|
from Salcars house rode to Granada because i haven't been there before...wrong...as soon as i got there in the main square i recognized the place, doh!
when you've been to about 70 countries sometimes you forget a place or two :huh anyhow its still a cool place for a second visit http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2983-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2986-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2991-XL.jpg riding out of there it was time to play avoid the falling sugar cane all over the roads, and this beast was the reason why http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2993-XL.jpg then down a side road that turned to dirt almost straight away http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2995-XL.jpg |
so looking at map, the idea was to head to San Juan Del Sur, as it was close to the border to be able to arrive really early, you know the Nica/ Costa Rica Pan American crossing the one everyone hates the most, as basically its the only real crossing for vehicles (more on that in the next post)
so anyhow looking at the google map i click a little above (read north) of SJDS and it zooms into here if you get close enough up pops camping matildas, about 6 bays up from SJDS http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...56%20PM-XL.jpg so the theory here is if its no good then there are loads of places a few km's south just of here to try, lets head down that sandy road http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2997-XL.jpg go along with a tall yellow wall along your right side http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3053-XL.jpg when it looks like it dead ends make a right, down here http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3052-XL.jpg then it looks like it dead ends again now make a left and you'll see this, park your bike by the gate on the right and walk onto the beach, thats where the entrance is http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3051-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3049-XL.jpg but before you go thru this gate you will look at the view for quiet a while, and this was the busiest i ever saw this beach except at sunset http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3004-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3032-XL.jpg this is the real coordinates, there is no address http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...SAM_3038-L.jpg if bird watching or surfing (5 minute walk to the next bay) is your thing this could be your place http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3002-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3057-XL.jpg the sunsets here are amazing, even the local dogs come out to see them every night, seriously :yahoo: http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3015-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3016-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3457-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3464-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3504-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3506-XL.jpg this place was so relaxing, secure parking behind a locked gate...no wifi..$6, $8 or $15 a night depending how much privacy you want... i stayed a week, and for sure will come back :deal Sjoerd Bakker if your are reading add it to the list for next years book bigwink |
Hi PAUL sure looks a cool place to hag out classic sun set wonderful pictures.Ride safe.:shave[1]:
|
Wow - great pics - keep them coming please.
So if you more or less follow the PanAmerican Highway this is the kind of trip you'd expect then? Seems far less volatile than other potential bike adventures. Ride safe. |
to be honest i try and stay of the Pan Am as much as possible as it basically sucks but it does get you from A to B quicker if need be, try some back roads, personally i have not had any problems, a few cop shakedowns, just say 'no fumar espanol' no more no less as say that to anything they say, the cops will laugh at you and send you on your way unless they have you bangto rights
the pan american sounds very cool but basically it is the main trucking route thru central and south america, if you like roads with big truck loads of over taking in bad situations then this is your road any other questions let me know, i'm sitting in a hotel in Costa Rica today and it pours with rain outside and it fricking freezing, kind of reminds me of England but the girls have better shaped arses :098:
Quote:
|
there are two crossings from Nicaragua to Costa Rica, the main one is on the Pan American, i'll cover this one in this post
but first a word about the other i just got from two riders who used it but don't post on ADV, so it is very current, it crosses San Carlos (nica) to Los Chiles (CR), it is a boat crossing, if you are heading from south to north and going into Nica yes you need insurance but they are not too concerned and will let you ride to the next town and pick it up along the way and not have to return to prove it Going into CR not the same, you need insurance, it is mandatory for your bike to leave the customs area, they may or may not be someone there selling insurance, most of the time not, if this is the case then you need to get a bus $5 for about a 3-4 trip to the next town to get it, if you miss that bus for some reason you either have to stay the night or pay a taxi $100 to take you so if you are going to use this head to the NICA/ CR on the pan am, get it there and the ride around the lake about 300 km +/- and load your bike then you'll have no problems if you have that much time OK, on to the pan am crossing, i was kind of dreading this, last year i spent nearly 14 here mainly because of the BS that is getting into NICA - (i have used Dan and Lisas photos again as there was to much traffic blocking good views of the buildings, thanks again guys) i read a suggestion of coming here on a Sunday would be a lot easier, less traffic...no such luck on that count but the rest is positive as you approach the frontera the road splits, to the right is a lot of shacks, to the left is a barrier and that where you go, hand over your import papers and passport to be checked, they will sign your paper and hand it back to you, now head straight and look for buildings on your left, ride around them and park behind this building http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...1050848-XL.jpg look for a policeman in a blue polo shirt that says tourista polica on it, he needs to stamp that paper as well, now or after you do migration, but before aduana so head to the building to the right side as this photo shows, in an entrance way there is a both that charges a municipal fee of $1, pay this and go to the window for a form, if someone approaches you with one then they will expect money then or later, they are free from the window, if there is a line go to the front and ask for one then fill it in while you wait in line hand in the paper and you passport and $2 to get stamped out of NICA if you need dollars there is an ATM across the parking lot, look for a HUGE sign http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...1050843-XL.jpg now got thru the glass doors to export your bike, you need the import paper with the signature from the front gate and the cops stamp on it, then hand it over with your passport and drivers license - there is no fee for this hop on your bike and ride back around the building to the left of it, at the T make a left and ride thru the area where they are spraying the trucks, you don't need to do this...head straight and pass the immigration building to your left and aduana on your right and park, i parked behind this white bus http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...1050861-XL.jpg so looking back immigration on your right (left as you ride past it) and aduana across the street go to immigration and if there is people standing in line behind orange bollards thats where the line begins, if no one is there go inside, there should be a cop there handing out immigration papers to fill out. when you go inside hand over your passport and the form, i was asked how i was leaving the country, i showed my helmet and the officer smiled, and said OK, other people were showing bus/ plane tickets now leave this building - DO NOT go to aduana, look across the street to your left as you exit the building and you will see a chain link fence, walk to the end of it where cops are probably standing and walk thru the gap on the very well worn path, trees with white bases should be on your left, follow this to the building, climb the steps and walk the far end of the building and look for a sign hanging above the walkway that says seguros (insurance) - this is the place http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...1050865-XL.jpg there is a window open to the outside, this is the first insurance step, you need your passport, DL, Title/ Reg and $17 or colones if you have them (500 to $1) she will fill out the forms for you and hand you all your stuff back. from here take a right and go down to the copy place http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...1050866-XL.jpg you NEED copies of the insurance, your passport front and back pages, and the CR stamp page, your title and your DL now go to Aduana, he will fill some papers out for you and hand you a paper to fill out as well, he will need all the copies and want to see the originals as well, when he is done he will hand everything back that is yours and keep the copies, he will also give you a small piece of paper with your plate number on it and a stamp DO NOT lose this now go back to the insurance place, use the other door and go inside, this is where you get your insurance completed, once you leave here you are done, go get on your bike have your papers and passport handy, you will need to hand in that little piece of paper before you leave and hand it in at the final barrier, also you may need to show you passport when you do this you are now free to ride off into Costa Rica and pay a lot more for everythig that you did in NICA!!! a word of advice of how i do these borders, is i find info, if i can print it off, if not then take a photo of the computer screen and i use my phone as a PDA, no helpers required ...and a final note, this last year was easily the worst border coming north from argentina and crossing multiple border, yesterday this was the most organized, a lot of walking around but it is now very organized heading south, total time at both borders one hour 20 minutes |
left the beach in Nicaragua early to head to the border, had a real easy crossing and the plan was to grab some gas before crossing but i didn't see a place so in CR i filled up on super at 688 colons a liter or $5.05 a gallon
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...068-001-XL.jpg moments later i was stopped by the cops, i was struggling to hold my bike upright in a crazy strong side wind and they wanted to tell me the wind was blowing and be careful, behind them in the distance there were dozens of wind turbines, blurring with the speed they were spinning :huh http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3067-XL.jpg you notice straight away Costa Rica has more money just by simple things like massive rolls of bundled hay plastic wrapped in fields, more organized than its neighbors to the north http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3069-XL.jpg my plan was to head to Bijagua to the Vista Point B&B (from Sjoerds book on CA) it looked like a good distance from the border and was heading in the right direction, so out towards the volcanoes away from the coast and towards the looming black clouds http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3072-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3075-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3077-XL.jpg sadly this place is closed down, so i had to flip a U turn and back track towards Lake Arenal and look for a new place, i found a dirt track short cut http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3079-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3081-XL.jpg the dirt track ended up being a road to a wind farm http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3509-XL.jpg eventually it got me back towards the lake where the rain clouds were a few feet above the water and the rain came...time to find a cheap, sadly not Nicaragua cheap, hotel http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3088-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3089-XL.jpg |
Quote:
I'm off to Italy for three days of boredom by corporate conference so I'll keep a sneaky eye on my iPhone at your pic's. Enjoy the vista(s), but mind you don't squint too much!! |
stuck in the middle of Costa Rica due to heavy rains, so no riding today but between rain showers went for a walk and spotted this crazy advertisement
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3094-XL.jpg so it reads basically...you do not dare reveal their taste...what the fu@k does that have to do with a wrestler and two ostriches? any one from Costa Rica wish to answer that one? and walking along the street i see this... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3113-XL.jpg so if you are slightly bothered about big bugs just letting you know they live here :huh and are in the middle of a big building development :lol3 OK, normal ADV service will be resumed as soon as all this water stops falling out of the sky from this storm that was the size of the whole country, this just before it hit...hopefully tomorrow http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...40%20PM-XL.jpg |
Alex and Andreea (anjinsan) which he tells me is Japanese for mister pilot....they met up in La Fortuna and we rode to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica today
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3116-XL.jpg it was a day full of rain and one of the only dry moments was when we pulled into a little 'soda' road side restaurant full with truck drivers, the owner came over and gave us a shot of some kind of chocolate liquor which when we looked around everyone had a shot...then the cops arrived...for there lunch and the shot glasses disappeared and the cook went to work over her open flame http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3121-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3125-XL.jpg heading out towards Puerto Limon where some of your bananas come from after being grown in blue plastic bags on the trees http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3126-XL.jpg not too much to see all day in the rain, riding in the cloud forest was just like riding in fog with zero views, until getting close to the container port, not great scenery http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3130-XL.jpg and some very poor areas over this side, a lot different from around the lake http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3131-XL.jpg finally the rain stopped on the last leg to Cahuita http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_3132-XL.jpg hopefully some better photos tomorrow heading into Panama via Sixola |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:36. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2019, vBulletin Solutions Inc.