1 June 2007 - Puerto Viejo de Limon

CR is a beautiful country, but it does have it's problems. Someone likened it to a beautiful woman wearing a dress splattered with mud. Don't let these cautions keep you away. When arriving in Costa Rica it is best to get out of San Jose as soon as possible. While you are there, keep a watchful eye for your personal safety and your stuff.

Taxis in San Jose have meters, make sure the driver turns on the meter. If he doesn't you are subject to being ripped off by some unreasonably high fares. Some taxi drivers are honest, but not many. The meters are called 'Maria'. Don't know why. I used to say, in Spanish, "No Maria...No Cliente", and unlatch the door, ready to bolt. That usually worked. If they say the meter doesn't work, find another taxi or you will certainly pay way too much.

In Costa Rica, on the Caribe side, south east of the port city of Limon is a small town called Puerto Viejo de Limon (PV for short). When Columbus first anchored in Limon, he looked out at the rich landscape along the coast and named the place Costa Rica. It is a tropical paradise.

You get there by four hour bus ride from San Jose. It is a steady, scenic ride and especially beautiful from Limon city to Puerto Viejo.

The bus stops once for a 'pit stop' about two hours into the journey. From then on, it stops only to pick up and let off passengers in Limon and along the way to PV.

The buses are usually packed, but they are comfortable. It is best to (buy your ticket a day in advance and) if you can afford it, buy a seat for 'your stuff'. The reason is that if you check 'your stuff' you will have to watch it at the stops to make sure nobody walks off with it. Same if you put stuff in the overhead on the bus.

PV is a mix of Central America and the Caribbean. The main activity is surfing the Salsa Brava at a place called Beach Break. The surfers hang out at a very large, party oriented hostel called Rocking J's. If that is your destination, ask if the bus goes on down the coast to Manzanillo. If it does, stay on it, and ask the driver to stop at Rockin J. It'll save you the fifteen minute walk carrying your stuff.

The second activity in PV is partying. Along with the sound of techno-reggae, also in the air will be the fragrant smell of burning leaves. If you can roll a joint this is your kind of place. Up in the hills, the Indians grow some killer weed. Frequently at night you might hear the sound of an airplane mere inches above the coconut palms and well below the radar on a nocturnal, lights out, mission carrying white powder.

PV also has a lot of secluded beaches that are really wonderful (and I'm from Florida). Before you hit the town, on your left you will see Black Beach, with it's black volcanic sand. Past the center of town the beach changes to light tan sand. You can walk for miles down that beach and not be bored, but don't do it at night.

The main road, that brought you in, goes through the town and down (past Beach Break, restaurants, hotels and such) through a spread out village called Cocles. It continues to the dead end of the line at another small town called Manzanillo.

The road to Manzanillo is about ten miles long and is really something. On your left is the Caribbean and on your right is the jungle. There will be scattered houses and commercial ventures along the route but at many points there will be no sign of civilization, just the sound of the jungle, the birds, the howler monkeys and the surf.

Howler monkeys when you first hear them are terrifying. They sound worst than the worst creature Hollywood ever invented. They emit an enormous sound that carries quite a distance. You can't see them but you sure can hear them. If you do see a large all black monkey up in the tree top, that is a Howler. At one point along the road to Manzanillo there are a lot of them.

If you don't want to walk it or take the bus and want a better way to reach Manzanillo, in PV ask anyone for Cafe Rico. Which used to be run by Roger, a super nice guy. The Cafe has the best coffee and breakfast in town. Roger - a Brit - also rents rooms, bicycles and motor scooters. I rented one from him as the road does have two steep hills.

The worst thing about CR, other than the food, and the freelance street crime, is the roads. Without a doubt CR has the worst roads of any civilized place on earth. "For every star in the sky, there is a pot hole in Costa Rica". The best way to tell if a driver is drunk is if he drives in a straight line, in his lane. Since the money to repair them is bled off by corrupt politicians, the condition of the roads might also be called: street crime.

The best thing about Costa Rica is, its beauty, the beer and the fresh fruit. These are all excellent. They have two kinds of local beer. My favorite is Imperial, an excellent lager.

For some reason, the exceptional cuisine of Mexico just didn't make it this far south. They eat black beans and rice with a bland cheese called Queso Blanco three times a day, seven days a week! I think they do this so that when criminals get out of prison the cuisine won't be a shock to them. The beef there is not what you'd call tender. I stopped ordering beef because it doesn't come with a chain saw.

In PV, on Saturday's there is a Farmer's Market where you can buy the best fresh fruits, both familiar and unusual, vegetables and native crafts. You will find the best prices there too. Go down to the water front in the morning, when the fishermen come in and when the restaurants have bought what they want, you can have a shot at what's left.

PV is a great place to party, surf and enjoy some really great beaches. It's worth the trip.