Hola Cost-a-Lotta!!

Trip Start Aug 15, 2007
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Trip End Aug 31, 2008


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Flag of Costa Rica  ,
Friday, August 31, 2007

After hitch-hiking on the back of a sand truck, catching a boat through banana plantations of Changuinola and crossing the border bridge on foot, we´ve now entered Costa Rica. Our first observations are the plethora of banana plantations, the better quality buses and the influence of the dollar. Prices are steep and westerners are everywhere....80% of Costa Rican coastline is owned by foreigners.

Our first stop is Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean Coast, a small reggae town full of young surfer folks, old hippie expats, lots of drugs and free love. Of course we didn´t participate in the latter but it was interesting to watch the old shirtless guys play nine-ball at the Stanford (local hang-out), fat bellies sticking out, smoking weed and snorting cocaine while the young local women groped their genitalia. Well, well. What can you say.
The village itself was pretty cool, with many great eateries and mosaics everywhere. South of the village a dirt-road led to the different beaches and kind of reminded us of Tulum with cabanas scattered along the road.

We did enjoy the town and would have stayed longer if it wasn´t so expensive. So we decided that we got the feel and move on to Cahuita, a little further north.
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