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Costa Rica: 30.12.09 – 02.01.10 Our nerves have been blank. Three border crossings within one week, that is just too much, mainly adrenalin. So this time we agreed on that only a man in uniform can stop us.
As soon as we approached the
border area they came running towards us, it was waved, knocked at
Nistos windows and yelled that we should use their service of bringing
us across the border. But as said we almost ran over feet on the search
of the person in uniform, doing so we almost missed him, but in the
last moment he waved at us as well. Hmm, is that the right one now?
Yep, it was he quickly checked our papers, gave us a small piece of
paper and pointed us on where to go next. This time we found the right
building immediately, it was not all that difficult it was the one with
the longest queue. Oh well, while Sonja was waiting in line, Markus
tried to organize the papers for Nisto and within about 1 ½ hours we
have been through towards the border of Costa Rica. We have read that
one needs proof of a return ticket. But as quick as immigration
procedures went we couldn’t even look how the stamps got in our
passport. And also Nisto went through without a problem.
Our first goal was the Parque
Nacional Santa Rosa. Supposing we could camp right at the beach, we
thought that would be just perfect for the three of us! And since the
most beautiful places are reached over the bumpiest roads, Nisto could
fully use all his abilities for 1 ½ hours to get us there. But we got
disappointed, first of all it was way crowded and we could only camp in
the parking area. Nevertheless the beach was wonderful and showed us a
great sunset. Unfortunately we cannot say this about the night. The
crabs that where all over the place where so bad since they didn’t get
into Nisto, but most likely it was them who triggered an alarm on one
of the neighboring vehicles, and the alarm kept coming and coming all
night long. Somehow we managed to get a cap full of sleep but for us it
was clear; we won’t stay another night, so we jolted back towards the
most active Volcano in Costa Rica, the Arenal. Where one is supposed to
see the lava flowing.
Before we got to that
spectacle for New Year eve we checked our e-mails. What we found there
didn’t bring us in celebrating mood at all. To get all the paperwork
done in time for the shipment of Nisto to Buenos Aires we were supposed
to be in Panama City by January the 4th and not like until the the 8th.
So there were just four days left, with one border and 1000km (600 mi)
remaining. For a short moment we thought about changing it all and ship
from Costa Rica, but changing it all on such a short notice was for us
as inexperienced as we are in shipping things out of question. So we
just put up with, that we will have to cancel our visits to most places
worth seeing in Costa Rica as well but what we do know is that we will
return one day. But for now we wanted to spend New Year’s Eve on a
special place, at the bottom of an active volcano.
But also here we got a massive
disappointment. Where there was supposed to be a Volcano there where
only clouds that threatened to let down its wet load any minute. We
didn’t let our mood down because of it; we enjoyed a huge steak and at
midnight we cheered to the New Year with a fine glass of white wine.
The New Year stared exactly as
the old one finished, with rain. And there was no end in sight. So we
took the Pan-Americana south along cloud covered mountain ranges with
Nisto getting washed every now and then. It just seemed that Central
America wanted to make it easy for to leave.
One more night we spent right at a pacific beach, before we headed for the border the next day.
With love
Sonja and Markus
Here it goes to the pictures… |
