Published: 07.12.2019
Today I am leaving San José to head towards the Pacific. I choose the Gringo Bus as my means of transportation, which is the name given to buses that mainly transport foreign tourists, to Montezuma. The minibus arrives promptly at 7:15 am in front of the hotel. It then stops at several hotels to pick up more customers. As we leave San José, it is raining. We drive for about 1 1/2 hours to Puntarenas and then get off the bus to board the ferry. After one hour and 20 minutes, the ferry reaches its final destination and we board another bus.
We land in a different world here. The cars that were transported by the ferry wind along the curvy road. The houses are very simple structures. We are in the countryside. A green, hilly landscape with banana plants, countless cattle pastures with cows, and lots of nature.
In the town of Cobano, I have to switch to a taxi. It takes me on an unpaved road to Montezuma. We arrive in the small town about 15 minutes later. The hotel room here is rustic but cozy and has a sea view. Since it gets dark here at 5:30 pm, I head to the Montezuma waterfalls. A path with many roots and stones leads to the waterfalls, and sometimes you have to cross the river and walk on slippery stones to reach the other bank. The first waterfall is truly impressive, as it is relatively high. You can also swim in a basin in front of the waterfall, but unfortunately, I don't have my swimwear with me. So I continue to the other two waterfalls. I have to go back to the other side of the river and then climb many, many stairs to reach Waterfalls Two and Three. These are not as high, but they are wider. Back in town, I go to the supermarket because the hotel does not provide breakfast. However, it has a kitchen and you can take care of yourself. Among other things, I buy a carrot that is at least three times the size of the carrots we have in Germany. I have never seen such a huge carrot before. It also tastes delicious.