9.12.2017. Barrio el Carmen de Abrajo. 9,3km /// 684,38km

Jump over border bar of Costa Rica seems like bureaucratic limbo. On window I was welcomed by polish sticker and information, that if I want to enter to Costa Rica, I need to have ticket to go out of Costa Rica. I argued that it have no sense, because I walk, so I could sell ticket to my own. I’m wondering if those polish guys from sticker spend so much time under window that they started to cover it because they were so bored. Thankfully quick message to my brother and even faster receive with ticket to Nicaragua, which I will never use, lifted for me border bar.

Road is changing. Unfortunately for worst. From Panamanian big highway with roadside like third strip, to narrow road without roadside. Big trucks and buses almost are touching me. And what is worst curve is behind curves and definitely more parts in mountains. That road literally cut hills and forests like knife. Like someone was pour our hot asphalt directly on jungle. Throbbing, green, humid looks like to want to jump on road. But only animals can do that and some of them stay there. To group of dogs, looong snakes and armadillos which bones I already found, now I can add turtles and… butterflies! Hondurans of beautiful, colorful butterflies!

I’m passing few villages sowed with palm trees buckle under coconuts. Mario who was cut them with long scythe like from death, gave me as a gift two of them. When I drank them I just wanted to sleep.

10.12.2017. Rio Claro. 20,6km /// 704,98km

During night I was woke up with wall of rain. God damn it when finally someone gonna fix that broken radiator in heaven and rain season will end? From one side I think only about dry tent, and from other I have fear about wave of heat about which everybody are scaring me…

Country have amazing nature but incredible high prizes. Visit in market can frighten better than best horror! That will be best motivator to quick walk. Thankfully pot and motivation to be Master Chef of Central America make happy my wallet (and stomach of course 🙂 )

I’m passing Ciudad Nelly and few villages, which loom up from wall of green nature. Approaching to them are announced by cabanas, rooms for hours. There is a lot of them. Announcing are written on satellite antenna (what is also interesting – that antennas are added for free to bottle of coca cola that there is a lot of them along side roads?), and informing that every room have bed, shower, air conditioning and obligatory television with DVD. Not only lovers are coming here, to burn up fire of theirs love, but also couples which are living with couple of kids in home made by paper where they don’t have enough space to make that fire.

Owner of shop with windows I’m asking can I sleep that night in front of his shop in outskirts of Rio Claro. But when he gave me permission and he left, Henry came out from his cottage and invited me for rice and meat! To meal he gave me shower and socket to charge whatever I want, so in front of glasses shop I slept like a king.

11.12.2017. Guaria. 25,7km /// 730,68km

Many years ago when someone woke up king he could be decapitated. If it could be done today, alarm which woke me up 4 times during that night could lost head couple of time. Plus was that king’s guard (4 police guys) which came to check if everything is ok with king, checked also if king is not noticed in Interpol. Ehh king don’t have easy life…

I’m passing villages with funny name „40 kilometers” and another “45 kilometers”, hills and valleys, whole bushes with bloomed flowers. Many people said me good word on road and showed thumb up. That people are amazing! Truly open, funny and who want to know world. Another diametrical difference after Panama. How it can be, that people from two countries which have border can be so different?! In Panama rather closed, shamed or something, who with white people are talking like with devil. People who are not dancing, singing, smiling. And in Cost Rica houses and hearts are open for everybody! And how beautiful girls are here! 😀

From not existing road side I see under road level some village. Map informed me that it’s Guaria, and somewhere inside are little church. Heart told me that we should turn, legs were happy because of that idea and mind agree, that since long time we didn’t slept in so small village so it can be interesting. And it was! Funny family which gave me long talk and bag full of fruit. In shop old man gave me socket and rumors from villages. And in front of church during preparing Christmas tree I met almost one person from every 50 family which live there. And how I met them in front of church, in front of same church I spend night.

Amazing family which gave me looong talk, a lot of smiles and…

… tasty fruits! Manzana de agua and cacao fruit!

12.12.2017. Puerta del Sol. 27,2km /// 757,88km

I allready wanted to move when Maxim invited me to his home. That incredible warm man asked me something when I walked in front of his home. One look in his faces covered with white hat and I knew that I need to stop there for a little longer. First with coffee than with supper said me about villages, mountains and most important about him.

Maxim can’t read or write. His signature in identity looks like made by a years old kid. Father never let him go to school because he needed help on farm. But even that Maxim is EXTREMELY intelligent guy. His 6 kids he left to university and about nature of Costa Rica probably know everything. He look in really interesting way on world and make reportage on his smartfon about local community. If he could have better camera, I’m sure that he could sell it for television! In his eyes it’s easy to read how open he is, intelligent and how he want to know more and more about world.

From left: Maxim, his daughter and friend

It’s extremely hot, and sweat which is coming out of me on street is changing in small creek. I’m passing next to lines of satellites antennas, whole bushes with beautiful and smelly flowers, and small barber shops where I took small talk with owners.

Next to me stopped William and through open window he gave me two coconuts. All is really cool, but how can I open it without machete! Stone, knife and after few minutes I had cold coconut milk in whole my face 😀

Next to church in Valencia I found dry wood. There was whole mountain of them, so I hope that this guy up there will be not angry on me, because 4 pieces disappeared 😉 I still fight with rain and it’s really difficult to find something dry here. Same with socket. But thankfully like in Panama in front of almost every church was possible to find socket, that here are located from inside but really inside window. So I’m looking onside to closed temple, I’m searching socket, I put my hand through window with bars and after few attempts I had my charger inside 😀

I spend night in strange place. From road side some local guys shouted to me from open bar. Inside was a little bit strange company so I was a little bit uptight when Roby proposed me that I can stay in his home. I’m still angry on myself that sometimes I’m uptight.. But something left inside me when two guys in Peru wanted to cut my head :/

13-15.12.2017. Palmar Norte. 24,5km /// 782,38km

Nothing can calm down better than cooking meal on fire 😀 I’m moving forward and nothing can stop me! I noticed, that I much more better read maps. Even if there are no churches, schools, hills and valleys, only because of topography I can say that something like that it will be there for 80% of probability 🙂

 

Slowly I rolled on another side of longest river in Costa Rica – Rio Grande de Terraba, and on square of small city Palmar Norte first time I found free Internet and socket 😀 Dreams of XXI nomads.

I wanted to move, when Michael noticed me and he invited me to his workshop where he’s preparing sculpture of stone. He offer me beer and beautiful view for bridge during sunset. Night I spend out of city. Important lesson – I NEED to find place to stay before 5-6pm. After sunset only crazy guys can walk on road side.

Next day I moved once again to Palmar Norte to see famous on whole world stony balls carved in mystery way and goal over 1500 years ago. I found them in public park but… they are cool but to come here from other side of world only to see them?

In road back once again I met Michael, who offered me work in his workshop, place to stay and food! We gonna carve balls which gonna be prizes for band during Festival of Lights which will have place next night. We took job in our hands and fire! Dust was everywhere and after few seconds we looked like bakers from Flinstons.

“Good hippie” 😀

Later on streets had place Festival of Light. Parades like in USA. That’s really interesting for me how big is culture influence of United Stated for that region.

16-19.12.2017. Dominical. 67,2km /// 849,58km

Finally I moved! Two days of rest so that night I want to spend on beach. Race with sun, because I need to walk over 30km! Mountains and valleys, and I’m going. Sun don’t know how to play fair and want to change me into ashes. On raod I met my car service. Old guy who is selling ice creams from motorbike. He gave me for free one cup and on wave of fresh even before sunset I was on beach. I didn’t know already that 4 another nights I gonna spend on different beaches and prepare there fires so high that can almost burn sky. In morning coated with sand like in batter I rill from one beach to another in meantime crossing incredible high hills. That what from window of fast going car looks like small mountain which is possible to pass with a little bit more of accelerate, for me is like deadly hiking which need full power and a lot of energy. Thankfully just next to road, on other side of line of palm trees, are crashing waves since beginning of Earth. They are hypnotizing me and making that my heart have slower pulse. Left foot, right foot, wave. Left foot, right foot wave.

And beaches? Costa Rica, literally means beautiful cost. And that’s true! That small country have best beaches since I was in Brazil. Huge and small. Opened and closed. Sandy and stony. And there are houndrads of them!

Water is so warm like heated. Surfers are riding on waves like in rodeo. Coconuts from palm trees put down with stick are fulfilled with tropical essence. Caves full of mystery’s and echoes of pirates. Fires burned on bamboo are so high that almost can reach sky. That few nights were definitely best camping site during last few weeks!!! And I need to leave that and move? 🙂

 

But it cost something. Beach can give, beach can take. Somewhere on bumpy road I lost my reflection jacket and more important hat! That last I found on side road so it’s normall that I lost it 😀 I need to find something on my head because sun can make me trepanation of my head.

20-21.12.2017. Rivas. 50,7km /// 900,28km

It’s end fo that bucolic tale. First time in my life I moved from level of beach to reach highest peak of some country. That lazy day under palm trees was important, because road from Dominical to San Isidro is going only up! During first 10km I thought only when it can end. I’m close to curve and I almost see summit. But than… another curve. And another. Drivers are greating me but I even don’t have energy to rise my hand up. My life goal is to walk to another curve. I stop think, and definitely look forward. I look only on ground and I see how my sweat is dropping on road. I look how my right wheel is going on white line demarcating side of road. And I’m falling in trans which is rescue me from craziness 🙂 Gradient is so high that trucks sometime can’t reach hill. And I need to walk there! What is most interesting – finally when I camp that night on bus stop I was really happy 😀 Like after good, mountain hike!

Recycling center “Perestroika” 😀

 

I’m on summit where I found some crazy small restaurant with huge billboard “Mini Museo” Museum of what I think, and I delve into magic space fulfilled with… many things! Owner collect absolutely everything – old computers, abacuses, animal bones, warning lights, parts of toys 😀 And all of that is hanging under roof. People have crazy ideas 🙂

I rolled quickly down (with time for repair tire) and I’m in San Isidro. Unfortunately above socket in church where I charge my mobile phone, is absolutely nothing interesting to see. Oh maybe also main square without Tabaco smoke. Great idea!

I walked around city and finally moved to meet summit for which I came here. Cerro Chirripo, highest peak of Costa Rica. But first – another few kilometers up hill. I walked across village Rivas and started to camp on bus stop when I met Tony. „Hej, do You have place to sleep?” asked me. I prepared dinner in bus stop where I wanted to camp, so I invited him under roof for meal to my temporary home. “I invite You to my hostel!”.

That’s how in one second my plan to stay night in carport has changed for night in beautiful bird’s sanctuary constructed in crown of trees! Wooden, covered gateways from one crown to another where it’s possible to watch tens types of birds or… swing on hammock and sip cold beer 😀

22-25.12.2017. Rivas 57,4km /// 957,28km

Finally I was a then end of looooong long road and in village San Gerardo I walked to first hostel. I said about my idea of hiking on top and about some weight which is too big for me to do that – about my trolley. But Jorge understand everything very fast and let me put it into hostel and even sleep two nights there for free!

When I charged my mobie phone I found information about weddings. And I found absolutely all information about newlyweds. Phone numbers, adresses. Everything! In Europe I think that is imposible 😀

Jorge, owner of hostel

When dark is coming demons are waking up. Few minutes before I wanted to start my hike some drank guy wanted to rob my backpack so I needed to use my knife to dissuade him that is not good idea. And so energized with adrenaline, started my 48h hike on top. I realized that nobody want to see my ticket and permissions. There were absolutely nobody to check it and I could enter without anything… Trail was really good signed but for me extremely hard. Yeah sure, for someone who come there only for vacation to hike it would be quite easy, but for me, after so many walking days, that was terrible experience 🙁 I died many times, I felt down even more, but finally I felt on handle in door of shelter constructed 6km from summit. And good that is there because temperature felt down to some extreme and very non tropical temperatures. Around me people in arctic clothes, and I looked like homeless man 😀 But who cares, dreams are for everybody!

 

I waited till sun gonna rise and will warm a little bit ground. But wind unfortunately didn’t disappear so I bite the bullet and walk to reach top. 6km, which normally is possible to make in 1,5h, I made in more than two hours. I was so tired! Before last peak I needed to make another stop. But finally when I was on top… views efficiently cure my wounds 🙂

All right, now let’s go down. During all time I imagined many types of cakes, which I want to eat. That’s why after 48km, which I made up and down, and after I woke up in my tent, I just moved to Rivas and bought some to eat 😀