Day 77 – to Alajuela, Costa Rica

6 June    Kms travelled – 17,759

I was grateful for the restful stop at the Purple House Hostel in David, and the time left alone there to gather myself before heading on.  But the border with Costa Rica at Paso Canoas beckoned, and was only 40 minutes up the road. 

As with other crossings I will be updating the Borders page of this website with detailed information in due course, but needless to say that this crossing was also undertaken with relative ease.  I´ve read quite a bit about crossing Central American borders, and the various experiences one could expect, but to date they have not materialised into anything that has caused difficulty.  They do take a little longer than some in the south, but so far not a single border has held me up more than 2 hours, and usually then due to my own hanging around and soaking up life. 

Through the border I was enjoying the ride.  

Reports on road quality in Costa Rica didn´t get my hopes up in that regard, but what I encountered was better than anticipated – though there were still quite a few potholes and landslides to negotiate.  That said, I also saw a number of road crews out working to repair the damage.  Up over the mountains was cool in a number of senses – both due to the vistas and the temperature, as the misty mountains took on a romantic veil.  A good ride, and a much needed one.

As we headed into San Jose, however, the weather closed in.  This was after all the rainy season, and the rains in this part of the world seem to hold off until the mid afternoon.  But then they hit with a vengeance.  My plan had been to find a place to stay before the clouds opened, but my timing this day was off.  Running out of the city I hit (and it almost felt like that) the tropical downfall – which stayed with me until I rolled into Alajuela and found my hotel for the night – and then it stopped!  Great, thanks for that!  It did freshen up both myself and the ride however, so that was something.  Surprising how much water can fall in such a short space of time – with the roads quickly turning into small rivers.  A bit like my nose really – as I had picked up a stinky cold in the north of Panama, and it was continuing to cause discomfort as I headed on up.  Yuck!

Thought for the day

The main theme running through my mind this day was riding my bike.  Weather permitting I just wanted to ride – and that was the plan.  Despite the heavy cold and the afternoon rain, Idris was putting a smile back on face.