Ok, so it is time for another entry to the blog to pacify the worring parents and temporarily relieve the bordom of you guys at work!
We stayed in Montezuma for an extra day....sadly Sally´s iron stomach gave up on her and she was ill for a bit, but was better by the afternoon when we made an expedition to a waterfall. As the guide book described it as "a 30 minute walk" we decided (in our great wisdom) to go it alone and not use a guide... 45 minutes of intense bouldering later and after much scrambling over slippy rocks we realised we had probably chosen the wrong path. However this only made the waterfall all the more spectacular when we reached it, and who wants to go the conventional route anyway!
After Montezuma we headed to the Caribbean coast and the town of Cahuita where we were greeted by rasta hats and regae music- fantastic! Our hostal there had a hammock outside (and yes we did manage to get all three of us in it at once, it had to be done) The first night there we went out to some bars, and Jules and I soon found ourselves dancing merengue with the locals. However, although most of the Latino guys put English guys to shame with their dancing ablilties, we did find an exception to the rule in Oscar...poor Oscar and his two left feet lol, I dont know if my toes will ever be the same again!
The following day we went to Cahuita National Park, by far the most picturesque beach we have been to yet, and spent the morning strolling through the nature reserve photographing sloths. lizards, butterflys and crabs before heading back to town for the manditory world cup final. The afternoon we spent on Playa Negro. As the name suggests, Playa Negro is a black sand beach where the sand had a strange oily consistancy. Incidently does anyone have any idea where black sand beaches come from? A prize will be given for the most inovative answer posted on the blog!!! Anyway it was on this beach that we found the coconut..... Jules and I both had this perfect image in our heads of cracking open a coconut on an exotic beach, however we did not bargain for the amount of effort it takes to get into one. Unortunately, the husk on the coconut proved too resilliant for both rock and Swiss Army knife. Refusing to be beaten, we carried the coconut back to the hostel but after cracking the paving outside our room (apologies to Cabinas Safari!) we had to accept defeat. Round two between us and a coconut will take place later when we are armed with a machetti or similar!
On Monday we left Costa Rica for Panama so we could collect another passport stamp and visit the islands off the northern coast, where "Survivor" was set. The journey was not long but Jules nearly did not make it across the border. As we were getting off the bus at Sixola, the automatic doors closed on her bag trapping her half in and half out of the bus! It took me a while to persuade the driver that my my friend really was "stuck in the door" and that I wasnt just speaking bad Spanish, but eventually Jules was released along with much laughter from the driver and we continued on our way.
We stayed the night in Bocas del Toro on Isle Colon, and spent the next day having a tour of the islands by water taxi. We saw dolphins swimming, snorkled over coral reefs and searched for some rare red frogs on Playa Red Frog...pictures to follow, but as the frogs are tiny (only a couple of cms long) it might be a case of "spot the frog" on the picture!
Sadly we have to leave you hanging at this point as we have bikes to return and I for one dont want to face the rath of an angry Costa Rican!!!!! (not sure my Spanish is up to it!)
Fear not though as Sally will be updating you with our latest adventures soon.
To be continued...
Emily xxx