Liberia Costa Rica

We got up early this morning to hit the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica before it got busy.  Lots of people said this would be an easy crossing.  Lots of people were wrong.  3 hours later we finally headed into Costa Rica!  The place does not have good signage and the amount of running around we had to do was crazy.  The entrance was mud and very bumpy, which made it really stressful on motorbikes.  Once we got stamped out of Nicaragua, cancelled our motorcycle permits and got stamped into Costa Rica we were only 1/2 hour into the ordeal and thinking things are going pretty well.

We go to customs, who tell us to drive to insurance, ok drove out to where they told us to go, drove past the entrance and had to go around.  Waited for insurance which took quite a bit of time and had to go back because they messed up on one of the bike VIN numbers.  Got it and went to get photocopies.  No problem, until it was time to pay for the copies.  Won't take big bills and we don't have small bills.  So heading back to the money changers and ran into a couple fellows from Seattle we met at the Honduras border.  Borrowed the $1.00 from them.  They said they just walked from customs.  So we drove back to customs with the insurance and copies.  Had to make a big circle to get back to where we were before.  The guys who walked beat us back to customs.  Had to fill out 2 sets of forms that were fairly long and then get in line again for approval.  Got the forms stamped and were told to go back to insurance for final approval.  Drove back to insurance (it was on the way out) and got in line.  Wrong line.  Go around the corner to another area.  Ok got approval and are on our way.  Stopped by the police at the end for a complete recheck of everything including where we were going and how long we would be there.  Finally freedom to get the wind going to cool us down.

Filled up with gas at a little town and went in for lunch.  Here was where our lack of Spanish really showed up.  Tried to order chicken sandwiches.  No chicken.  tried to order ham sandwiches.  No ham.  Tried to order hamburgers. No hamburgers.  Waitress trying to tell me something that I am not quite getting.  Finally understand that they are out of bread.  Ahh, Ok 3 plates of fries and some chicken rice for me.  Not the greatest food in the world that is for sure, but the coffee was excellent!

Back on the road and the rain starts coming so we pull into a McDonalds in Liberia for more food and to check the maps on the internets for hotels later that day.  Talked with a man who grew up in Texas but lives in Liberia full time now.  It rains from 3:00 on everyday in October (rainy season) and it is about 2:00, so we decide to find a hotel here tonight.  He recommends the Best Western down the street.  We pull in, negotiate a good rate and then get an upgrade to a bigger room.  Excellent!  Good pool, amazing atmosphere and big clean room.

We will head down the coast tomorrow toward the border with Panama.  With any luck at all we will be in David Panama by the end of Tuesday.

Here are some pics from Liberia.
Stew.