crows to burnaby

On Saturday morning we were picked up in Monteverde by Interbus for our trip to Montezuma. We'd only been on the road a few minutes when yet another sloth appeared in an unnatural place for sloths, trying to cross the road. Two-toed sloths really don't get around well on the ground, since they've got hooks for feet and there's nothing to hook on to. Our driver picked up the surprised sloth and carried it over to a tree.

Back down the bumpy mountain, past men on horseback herding brahma cows down the street, onto the highway and past all the little restaurants that offer "tipical" food. Then an hour wait in Puntarenas, where the ferry would take us over to the Nicoya Peninsula and to another Interbus van that would finish the trip to Montezuma.

Puntarenas was hot. I had never been somewhere so hot in my life. I cowered under a sun hat, slathered on sunscreen and hid in the shade - I'm like the textbook candidate for skin cancer and the sun is awfully strong near the equator. I began to understand why everybody moves so slow in Costa Rica - it's just too hot to do anything else.

Pelicans and frigate birds are all over the area. Frigate birds flying look like the birds that kids draw, like the letter M or V scribbled in the sky.

The ferry filled up with tourists and locals, and as we pulled away there was a hint of a breeze which helped the pounding sun. From the harbour behind us, smoke began to billow, and we all stared curiously: eventually a small boat, completely engulfed in flames, came drifting out from behind another ship. We heard shouting from people on another boat as they hurried to get their own boat out of the way. There was a very real chance it was going to catch some other boats on fire, but better that than to float back into the harbour. I have no idea how it ended; before long we were too far away to see anything. I decided I should get out of the sun, and retreated to the lower deck that offered shade and a bit of air conditioning.

Another Interbus ride through the countryside. The shades of green seemed more intense on this side of the water. The van played a local radio station that had apparently invested heavily in an airhorn and wanted to make as much use of it as possible; songs were frequently interrupted either by an airhorn honking in rhythm, or by the DJ repeatedly hitting the "mute" button and talking, letting the song continue for a flash, then muting and talking again. I'm sure there's some fine music made in Costa Rica, but this wasn't it. Greg and I giggled quietly in the back of the van.

Our hotel, Amor de Mar, was easily the best place we stayed on our trip. Talk about a tropical oasis. Hammocks strung between palm trees and mango trees over a lush green lawn leading down to a rocky shore where you could dip into a warm tide pool at low tide. The building is rich, dark wood, with handrails made from carefully smoothed and polished branches. Scented ylang-ylang grows in a little garden. It's just the right distance from town - close enough to walk easily, far enough to be away from the noise of the partying surf kids. For breakfast, a massive fruit plate with mango, watermelon, papaya and more, or maybe a fruit smoothie with homemade yoghurt and a slice of homemade bread. (And don't forget the Costa Rican coffee.) Absolutely idyllic.

We wandered through the town and over to the beach to get oriented. The ocean was a bit of a surprise to me - it's as warm as bathwater, and the waves and undertow are intensely strong. This shouldn't be a surprise, but I grew up in a place with brutally cold, strong and (mostly) unswimmable waves and now live in a place with gentle, slightly cool and pleasant waves. I'd never really experienced Costa Rica's particular combination before.

The town of Montezuma is a sort of refuge for escaped hippies and expatriates of anywhere. There's dreadlocked northerners selling beaded trinkets, and scantily clad surfer chicks mixed in with hardened locals. Nearly everyone has tattoos. We found we didn't interact as much with the other travellers as we did at Monteverde - most of them seemed to be younger people not particularily interested in people outside their circle. We found good company in Montezuma in a couple from Salt Lake City who were on the Interbus with us. Pat and Cindy had been to Costa Rica a few times already and were staying at Amor de Mar for their 25th wedding anniversary, and we frequently crossed paths & compared notes during our stay.

Greg and I ate dinner at Cocolores, and each had curried fish, which was a wise move. Both at Cocolores and later at a place called Lucy's, we discovered that the fish in the area is a dense, meaty meal, with a thick texture almost resembling pork more than the light and flaky stuff we're used to up here. We sat at Cocolores, sipped our various fruit drinks, and watched geckos dart around the tin ceiling over us before walking home and collapsing for the day.

Next: feeling the heat on a jungle hike.