Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

We arrived early into the land of "Pura Vida". Puerto Viejo via Boquete, Panama from our Hola shuttle  it's more expensive than the regular bus but it is faster, comfier & sometimes, just sometimes there is wifi onboard. We had to cross the border into Costa Rica from Panama which is literally a bridge & an immigration house on either side. I stopped in the middle of the bridge to get a quick snap. We Stayed at Casa Azul, The Wild Side from Airbnb. The town is about a 5km cycle away so we rented bikes which Farah isn't very keen on especially with the heat. It was about 33deg when we arrived. The town is small about 3 blocks and has some extremely tasty Caribbean food, it is very similar to the Panamanian food but it is definitely tastier. I had the chicken curry for lunch & it was epic. The chicken just fell off the bone, wow. In Panama they were known as Fonda's but here it's called a Soda. Across the street from us is a small beach, not really for swimming but it is covered in black sand. There are two black sand beaches nearby, the most fascinating part is the sand is magnetic. We actually took some home in a glass bottle and when you put a strong magnet to the glass, the sand just follows it around.

Some of the black sand
We cycled to Punta Uva beach to explore & chill. On the way we passed about a dozen howler monkeys freaking out in a tree, im guessing one of the fellas tried to steal a girl. Punta Uva beach is not that easy to find on a bike & don't expect to see any signs. By the time you get to the beach you are dripping in sweat & ready for the beautiful blue waters. The beach is to die for but be careful of the waves & rip currents which seems to be the case along the coast. I literally spent 3 hours on the beach, read a book, ate some lunch & was back in my Casa at 3pm for my afternoon siesta. That night we got a taxi into town instead of biking because drinking & driving is never a good idea. We bought some clothes, had some drinks & ate at another soda. They are cheap, about $8 for a full plate of food, meat or fish, rice and beans.

Howler monkeys in the tree

Last night I had nightmares about dogs & monkeys, it must have been something I drank. Our kitchen happens to be outside the cabin which is wonderful. Our host Eric was walking around & showed us some Iguana's high in the tree's just lounging in the sun & a sloth that was on a tree above us. Apparently he only comes down once a week to go to the toilet. I kept seeing this animal that looked like a giant rat, in fact one of them ran in front of the wheel of my bike & frightened the shit out of me. It's massive, like a hamster on steroids but very fast & I finally got a name for it, an Agouti. It mostly feeds on fruit & seeds so I'm safe for another day. I have yet to see a Toucan & that bothers me because I cannot leave Costa Rica without seeing a Toucan. We ate breakfast at Rocking J's, not that I would recommend it but it was the closest thing to the beach. We had breakfast burritos while surrounded by backpackers who have pitched tents everywhere. The place was cheap $6 a tent & lively, shared lockers for all your gear & definitely a hit with the backpackers. It's not my thing but I can see the budget appeal.

Can you spot the sloth?

Here is a close up image
We spent the day at Playa Cocles. It is a red flag beach which is just great, it means no swimming again & only going in only to your shins. It was laced with riptides & lifeguards watching over. I've never been to so many beaches that I could not swim in. Lunch couldn't come quick enough because I love my food & we got served some bbqed fish in coconut milk curry by the roadside. To be honest, it was only ok but the day took a high when we rewarded ourselves with massages. Since we had been cycling everywhere for days, we thought a nice massage of the calves was in order.
Side note , try to snap a photo of these feckin Agouti's if you are in Costa Rica.
Please follow us on our journey, tomorrow we head to San Jose, Costa Rica. For our past travels check out our trip to Bocas Del Toro

San Blas, Panama

I don't even know where to start with this one. From the moment we woke up at 5am it was an adventure. A 4x4 packed with seven people & backpacks on the roof takes you on a 4hr journey through hot Panama city then over drenched rain forested mountains & windy roads. Finally, we arrive at Carti, where a small boat is waiting for us. Two young fellas, jump off & pack up our stuff into black bags, I guess we are about to get a little wet. It is no longer raining but the sky is grey & hot. On the boat we are joined by a young couple & a Greek family. We arrive at our tiny little island 40mins later. The sun is shining & from the distance I can see just 4 cabanas. I am thinking to myself, wow, we have hit the jackpot. Our island is owned by Alta Gracia. She is part of the Guna Yala. Actually this entire area, on the map of Panama is owned by the Guna Yala. You must get permission to enter, you pay fees, they allow a certain number of tourists daily and have fundamentally different rules from the Panamanian Government. You will not find luxury 5 star hotels on any of the thousands of islands. They will not allow this development or the foreign takeover of their land.

Honestly, this is the closest thing to having your own small private island. It is just us and 8 other people. We are escorted to cabana 1. There is no electricity, no wifi, & lukewarm water, to be fair, exactly what we were expecting. Cabanas are basic, 4 beds in each because they can sleep up to 7 people but we had the entire thing to ourselves. There are no mosquito nets because there are no mosquito's in the middle of the ocean. Sand floors, so if you are a person who doesn't like sand in your bed then this isn't the place for you and the best part, the ocean 6 steps from your door. You can walk the entire island in less than 30 seconds.

So what does one do for three nights on an island? You wake up at 7am, you go for a swim & check out the local coral right outside your door. You get a breakfast call around 8am by chef Josue & get to enjoy it with the other guests. You then hang out on a hammock, read a book, tan yourself, take a 2 minute walk around the island, go for another swim, read some more, take another 2 minute walk, change hammocks, take notes, eat lunch, read some more, drink beer, drink water, swim again, eat dinner (you can watch them catch your lunch & dinner everyday, it always consists of some kind of fish, crab or conch) & that is basically how day one went. It could not have been more relaxing if I tried.

On the afternoon of our second day however, we went snorkeling around a small ship wreck at Isla Perro (Dog Island). This island is not as pretty & small as ours but it does have a glorious coral reef just off the beach. Unfortunately, if you are staying on this island, it does bring a lot of daily tourists. After our snorkel, we went to see starfish beach. What an incredible experience, we are in the middle of the ocean and the boat slows to a stop. He tells us we can get out, so I look overboard, the water is only 2 feet high, literally in the middle of the ocean. I jump out and sure enough the water is only to my knees. It used to be an island until it sank which is why it lies at a different sea level. We walk around, spot some starfish, little fish and a sting ray. The water is so warm & you can watch the waves breaking a little further out. I could sit here for hours. Unfortunately, I do not have my camera for these moments. This is the hard part of the traveling photographer. When do I bring it and is it safe from the elements.

Day 3 started with a morning tour of the Guna Yala village nearby. There are a lot of rules while in the village. No photos of people without permission. If you ask, you may have to pay. No photo's of people's houses, kids etc. You may photograph the village from a distance. During the tour we met Alta Gracia, she is does statistics at the local hospital & her son (Noreil) was showing us around the island, he's also our boat driver for all tours. We learned in the Guna community the woman inherits everything which is how Josue & Noreil's mother got the Nubesidup Island. We also learned that at the age of puberty, they throw a 4 day party for the girl. She sits on a throne for 4 days while they all party around her. Some parties cost up to $10,000 as they invite people from all the neighbouring islands. The saving for a party this big begins once the child is born. Wow, that is a lot of money. Actually, while we were on the island, we saw the remains of a party from the day before. There were bottles everywhere. They sure do like rum.

Alta Gracia

Guna Village

Catching our dinner

The one thing I found weird was the recycling situation. It doesn't seem to exist anywhere in Panama. People are always burning their rubbish or you always seem to be driving through a cloud of smoke. Even on the islands of the San Blas they burn everything, not while we were there, but I did see a pile in the making. It had everything from plastics to coconuts to branches. The Guna villages are way worse & you can often see plastic floating around the perimeter of the villages. I have no idea how or why a system has not been figured out yet. It was something that all of Panama had in common, the constant smell of burning plastic. Hopefully in the next decade someone will find a way to ease this situation so that the waters remain free of rubbish and the air unpolluted. Unfortunately tourists then add to it with cigarette butts on the beach and cans in the water. It's sad to see beer cans while you are swimming in the coral. We need to respect their/our oceans & respect the beautiful sea life that you are paying serious money to see.

For anyone interested in going, there are plenty of tour companies but each offer different islands. Panama Travel got this one right. For us this was truly a magnificent, quiet, relaxing experience. If you want to party, this is not the island for you. Your price depends on how many of you are in the cabana, how many nights etc. Included in that is your 4x4 from Panama City, boat transfer to the island. What is not included are Guna Yala taxes & Fees $22 p.p. Bring food and water. You can buy some beer on the island for $2 but at the supermarket it is $3.50 for a six pack. I obviously recommend Nubesidup for many reasons including the food, the activities and especially the welcoming Guna family.

A coral reef lies waiting outside your door in the crystal clear waters

Italian Couple we met: Francesco & Camille. They both love diving. Francesco lives & works in Italy while Camille is in Barcelona. Photo by Farah Khan

Another great couple: Eliza & Nick. Eliza is Chinese/Panamanian & currently studying in NY. Nick is Australian, living & working in Hong Kong. Photo by Farah Khan

Click for images from our day with The Embera Tribe

Papaya Playa Project, Tulum

The Papaya Playa Project was a stay we were most looking forward to on our trip. We had been drooling over the photos on their website & I was constantly following them on Instagram. Initially on our arrival, I was surprised at how big The PPP was. There must be over a hundred cabanas & casitas, throwing me off somewhat because I got the impression it was more intimate. Thankfully, being low season it did feel more intimate, there were plenty of free beds on the beach, outdoor breakfast was never packed, especially for me, being the early riser. We did arrive at the end of a full moon party, which happens once a month. This is not really my kind of thing as it attracts a much younger crowd ( perfect for the 20something crowd) & I have done the whole Thailand trip thing. I noticed in one day age range change from early twenties (who carried small kegs around) to early-thirties, now these were my kind of people. They wanted to drink, eat and relax, who doesn't after a long summer of work.

Staying at the PPP is in no way cheap. For us, it is unaffordable in the high season, especially for four nights. Our cabana was very cute, beach front view, sounds of the waves rocking you to sleep at night, electricity & a/c. The other accommodations ranged from jungle cabanas to casitas, some more luxurious than others. I did love waking up to the sunrise & starting my day with a nice cup of coffee. The workers on the beach began at 6am digging holes and collecting seaweed. It was a never ending job, with every wave new seaweed rolling on shore waiting to be raked and buried. The idea here is the keep the beach pristine, no one likes to see seaweed but it didn't bother me in the slightest. That's nature at work, what bothered me more was rubbish & cigarette butts that shouldn't be there. People, please respect the beaches, it is not your rubbish bin.

We took our hunger into the local town & had some of the finest street food Tulum has to offer. Tacos with bbqed meat, tamales, agua fresca & more tacos, beware of the spice level. I hopped from stall to stall comparing each neighbours tacos and flavours until I was full and could fit no more, I felt a little bit like Violet from Willy Wonka, please roll me down the street now. I was left wanting the flavours and spices from Tulum town. I don't want to feel like I'm at home when I'm on holidays. Feed me what the locals eat, open my eyes to a different world. Unfortunately most hotels do not do this. They give you the beach, the drinks, the weather but when it comes to the food, they make it like home so you don't feel like you are too far away. You have all the conveniences of home but you're abroad. If you want a fantastic meal but pricey then Hartwood down the road is for you, cab price $9 from The PPP. If you want cheap & tasty food head into Tulum town & eat with the locals.

I had fun, I fell asleep on a beautiful beach, the weather was great, it was quiet thanks to low season. They had an amazing spa which was run by a very friendly and welcoming woman called Gabby. Gabby is the kindest soul, you SHOULD meet if you stay here. Her holistic centre, gave me the best massage of my life. Up on the hill near the kite surfing station was an open shack with winds blowing in & sounds of the rolling waves. My massage therapist Carlos who I found out later, was the official therapist for the Mexican Olympics gynastics team. Wow, is all I can say, this guy knows what he is doing. If I could have afforded one everyday then I would have. Come for the beach & stay for the massages. Seriously though, if you are staying nearby he is worth dropping in for.

Did I mention the diving pelicans? OMG check them out in the photos below. They are amazing creatures, I spent hours watching them. I was told by a local that they eventually die from smashing into the water so many times at such heights. Rumour has it, they actually in a way kill themselves. They know when the time is near & take a giant skydive that leads to an untimely death. Why survive if you cannot fish?