Bocas del Toro

The reception at Punta Caracol looked promising...

...I think I'm gonna like this!!

Even the sun has joined us...

... come on folks.. I'm all set!  Let's go off and do some snorkelling!!

Time for some island hopping too... the Bocas del Toro archipelago has loads of little islands and enclaves to explore!!

Feeling a little hungry?  Here's a good spot our boatman recommended for some local seafood and some lovely snorkelling opportunities all around! 

Let me put my order through quickly before taking a quick dive to explore the sea beneath!!

A starfish!!!

Let's jump in Dadda!!

"SPLASH!!"

Mamma was less interested and a little more concerned about where we'd find the nearest medical assistance / hospital in case anything went wrong (which in fact was the case as we found out over lunch my cheek started swelling up at what could well have been a shell fish reaction to Mamma's prawns!)....

Let me put her worries aside and give her a big hug for being so caring for me at all times!!!

After lunch - and with the allergy scare behind us (antihistaminic drops seemed to work) we set off on the boat again towards new islands and bays... and there right in front of us appeared a lonely dolphin practicing his jumps over and over again!!

There it goes again!!

Time to wave our boatman goodbye and thank him for taking us to so many interesting places...

Once back at the resort we took the Kayak's out and went for a little ride in the lagoon... a rare moment with Mamma actually doing some exercise!!!  Look she even can't believe it herself!!

But Dadda and I were well quicker and zoomed swiftly past her!!

What a day!  

Sixaola Border

...indeed our friend honored his word.  "Pura Vida" he told us yesterday, a Costa Rican expression to suggest you need to take life as it comes, perhaps also suggesting how in Costa Rica the climate often takes a toll on everyday life.

We set off from Puerto Viejo with a few other Ozzie backpackers and all suitcases on board (not quite at 7am on the dot... rather a few hours later) 

We felt relieved to be at least tentatively heading in the right direction and even the sun came out for the occasion...

Time for me to take a few snaps with Dadda's camera!!

We drove off and within minutes observed an enormous landslide produced by a cliff literally collapsing on the road (impressively cleared up the day before - a SUNDAY! - when we were told the bus couldn't get through)

... and then, as if that wasn't enough... we hit a dead end!  The water had swept away part of the road!! Never seen anything like that!!

But our old man had thought through his plan carefully and all we had to do was disembark our van, carry our suitcases through the ditch and onto the road on the other side where another van would come and rescue us and take us over to Sixaola...

Indeed we eventually made it over the wood & steel bridge which marked our crossing into Panama!!

Waiting in Puerto Viejo

...despite the early start and managing to catch the 6am bus from Cahuita towards Sixaola (Panama border), there was more bad news that simple rain for us...

The bus was never to make it to the border for reasons nobody was able to articulate in plain english or colloquial spanish...  the bus was simply to stop in Puerto Viejo and nobody was to make it over the border today.  That's it!

A little unsettled at the idea not to be able to reach our lovely resort in Panama that day and move in the direction the sunshine appeared to be... we took the news under our chin, found a hostel where to park our luggage and reorganise our thoughts and options.  In fact there weren't any.  We just had to wait as there was no way we could go back north and attempt to take a flight (overflow Babano river which also prevented Dadda from leaving the car in Limon as planned) and there was no way we could go south either... we were simply stuck in a 20km radius of land.... 

At least until a chap turns up telling me he will take me to Panama next day whatever happens.  There was a lump in the road (landslide I guess) and a crack in the road which would present some issue he tried to explain but we were guaranteed to make it over the border.  I trusted the guy and frankly I've wasted $30 a head on far less pressing matters before so we assumed that would be the plan for the next day.  Pick up at 7am next morning...

So we used the rest of the day sipping cups of coffee (and a little consolatory unit of milk for me)...

..watching timeless life go by....

... basically taking it pretty damn easy all day!!

Rainy Day in Puerto Viejo

Our second rainy day on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica started off with a nice breakfast in Puerto Viejo to put a few plans together for the day....

what matters in holidays is taking things positively and being happy as a team... as far as team spirit went we really were very on top of things!!

I would have loved to have a go on one of these boards though... perhaps on our next trip huh?

Even without sunshine you get the feeling of how beautiful this place can be with nature and cute little huts coming alive with their lively colours!!

The outlook remained unpromising..

and the rivers kept pushing down gallons of fresh water back to the sea!

Still, no excuse not to go and play on the beach!!  Mamma please can I have a few of those biscuits before I run off with Dadda?

Guess which flip flops are mine?

There are few things I know that beat the traces sand leaves behind of your footsteps...

... look there are hundred little Tino feet traces following me!!

...i can't get rid of them!!

...let me try jumping away!

Later on we ventured back into mainland in search of other marvels such as the local fruit...

...the legendary Costa Rican green frog....

....and a closer look at a sloth.. 

apparently one of the slowest creatures alive!  So I'd have time to drink a cup of coffee before worrying whether those claws  could ever procure any harm to me!!

Parque National Cahuita

..on a normal sunny day we are told the view ahead of us is jaw dropping with turquoise blue waters and occasional surfers riding the breaking waves by the reef.   After all, it wasn't our choice really to come and travel in the height of the rainy season as this was after all the trip to go and assist Nati's wedding in Panama!!!

That said, there is still plenty to see and explore irrespective of whether the sun is shining or not so we adventured into the Cahuita National Park to see whether the rain had indeed scared off any of the local creatures...

Seems like that Iguana is lying pretty relaxed out there on that branch perhaps trying to dry up with the odd ray of sunshine!!

Hey look at this one!  A sloth!! Not even my dadda knew what this was before he saw this one!!!

Hello Mr. Squirrell!  What an unusual way to have dinner!!

Walking through the park was tiring at times so inevitably had to make use of an extra pair of arms from time to time!!

... look at that row of sleeping bats!

Anyway, time for a swim in the water.. the rain has quietened down now and it looks like the sun could pop out any minute...

I could run through these low waives all day!!

And is that a monkey I see perched on that branch over there!?!

Eventually the sun never came out that day.  Indeed we wouldn't see a glimpse of it for the following 3 days!!

Here is Mamma and I heading back towards our bungalow under buckets of rainfall... no umbrellas no waterproof gear whatsoever!  Bring it on!!

After refreshing ourselves we headed off to the nearby surfers town of Puerto Viejo for some dinner...

...this time with waterproof precautions...

... inevitably having taken in so many exciting things I was out like a light before I could even get through my pizza!!