Catching up with the rain

From San Jose I headed back to the Pacific coast for some much needed beach time. That journey was a bit of a riot, after almost missing my first bus due to the taxi driver taking me to the wrong terminal. In another apocalyptic thunderstorm I found myself dragging my soggy belongings and self down the road and hailing another taxi who charged double to take me pretty much around the corner.

With the bus raring to leave for Uvita, I grabbed a quick lunch of two Snickers bars, one Hershey bar and some M&Ms (the full range of chocolate to be found across Central America except in rare, fancy cocoa shops). I enjoyed this thoroughly and got through most of my book (The Reader, Bernard Schlink) in between breaks of watching the thunderstorm across the passing landscape. It was dark by the time we neared the coast, and I was eventually the last person left on board. Because of this, the driver didn´t really fancy driving all the way to Uvita and tried to bribe me to get off in Dominical. When I said no, he demanded to see my ticket twice, reluctant to believe that I had actually bought one all that way. He dumped me at a crossroads at the edge of the town and I hopped out, expecting to see signs to my hostel because their website had promised such things.

After a good while of wandering around and chatting to a friendly truck driver about the road to the border (greatly improving, smooth ride, less hitchers), I tried and failed to find a taxi. It was 9pm and the town seemed to have shut down for the night. My new friend offered me a ride to the border, and whilst for a second I had great images of a brand new life as a trucker, smoking and swearing my way through Latin America, I decided to beg pity from the road-side hotel. The lovely people behind the desk very kindly called me a taxi and provided me with all sorts of information leaflets on whales while I waited.

I was greeted at the Flutterby House in Uvita with a warm welcome and torch-lit tour of their hippy eco-hostel, which included a method of collecting the methane gas from guests´ waste which in turn could be used to power the gas stoves with... What I hadn´t bargained for was that there was no food to be had in the area asides from the home grown basil plants, and after trekking out to hope that a local cafe might still be open, had to settle for either a snickers bar or nowt for dinner. I regretted my chocolate lunch and ate some basil. Ok, and the snickers.

I had a great couple of days relaxing in that place, and after initially being nervous upon arrival overhearing vegans discuss the danger of egg whites, I found the people to be lovely and full of interesting conversation topics.  The hostel backed onto a beautiful golden beach with dense jungle  behind it: a scene which immediately reminded me of the Life of Pi film at the end. I swam and watched surfers, as well as walking out to a nearby waterfall on the first day with a group of people. We watched as some local boys jumped down from great heights, and eventually dared ourselves to slide down the waterfall too, which was a rush. I fel sad to leave Uvita, but couldn´t risk being fined for outstaying my welcome in Costa Rica. Besides which, it is an expensive place compared to the rest of Central and I was ready for rugged roads and dodgy rice dinners once again.

So the last week has been in Panama: almost the end of journey! Tonight I fly to Cuba, where there are no hostels and no wifi. I´ve been continuing my blog on paper, which I will upload in ten days or so along with photos... I can´t quite cope with the idea that I´m leaving Central America. I´ve calculated that I´ve slept in over 30 beds and counting, travelled on 10 different methods of transport and eaten approximately a gazillion kilos of rice and beans. And I´d definitly do it all ten times over again.