Costa Rica Mon 15 Nov 10

Costa Rica Mon 15 Nov 10
Taxis to bus station then 4 hour journey on public bus from San Jose eastwards to Cahuita. We drive through the dry forest that surrounds San Jose, into cloud forest then rain forest. The road is narrow and winding, the forests come right up to the edge of the tarmac, the scenery is all trees, up mountain-sides and down into deep valleys. Beautiful. A few dwellings, mostly single storey and basic, are scattered along the roadside, some in small communities. Towards the end of the journey there are bannana plantations and a huge Del Monte depot.
We arrive in Cahuita - first impressions, it´s a wild-west town. Single storey shack like buildings flank a dusty dirt road. In fact it is right on the Caribbean coast. The local population is mostly descendants of Jamaicans brought to Costa Rica to build a railway. They were not slaves our guide firmly informs us, and they are allowed to stay and settle in this area. They have established their own culture here, a blend of Costa Rican and West Indian.
Our rooms are 20m from the sea. After checking in, I walk along the narrow golden sandy beach, the forest on one side right up to the beach, the Caribbean on the other. Stunning. The beach is about 1 kilometre long and there are six people on it, plus a few like me just walking along. There is a sloth sleeping in the branches of a tree overhanging the beach. There are at least a hundred black-headed vultures wheeling overhead, some quite low, they are HUGE; are they looking out for a stray tourist who might become their dinner? A racoon comes out of the forest onto the beach to investigate and maybe hoping to be fed, he seems not to fear me. Two americam girls point out three Big Nosed Bats roosting on the side of a tree trunk; the bats feast on mosquitos after dark. Now I like bats. I walk along a forest path and there is a leaf walking along the path in front of me. On closer inspection I see an ant carrying it, maybe 20 times its size. Then there are monkeys playing in the trees, some of them youngsters having great fun leaping over a stream. I like this place.
Back in town I have some beers in a wild-west bar with room-mate Martin (who lives in the Chilterns!), then the whole group enjoy an evening meal in a wild-west ´restaurant´. I have the local dish - beans and rice, a delicious mix including mysterious herbs, with perfectly cooked filleted fish and salad. $8 and Excellent.
Now I am tired so it´s an early night for me.
Good night.
John