WOMBATS TRAVELS: Into Costa Rica

Panama is not that big, come to think of it none of the central American countries are, so the first days ride to a small town called Santiago was only 250km and the second to David another 190km. I had been looking on the internet and decided that I would stay at the backpackers in David and see if I could get any information about what was to come. The place was full, and as well as the French, German, and Canadian backpackers that were there, Ben a Canadian biker also arrived late in the afternoon, and he was also heading north!! Not only that but he had also done the trip down so we agreed to ride together for the next couple of days to see if we got along.

Instead of crossing the border on the Panamanian Highway just past David we left the next day and headed for the Caribbean coast over the mountains to the north. The road was good and the scenery fantastic as we crossed over the top and dropped down towards the Caribbean sea again. After lunch we decided that we would cross the border that day and when we asked at a local police station we were told to turn left then take the small dirt road to our left. It all sounded very suspicious, but as we drove the short distance up the hill on the dirt road we were suddenly confronted with the old railway bridge that I had seen on the motorcycle travel documentary “The Ride” So I was going to have to overcome this small obstacle myself. It’s a little tricky but you just grab the bull by the horns and go for it, and try to keep the wheels on the planks. The good thing is that there are no longer trains running across the bridge as there were in the film.

The bridge you cross to get from Panama to Costa Rica

Passport control was a five minute affair. Aduana on the other hand took three hours! And for some strange reason known only to themselves they wanted a full photocopy of every page of our passports including the empty ones. The pharmacy just along the road took care of all this, as well as the insurance we had to buy, and also the fumigation which we had to have done. Finally at 4.30 we were in Costa Rica and heading for a little place called Cahausi.

Caribbean paradise?

Cahausi is an absolute slice of paradise! We soon found some small cabanas with secure parking for the bikes. Each room has it’s own bathroom, with hot water (the backpackers didn’t) and all for $12 a night. The village is on a spit that is surrounded by the sea on three sides, right next to a national park. This was going to be a good place to chill out and relax for a few days. The next day we walked around into the national park and started the 8km walk all around the headland. Beautiful palm lined beaches with the blue Caribbean waters breaking either onto the beach or just onto the corral reef just offshore. We saw monkeys, and racoons, and a variety of tropical butterflies and birds, and not a sound of a car to be heard.

Accommodation for $12 a night

Monkey see monkey do??

A small caiman crocodile

The second day we hired two pushbikes and rode the 8km to the Cacau museum, to see how the cacao plants are grown and eventually how the chocolate is made. With a demonstration right at the end so you can see and try the chocolate right there In front of you. All that and not a single bit of guilt with another 8km ride back!!