Punta Uva, Puerto Viejo, Cahuita National Park
It´s Sunday night and I just returned from an AWESOME weekend in the south Carribean coast of Costa Rica in the towns of Punta Uva, Puerto Viejo, and Cahuita.
Friday, November 24
Getting there was quite a task though... I left for the long distance bus station shortly after my class on Friday but almost missed my bus. Unfortunately, I found out on Friday that my Spanish is still really, really poor... and rushing to catching the last bus out of San Jose was not a good way to put my Spanish to test. Although I got on a local bus in Heredia (where I am currently staying for my Spanish classes and about 12km from San Jose) that was marked for San Jose, I ended up being dropped off in a part of San Jose that I did not recognized at all and had to ask for directions to the bus station... (I was initially told by my host family that it was next to a bus stop on the way into San Jose... obviously I either missed the stop or got on the wrong bus - apparently there are multiple bus lines that terminate in different parts of the city). Anyhow, I had to make a mad and anxious dash for the long distance station... asking for directions multiple times and walking for about 15 blocks before reaching the station, arriving luckily with a half hour to spare. The trip was to take 4.5 hours for 225km or so but only costed 3,875 colones or about USD $8, about the same for a 12km taxi trip from Heredia to San Jose.
After arriving in Puerto Viejo, I hailed a cab, one of only 3 at that time and headed for Punta Uva, about 7km down pothole-ridden roads. Prior to leaving Heredia, I had gotten in touch with my roommate´s mom and luckily, with her help and directions, I got to their bungalow style house without a hitch... after a 4.5 hour long bus ride, that was a huge relief. This was the first time that I have ever met my roommate´s parents, Kim and Dennis, and two of their daughters Cassie and Cheyenne. Cheyenne was really, really talkative, introducing me to the family cats and dogs. Cassie was a bit quieter but over the next day or so was really helpful. Kim and Dennis were both incredibly warm and welcoming... I also met Liam, a family friend originally from England, at the house. After the introductions and settling down, Liam, Cassie and I headed back out to Puerto Viejo, to the same bar (Sunset Bar) that I was dropped of at by the bus... there, we had a few drinks, met the bar owner, Yvonne from Canada, a few of Liam's friends, and 2 girls currently studying abroad in L.A. but originally from Australia and Denmark. We stayed out till about 2a.m. - hanging out, playing pool, and a bit of dancing (Yvonne was getting everyone to do the 2-step).
Saturday, November 25
Woke up pretty late Saturday, after an almost sleepless night of mosquitos biting me. Although Kim and Dennis gave me a mosquito net and I had sprayed myself with bug spray, it didn't help much at all. Liam came by and because he was going into town for the pick up and delivery of their monthly newsletter, Tropical Tales (www.tropicaltales.co.cr), I went into "town" with them in Puerto Viejo. Punta Uva is a tiny little town with a few families but the area's beach swimming beaches. Also that morning, I met Crystal, Kim and Dennis' oldest daughter in Costa Rica... my rommate, Destiny, being their oldest. I have to say, they are truly an incredible family... the parents are very progressive with 5 beautiful daughters, all different and the nicest people.
Liam, Crystal, and Cheyenne spent the day passing out their free newsletter, Tropical Tales, from Cahuita to Puerto Viejo and everywhere in between... they currently distribute about 4,000 issues to many of the establishments like restaurants and bars. Tropical Tales is widely known as the best local newsletter around with fun stories, announcements, and classifieds. As they were passing out their newsletter, I spent 3 hours horseback riding... at USD $12 per hour, it was much cheaper than anywhere in the states... the ride was great. We rode along the beach and into the forest, at times galloping... this was my first time gallopping at a pretty fast pace and it was quite an experience.
After the horseback riding, Liam, the girls, and I went back to the house to clean up and then headed back out to Puerto Viejo again for a night out. Liam and I had a great dinner at El Loco Naturalle, meeting Jim and his live band. The girls, Crystal and Cassie, had eaten at home. Afterwards, Liam and I bar hopped a bit while the girls were over at Sunset Bar and a few other places. We eventually met up at a huge dance club that seemed to have attracted every local and tourist in Puerto Viejo that evening. Liam and I left town around 1a.m. but the girls stayed behind. When we got back to the house, Kim and Dennis had a few of their French friends over for a Ukelee jam session (Dennis is a musical genius as Liam puts it)... Dennis and Liam ended up jamming till 4a.m. I called it a night around 2a.m.
Liam and I went to Cahuita National Park and hiked the trails from about 11 to 3p.m. It was a beautiful hike... with sightings of monkeys, sloth, snakes, and various birds. A great combination of beautiful scenery, wild animals, and perfect weather.
