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Woke up looking forward to breakfast being included (which hadn't happened since mexico- the second most expensive country in the region) and it consisted of gallo pinto (the beans and rice dish), a couple of pieces of fruit, bread, and there was porridge optional too. I then decided to be so adventurous and go on the computer for an hour or so (to upload photos even though the sign said not to plug anything into the computers!).
Eventually headed out of the hostel (which was more like a hotel anyway) and down the street to the bus station. Even though they warn you to buy bus tickets in advance, the office told me I couldn't buy them at the station and the stupid lady told me to go to Transport Morales office, with a general point towards a pretty large area! I wandered around and couldn't find it so went back to the station where a man was working, a lady that was there offered to show me (I thought she was also buying a ticket!). It was quite a bit of a stroll and I was walking a lot faster than she was! I managed to sort out a 5am bus for 'domingo' aka Sunday that was again a colectivo not a directo, but this allowed me to get off at the 'aeropuerto' without going into the dreaded centre of San Jose!
The lady walked back with me and also went into the supermarket with me but I don't know where she was when I came out, but was quite glad because like everywhere else I've found it hard to distinguish the difference between someone genuinely being nice and someone wanted money! Its usually the men who want money though! I had told her 'muchos gracias' anyway, and I could walk faster on the way back to yhe bus station! The poor lady though- she was trying to talk to me but I could barely understand a word!!
The buses to Manuel Antonio leave Quepos every half an hour or so, so was easy to get one, for about 50c which would take me to the actual village of Manuel Antonio - 7km along a windy and hotel/jungle lined stretch that lead steeply downhill to the coast,
I decided that I had got there too late and wasn't sure what I would do on Saturday so decided to give the park a miss (if it didn't have a big entrance fee I would have gone both days though!) and walked the long stretch down to the end of the main beach 'playa espadrille' and made myself at home! It was a very volcanic grey sandy palm fringed beach with dense jungle nearby. There were a number of rocks and cliffs to the end of the beach but with a few onto a couple of rocky islands and the national park beaches in sight, it was quite a nice spot! The sound of coconuts falling behind me regularly however kept me on my toes and ensured i didn't sit under a palm tree! I learnt my lesson reading all the signs on cocos islands all those years ago!
Whiled away a few hours with some swimming, watching surfing (it started pretty ordinary but as the tide changed I wanted to go in!), eating the pineapple I brought with me. There was a little dog that was chilling with me for a while, with the bigger dogs it was so cute and would chase then surrender! Reminded me of our dogs!
Eventually wandered back along the beach that had shrunk significantly in size due to the tide change and waited for the bus to arrive. It got pretty packed!
Spent the rest of the arvo/late arvo doing little apart from going to the shop and finally cooking my own meal! Even if it was meatless spag bol it was still good to make it myself! Was a little concerned when I found out bianca was having to cancel her entire south america trip and heading straight to Canada BUT just as I went to bed she texted me and said she'd managed to get on a flight that was going via san francisco not santiago. Hopefully Soph can sort something out- I've been looking forward to meeting them the entire time!
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