Day 1: 30th July

We then had a 3 hour drive to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, where we checked into rooms with mosquito netting on the beds before all meeting at an open bar space with wood tables by the small pool.

Once settled, a few of us headed to town in order to see the sights. After a fairly stressful time getting cash out, we stopped for a cocktail or two right by the ocean.

As we had left the key at reception which closed at 8, we had to head back rather than stay in town to ensure we met the group for dinner and could get to our room. It turned out we could not do yoga in the afternoon so instead signed up for the chocolate tour.

After a twenty minute or so walk we got to the restaurant. 15 cocktails proved a lot to make so there was a long delay in getting them. When they arrived, the food was excellent, the steak in green pepper sauce was fantastic and the chilli hot sauce was exactly the flavour it needed.

When we were all done with the food, we went to a local salsa bar, I danced some, others danced with enthusiasm.

There was Cuba Libre, hot sweaty people garish neon lights, the roar of the ocean, and hard salsa beats into the late evening.

When I got back to the hotel, the pool was inviting, so I took a midnight dip.

Day 2: 31st July

Snorkling

Monday was shaping up to be a long day, hanging slightly I dropped two loads of laundry off, had a quick breakfast and then we headed out to go shortly at a nature reserve.

Once we were changed and had snorkels on, we took a small, somewhat overloaded, boat out to ‘the point’ to swim around the coral reefs. The water was very shallow, most of us got a scrape or two from the rocks but visibility was excellent and we saw some great fish, the highlight being a manta ray.

After snorkelling, we stopped on a beach briefly for fresh fruit, and even saw a raccoon escaping with some food.

After returning to the nature reserve and getting changed, we stopped for lunch at a little roadside cafe. The food was great, served with a refreshing fruit punch.

Bribri Village

We then reached the Bribri village and did the chocolate and medicinal herbs tour. We were shown various plants used for natural lipsticks, glue, mosquito solution and other things. Highlighting just how practical indigenous people have been with their environment. Nothing is wasted because waste cannot be afforded.

We also were shown the poisonous frogs used in various indigenous ritual, as well as the famed Costa Rican red eyed frog.

We then assisted in creating the traditional chocolate drink. The Cacao seeds are roasted, crushed with a rock (pestle) and the husks removed. They are then ground to paste, which is added to boiling water with various flavours like sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, chili etc.

We also found out that ‘chocolate’ just meant ‘be careful it is hot’ when it was handed over to the conquistadors.

Waterfall

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a waterfall, only a few of the group went swimming again, as most of us couldn’t face putting on wet clothes again but the views were stunning.

In the evening, we broke into two groups one going to a nearby fusion restaurant. It was by all accounts excellent, and the rest of us went, with the guide to a Jamaican restaurant, owned by a local entrepreneur which has been there about 35 years.

I had the Ronlon, a fish stew with Yams + Sweet potatoes, and it was lovely, delicately spiced.

We then had a nightcap or two at the ‘lazy moon’ bar on the beach and ran into two others from the group.

Day 3: 1st August

Surfing

It had rained all night, so the start of the surfing lesson was pushed back a half hour due to the weather. When we got there we were loaned a rash guard (long sleeved t-shirt) given a lot of instructions on safely and then split into small groups, each with an instructor and taken out into the surf.

A small part of me was expecting to succeed on the first go as I snowboard frequently. A large splash later and I reset my ambitions.

I stood on the fourth attempt.

I rode a wave to the beach on the sixth.

I was very happy with that, but after 2 hours, I was exhausted.

I then headed into town with a small group and rented bikes for the day, a bargain at $6 for 24 hours.

We stopped for lunch at a place advertising with best pizza in the world and whilst good, and made totally fresh, the oven was only big enough for one, so lunch took a while.

Punta Uva

We then headed 10k north to Punta Uva a lovely white sand beach to relax a bit.

On the return journey I picked up a few souvenirs at a local crafts shop and then after yet another shower, sat at the bar chatting to some of the group.

Dinner was at a local seafood place the service was appallingly slow. We were waiting hall an hour just for a drink, and the food was not as good as elsewhere we had eaten.

Following dinner, we went to reggae night at ‘Salsa bar’ right on the beach, with clouds of marijuana smoke over the venue, naturally it was a chilled out vibe, lightning over the ocean and exposed coral on the low tide beach.

It was a lovely night.

Day 4: 2nd August

Our last day in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca  and the last real day of the tour, we explored town by bike, split up, some went swimming, some back to the hotel, I had an early beer on the beach and randomly got told of an excellent photo spot for sunrise I’d not be able to use from a local lush.

We mostly all met in a small roadside cafe opposite the bike rental place, and the service was again painfully slow. So we only just make the one o’clock departure for our bus leaving Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and heading back to San Jose.