New Year’s Sunshine in Puerto Viejo

A festive season came and went and not only do we find ourselves in a new year, it is a new decade as well. While some people aim to sober up and/ or live up to some new year’s resolution, the wheels of time keep on turning.

Wet and Geeky Yuletide

I had been looking forward to a tropical Christmas and the one we got was not really the Christmas I anticipated. On both Christmas Day and Boxing Day it was absolutely pissing down with rain. Although friends from Portugal were in town, neither party was keen to leave their location to make their way through  torrential rain to meet the other somewhere else. So, my Christmas was spent in the company of quality herbs watching Youtube clips of clever people discussing libertarianism and the militant left (yes, I am aware it’s not quite a Christmas classic).

Pura Vida Vibes in the new Decade 

At the end of the year I went for a visa run- ‘renewing’ your tourist visa by leaving the country and re-entering a few days later- and I spent New Year’s Eve in Puerto Viejo. As the birds fly there is no more than 50 km between Bocas and Puerto Viejo across the border in Costa Rica. However, to cover that distance over sea and land in this part of the world takes up half of your day. From Bocas Town you take a 30-minute boat ride to Almirante on the mainland. There you hang around waiting for a bus or van to take you to the border via rather hilly roads. Once you have reached la frontera, you go through border formalities on both sides. The border at the Changuinola- Sixoala crossing is clearly marked by the Sixaola River. You go from one country to another by walking across a bridge that is wide enough for one truck to pass through. With the exception of a few trucks there was very little motorised traffic crossing the bridge. I have the idea that passenger cars or minivans are either not allowed or it is very expensive to cross with your vehicle. Depending on how busy it is at the border crossing, it takes about an hour to get through. Once in Costa Rica, I continued my way to Puerto Viejo, which is an hour’s drive through the lush Costa Rican countryside.

Puerto Viejo: the good Life

The full name of the Caribbean paradise on the other side is Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. It’s a small town concentrated along a 2km stretch of road that runs more or less parallel to the Carribean sea. The beaches are great places to hang and surf. Due to strong currents they are not great for swimming. In addition to beach chill, you find friendly people, plenty of good food,  good quality herbs and great tunes wherever you go in Puerto Viejo. A walk along the beach path is like being on safari. If you keep your eyes peeled you can spot plenty of sloths, monkeys and other types of wildlife. My residency in exile was right on the beach and housed a beach kitchen and garden for rustic Caribbean hanging. New Year’s eve was a great party. There was a festive-yet-chill atmosphere on a stretch of beach in the centre of town. Drum bands and dancers did their thing and a display of fireworks was bright and loud. I found myself in lovely company and with good herbs and great tunes, I had an excellent night which included very happy boogie times. The next day, 1 January, was a bright sunny day containing more herbs and wonderful local company for a great first day of a new year pura-vida style.

 Rethinking Costa Rica

Although I had been looking forward to going on a trip at the end of the year, I felt a bit exiled once I found myself on the other side of the border. By the time I got in tune with the fabulous vibes of Puerto Viejo, I really enjoyed my stay and I have been forced to adjust my view of Costa Rica. A bit more than two years ago I visited parts of the Pacific coast. Although I had met some cool people and done some entertaining stuff, I hadn’t quite caught the pura-vida vibe. It was low season at the time and some places were quite tame and due to the rain, many paths and roads were muddy. I got annoyed by the country’s public transport, that is, although cheap, highly inefficient. The alternative, the use of private shuttle service, was quite expensive. Then the places I visited were frequented by a certain type of gringo I find quite uninspiring. On top of all that, Costa Rica is expensive, especially compared to other countries in the region. So, after two and a half weeks I was done with the pura-vida bollocks and declared Costa Rica overrated.  Puerto Viejo, however, is a part of Costa Rica I can most certainly appreciate.  

Live it up in the 20s

Back in my Bocas jungle dwelling I am enjoying the first week of the new year in a pleasant Caribbean party after-glow. While all sorts of alarming events continue to happen in the world, we are passing our time through the 20s. There is a lot we could be scared of. A lot we could be excited about too. Wherever you find yourself at this moment in time, I wish you much joy, wisdom, health, love and prosperity in the new decade.

Let it roar.

bottom image: CottageArtShoppe on Etsy