It's been way too long since I last sat down and got in some good writing time. We've been in Costa Rica now for nearly three weeks. We've taken a trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama and a trip to Samara beach in Costa Rica with Ran, his family and friends.

There are so many things going through my head thats its hard to know what to write about. Part of me wants to stay in Costa rica in Monteverde with friends for a few months, geta job, and a place to stay and enjoy the fact that Im already down here because when I leave I probably wont be back for a while. I already have a few options for places to stay and jobs, which is more than I can say for the states.

The questions "who am I?", "where am I going?","how am I going to get there?", ring through my head while the music plays at Chonchos bar and tint my thoughts, my actions, and my words a shade of hesitation. In a setting as social as this, hesitation in any way can be draining. Unsure what to say, how to say it, and when makes a person unstable in conversation.

Today Chris is leaving for San Jose to fly out tomorrow. I'm going to head up to Mikes house and hangout for Chris's last few hours here but I'll be back to ramble on this evening.

Time to catch up... Puerto Escondido to Monteverde 2.20-3.20

Location: La Pension Santa Elena
Music: Ray La Montagne
Feelings: Missing the road


Acapulco to Puerto Escondido
We left Acapulco much later than planned, but we were used to it by now. The drive out made up for the drive in (one lane, bumper to bumper for two hours). Leaving the city we climbed the ocean cliffs below massive hotels and homes balancing on stilts. Around the last and highest bend, just before the road began to descend, the real beauty of Acapulco came into view. The smaller of the two bays was surrounded by beautiful resorts and vacation homes. I imagined celebrities sunning next to their pina coladas, waving to their pool boy for another.

We rode for a solid 10 hours to Puerto Escondido. At one point I was standing, riding in the back as we rounded a corner, when out of the dark came a dog from the inside of the corner barking so loud I almost jumped off my bike. Fortunately I held my grips and buzzed past him, my heart still racing, laughing rediculously. Arriving at the edge of town around 9pm we found a place to eat and relaxed for a while. We asked a few travelers about places to stay and we were directed to The Mayflower Hotel. We were more than impressed and decided to stay. The gated parking sold us.

The Hotel/Hostel had a great atmosphere and plenty of nice people to hang with. The beaches were awesome and stretched for miles to the south. To walk to the end of the main stretch of beaches took nearly an hour.

We made some awesome new friends and one in particular stuck with us. Jarkko Vasko from Finland bought Lawson's bike and gear and joined the Vagabonds. We were sad to see Lawson go but our new friend would prove to be an addition we couldn't have predicted.

San Luis Video

Into the mouth of the bull - Welcome to Bocas del Toro

We made it from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica to Bocas del Toro, Panama in 4 hours. We caught the 8:30am bus to the border town Sixaola. A few minutes from the border we grabbed our bags and got ready to jump off the bus. When you're headed to the border it's you vs the bus full of people, most are looking to cross. If you don't make first in line you chance waiting for a few hours, we made it through in 30 minutes, not bad for five people. It's definitely much easier without motorcycles. Many borders have rivers with a narrow bridge full of semi's and people. Crossing them is an experience all its own. Ive included a short clip of my crossing, due to the slow internet speeds I've had to keep clips shorter to upload them. I have a number of videos that are too large to upload. I'm looking forward to adding them.

A day at San Luis Waterfall

We're currently hanging out in Monteverde, Costa Rica at Ran Smith's hostel called La Pension Santa Elena. It's rated by Lonely Planet travel guide as the number one hostel in Costa Rica and by my account it most definitely is. They are currently adding 17 rooms and in the next six months a rooftop bar. What sets them apart is their commitment to hospitality. If you need help planning your day, your week, or the rest of your trip, they are a fountain of knowledge on the country and will send you in the best direction.
Thought it was necessary to give them a little plug, not that they need help!

We're all currently trying to figure out is where to go and what to do next. We're considering leaving the bikes here and bussing our way to Bocas del Toro Panama. Panama was our final destination, though our plan was to sell our bikes in Costa Rica, so paying to get our bikes into Panama and then back into Costa Rica doesn't make much sense!

We're also considering traveling into South America which would mean staying put for a few months, getting a job, and saving for SA. There may be an opportunity for us to work at a hostel in Bocas called Mondo Taitu, but a number of things must fall into place for that to happen.