and heli friend Tyler, we visited Playa Negra. I could rent a board very cheaply at the hostel, and then we went to the popular surf spot by car. It took about an hour to get there due to the gravel road. The beach is an absolute insider tip! Completely secluded, a beautiful natural beach, and only a few residents and a few surf cracks frolicking there. The waves were great! Although for an advanced beginner like me (that's what I would call myself), quite a challenge, but definitely lots of fun 😊

Stupid as I can be..., I let the wave smack the surfboard nicely into my face at the beginning! Ouch, that hurt. Right against the nose and the right eye. First, check if blood is pouring out of my nose...? No. So, I can continue into the water :-D
I positioned myself at the edge of the surfer community. As a beginner, it's better not to get in the way... The pros get quickly annoyed if you mess up their wave. I have to say, surfing is a completely selfish sport. There are also helpful and considerate surfers, but most of them are only focused on catching their wave, and the rest, especially the beginners, are just a nuisance. At the edge, you often don't catch as many waves, but when it does fit, it's a great feeling to surf on the perfect wave!
Since the waves reached over 2 meters at times, it wasn't so easy for me to paddle back. I was constantly washed under and pushed towards the beach.
Since a fat nose and a swollen eye didn't seem enough for me, I cut my foot on the sharp-edged rocks in the water and snapped off a fin from the surfboard. I would say surfing was a complete success today! Nico, who watched everything from the beach, just shook his head and then gallantly carried me to the car... But hey, I stood on 3 waves! 😊

Nico got some strange looks from others in the following days... Was it because of my black eye...?! 😉

Since my foot was too injured, it was unfortunately only one day of surfing. We spontaneously decided to drive to Juan Castro Blanco National Park and stay in a nice cabin in the middle of the jungle paradise for 4 nights. The accommodation was simple and nicely furnished, located in the Alajuela province near the town of Venecia. We could cater for ourselves and live the days in a relaxed manner. We thought a jog in the area would be good as well, but somehow it was uphill the entire time and it got steeper and steeper. It was exhausting! And running downhill on these slopes isn't any better... But the exertion always feels good afterwards.
In any case, we enjoyed the seclusion and the amazingly peculiar sounds coming from the rainforest. But even at night, it wasn't quiet. A small roof dweller named Gecko had to play disc and squeaked for hours on end... What was wrong with him?!

But the colorful wildlife and especially the extraordinary bird species make Costa Rica a special place. We saw more birds than mammals, but they also had their charm. Especially the rainy season fascinated us here in Costa Rica. We experienced what it really means to be in the rainforest. It's just a wall of water. And it can go on for hours. Insane! No wonder it's so tropical and lush green here.

We found a longer hiking trail nearby that leads to the Platanar Volcano. The volcano is no longer recognizable as such, as it is overgrown with forests. But from above, there must be a great view. The path was described as very muddy. With so much rain, that's also clear. But "muddy" is a huge understatement. The hiking trail, which leads through the densely overgrown tropical rainforest, turned into an absolute marshland! We had to swing from liana to liana and jump from slippery root to slippery root. It was acrobatic masterpiece that we didn't fall into the deep, muddy swamps. :-D
When we arrived at the destination, unfortunately, we were surrounded by dense clouds, so we couldn't catch a glimpse into the distance. The view must be fantastic. Well, let's swing our way back down the same marshy path. We still don't know what all bit us there. Nico just twitches occasionally...

To continue our police patch collection from this trip, we approached a police patrol in the small town of Quesada. In Costa Rica, it wasn't easy to exchange patches because the colleagues only have sewn-on badges. But the two colleagues were really cool! One of them cut the emblem off the other's dress shirt with a multitool scissors. Haha, how cool is that! That's what we call dedication! :-D

10 days have passed quickly. Now it was time for us to return to the capital city and the airport and off to Peru. We had some time and made a small detour to the Catarata de Toro waterfall on the way. Since it was a fenced park, admission had to be paid. But rightfully so. Without the built stairs, you wouldn't be able to get down there. The facility was well maintained, planted, and housed a variety of hummingbird species. The truly beautiful waterfall was definitely worth a visit. We even saw that huge, blue butterfly, the "Blue Morpho Butterfly", which is native to Central and South America. It's really huge and beautiful!

Let's see what awaits us in Peru... 😊