The long trip across the border to Costa Rica

I couldn't face another night in the mosquito infested dump and exhausted from a sleepless night thanks to the 2 Canadian girls and their Rasta lover next door, I launched off in the chicken bus to the intersection on the main road to Rivas (La Virgen; everything is to do with her) and was vexed that rather than the promised wait of 10 minutes by the roadside, it was fully 1 1/2 hours before a bus deigned to stop. It was already packed to the rafters, but they crammed another 5 of us in. I was the last one in and the only thing that kept me falling out of the back of the bus onto the road outside was the line of my shoulders wedged against the top of the opening of the rear door, which was flapping uselessly behind us. It was very tiring keeping my body rigid so that the pressure of the other bodies didn't expell me from the careering vehicle, and it was a miracle that I managed to keep hold of the guitar and that I wasn't pickpocketed in my helpless state, but then nobody else was able to move either. We got to the Nicaraguan border, and there was chaotic queuing for another 1 1/2 hours before getting an exit stamp, before trudging about 500m to the Costa Rican border post. Now this was supposed to be organised, but we were compelled to stand in a serpentine line in the sun (no toilets, no food) for another 3 hours before we were processed. By this time it was late, and as the earlier bus was sold out, I chose not to take the bus all the way to San Jose, not wanting to arrive in a Central American city late at night at the mercy of an unscrupulous taxi driver who might or might not have led me into a trap. Instead, I went to Barranca, and the decent taxi driver who took me on to Punta Arenas delivered me to a simple. clean and friendly little hotel and he was a mine of information. I had decided that my time for Central America had all but run out, so was determined to cross Costa Rica quickly. I had had enough of seeing volcanoes in the rain, so thought it wasn't worth risking time for Arenal, and that there may be another time to explore the Caribbean side, especially as everyone raves about Caihute and crossing by land into Panama to go to the beaches and islands of Bocas del Toro. It sounds like a destination that Jessica would really love, beautiful beaches and simple restaurants and bars and many beautiful people... I believe the diving's really good too. So I hope to see it sometime.

The serpentine queue waiting for immigration on the Costa Rican side.

Home sweet home, my simple room in Hotel Cabeza which was so luxurious compared to where I had been staying in San Juan