We were heading to Costa Rica today on a pr
ivate shuttle leaving at 1230. There had been torrential rain during night and it was still pouring down when we woke. We've both enjoyed Bocas and could easily have spent a few more days here visiting the various islands and beaches. The town itself is OK although some of it resembles a building site! We had breakfast, packed and got a taxi the very short distance to dock to avoid getting soaked. The water taxi crossing back to mainland was a bit rough, everyone on the right of the boat got drenched with spray. The shuttle was waiting for us at Almirante and we drove the short distance to Guabito and the border crossing with Costa Rica. It had to be the scruffiest border we've seen in all our travels! The Panama immigration desk was tucked in a corner. We got stamped out, walked up onto the disused railway line (once used to transport bananas), paid the $4 tax to enter Costa Rica, walked over the road bridge to Sixaola in Costa Rica, went to the immigration desk where we were stamped in with no questions asked. Our shuttle bus to Puerto Viejo was waiting for us and we were soon on our way, arriving early afternoon. We checked in at Pura Vida, the b&b we'd booked to stay at for the next 2 night. The owners had previously travelled round the world and, according to their website, were keen to share their experiences and help plan what to do in Costa Rica. Like many places in Panama we found them distinctly lacking in any attempt to engage in conversation. We went for a walk around the town and decided to book a kayaking tour for tomorrow. Initially we were going to book through a not-for-profit company but the lady there was completely disengaged so we went elsewhere where the guy promised we'd see sloths in the wild. The most popular trip here is the Jaguar reserve but Diane refused to go anywhere where the animals are in cages, reserve or not. The town had a real nice vibe, set along the beachfront and definitely has a strong West Indian feel to the place. It's a very popular surfing destination although the riptides make it dangerous for swimming in a lot of areas. In the evening we went for dinner at Stashu's con Fusion along the beachfront and shared 2 delicious spicy Thai meals. It was still very warm as we walked back to the b&b but felt less humid than it had been in Bocas.
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| Waiting for the rain to stop |
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| A rather grey view out to sea |
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| Crossing the road bridge into Costa Rica |
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| Welcome to Costa Rica! |
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