COSTA RICA - Relax and Enjoy

COSTA RICA, where you just have to Relax and Enjoy...
Cet article est en francais ici.

I arrived in Costa Rica on the 5th of May, and let me tell you that I didn't really know what to expect from this little country, not so famous around the world, except for some valuable apparences in Soccer World Cup, and a good spot for North American tourists to go to...
That's a shame I think because this country is a lot more than this lazy description. And even though I had 2 pertty bad stories in Costa rica, I really enjoyed the country. And since this post is more or less sponsored by the costa Rican Tourism Office, I have to tell you these 2 things before starting the real advertisment, so that you'll only remember the good things...

First of all, I had some disagreable 20 first minutes in the country when a guy came to me at the luggage room of the airport, and told me my bag was still in Quito. I asked why and they said it was because there wasn't any room in the plane for my bag... Couldn't really believe it so I asked him to repeat. It was true... The story would have been funny if it had happened only to the english couple who was screaming that it was a scandal next to me. But it wasn't only for them...
And actually I wasn't that pissed, I told the guy that they had 2 days to deliver the bag to my friend Nano's place or I would come back and be really angry. I think I have lost some persuasion power or maybe I embraced too much the zen attitude of most travelers, but he wasn't really scared and I left the airport with only my small bag to go for a drink and watch a soccer game in a bar. Everything wasn't so bad in the end...
The second really annoying thing which happened to me was that I got robbed of my camera in a bus... Yep, again I can hear you say... After Buenos Aires, I waited a bit, bought a new camera in Lima, waited another bit, fell asleep in a bus in Costa rica and then I was dispossesed of my second camera... Don't really know it happened, but I can tell you I was really upset, and I am still.
So as a result, the pictures on this post aren't that real... Some are from internet, others from Nano who took them a couple of months before I arrived... And to start, the photo below has been taken from Nano's laptop. And since it had a little software where you could change the photos and play with them, we had fun... Was a good way of cheering up after the lost camera episode... Haha isn't it?
All photos of Costa Rica can be found here. All of them are coming from Nano, thanks a lot amigo!

Deformed Nano and Matt

Despite those bad stories, I have to admit that I really like Costa Rica, nicknamed the "Switzerland of America". Well it is true that Costa Rica is the most stable country in Central and south America regarding political troubles, but it has a lot more to offer than Switzerland! Beaches, cloud forests,  volcanoes, welcoming people, no Army!!!
Yes indeed, the country has no army (and that is probably the reason of its stability) since a referendum in 1948 asked Costa Ricans their opinions about it... And they said "Nope, no army for our country!". How wise is that? As a result, I really like this country, and there is a nice Peacefull atmosphere around it. Peace Out!

The natural beauties are also a major attraction of the country as I said earlier, and the first one I visited was Volcano Arenal in the north of the country. As always with volcanos, I've been rather unlucky and clouds blocked me the view of the lava and smokes I was suppoed to enjoy...
But I don't have to complain because I enjoyed walking in the cloudforest and since I was alone there I had the chance to see some amazing Tucans, hummingbirds or flowers...
The 2 photos below aren't from me, I found them on the internet, but are really close to what I saw... Once the volcano was almost out of cloud as on the right, and I did spot a wonderfull Tucan as the one on the left...

A colorfull Tucan

The Arenal Volcano

The following saturday, after coming bck from Arenal, Nano and I went to Punta Leon on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. He brought me to Punta Leon, an amazing spot with like-in-the-movies beaches. And indeed the beach called Playa Blanca where we've been was the set of the movie 1942 about Christopher Colombus, with French actor Gerard Depardieu. (The movie wasn't shot on the right coast indeed... But Playa Blanca is so beautifull...). Here are some photos taken by Nano some weeks before we went there. Quiet nice!

Playa Blanca, Punta Leon

Sunset in Punta Leon

After Punta Leon, I enjoyed one of the rare geographical characteristic that Costa rica has: I went to Puerto Viejo and thus less than 24h after swimming in the Pacific Ocean, I was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean!
Puerto Viejo is a great place in Costa Rica, where the population is largely descendant from mogrants from Jamaica, the French islands of the Caribeans, and thus they speak a mix of French, English and Spanish. (I first though that there were so many tourists that they no longer spoke their original language...) The atmosphere of the place is alsi really relaxed, chilled. Marijuana is quite a normal product there, and Hammack is a national sport. Life is really easy in Puerto Viejo, and if you also think that the beaches are also amazing on this side of the country, you understand why there are so many strangers stuck there for months before being able to leave the place... Puerto Viejo is definitively the most relaxed place I've been to during my travels... Peace Out!

A nice beach of Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo

As a last small anecdote about Costa Rica before leaving you get back to work, I'll tell you about a national passion which is well known in lots of countries of the world... Football (North Americans or Ozzies, understand soccer)
I had the chance to arrive in Costa Rica during the final week of the Football Championship, and after the game watched in the bar with Nano and his friends, I was all going  for Saprissa, team from San Jose. Luckily for me, they won the championship and I was able to witness the crazyness of the country and of my friend Nano about football, and it was quite nice. I also had a smile on my face the night of their victory... Football really is universal!

Before the end of this post I have to say an enormous thank you to Nano, for everything you've done for me during these 10 days. Thanks also to your family, they are great! See you soon my friend, Gracias!

And to all of you I have to tell you that this blog is also close to the end of its trip and very soon is going to come the post about New York... Stay online!!!
Huge Kisses! See you all soon!