Trans Americas 2009 - The Blog

Happy Birthday, Laura!

Today is always a bit of a sad day, as it would also have been David's birthday and he'd have been 25 just as Laura is. Whilst reflecting on that and getting ready for the day, I found myself in a more melancholy mood than usual, as I headed up the road to the cafe on the corner for breakfast. Even this early in the morning (around 8am) it is starting to get humid, my t-shirt sticking to me as I walked, but simply being here lifts my mood and soon I'm chatting with the others as normal, whilst enjoying some scrambled eggs and rice & beans (I say “enjoying” but perhaps should simply say “eating”)...

We then wandered round town in search of a Costa Rica sticker, having plenty of time as departure with a relatively short day ahead of just 130 or so miles... at least, that was the plan...

With stickers sorted and the bike packed, and the humidity rising it was time to head out again, Nick leading me and Al out of town and on to Quesada before heading to Naranjo, the road good and our pace slow and steady, still wary of the police. Before approaching Naranjo, Nick took a wrong turn, so I ended up leading and the route notes missed a right turn, so we ended up in the centre of town trying to find our way out towards Sarchi and Grecia (or Greta Scaatchi as we called them). Nick went one way, and Al and I another, and before long we'd found the road, so pulled over to wait for Nick. After 10 minutes or so he appeared, complete with police escort... a young cop on a tiny motorcycle who had found him up in the hills miles from anywhere... he said his goodbyes and we had a chat about the next section of route, but before we had chance to get going again, the cop re-appeared with the “A-team” in tow (the “A-team” is a nickname for the group comprising ex-Major Nigel, Ozzy Andy, Gerald and Aaron who always ride together)... they'd also got lost...





Once on the right road, we continued our journey, heading up into the hills again, Nick leading once more. Just before we started the road to the Volcan Pass (which leads up to the volcano but doesn't go any further), I tooted my horn to signal it was time for a coffee and pulled over outside a place selling hand-painted artefacts that I'd seen a coffee sign outside. The owner, an English-speaking Costa Rican, offered us “free coffee for the road” and was as good as his word, the coffee excellent and accompanied by chocolate biscuits – and he refused money, saying we were to just leave something in the box marked “tips for the hummingbirds”. These were everywhere, as he had feeders dispensing sugared water and flowers grown especially to attract them scattered all around his rather eclectic shop, resplendent with brightly painted signs proclaiming “Be Happy, Be Hippy” (amongst other slogans) and hammocks... unfortunately, I'd put my camera in my top-box when it started to rain earlier, and now it was hammering down again, so I don't have any pictures to share...

While we were chatting, I got out the map to look at the next section of route, and our host mentioned that the road passed the La Paz waterfalls (where we were heading next) had been destroyed following an earthquake, and was impassable to cars. We might be ok on the bikes, but would need to be careful. Whilst we contemplated our options over another cup of coffee, Kevin's group appeared coming up the road so we stopped him and told him the news. He said that the couple they'd had dinner with last night had mentioned the earthquake, but that they thought the road was open again. And so off they went, whilst we dawdled to give them plenty of time to find out.

When we got going again in the pouring rain, Nick missed the turn to Vara Blanca and continued up the Volcan Pass (which we'd agreed was pointless as we wouldn't be able to see anything), so Al and I stopped by the roadside again and waited for him to re-appear, which he did 15 minutes later and this time without a police escort... When we finally set off again we were met by Kevin coming the other way, warning us that the La Paz waterfall road had indeed been destroyed, and that the whole group (minus the Kippers who were no-where to be seen) was waiting to discuss the alternate route. With maps out, we decided on a new route towards Heredia and then across to pick up the motorway towards Flores and then the road round via Las Horquetas and on to the lodge at Chilamate. A rather tortuous route, but our best option, given the intended road no longer existed...

However, no sooner had we set off on the new route, the whole group line-astern, than we were stopped by some roadworks as this road had also been badly damaged and was in the process of being repaired, using what looked like runny chocolate blancmange...





Slipping and sliding our way across the mud, round tight bends and avoiding the large dumper-trucks full of more mud hurtling the opposite direction, we slowly made our way round the hill, before descending again on improving tarmac, through little villages and into the town of Heredia, where we rode round for ages trying to find the road out to San Rafael and on to the motorway. After Kevin had stopped to ask for directions a few times (seemingly getting contradictory advice), we finally emerged at a junction with the motorway and shortly after were passing through the toll booth and into traffic, slowly passing the slow-moving trucks as the opportunity arose...

Eventually we found the turn to Horquestas and on towards the lodge, arriving around 5.30pm, still in the pouring rain. Parking the bikes in the entrance lobby of the reception area, we checked in and I was allocated lodge 38, which is at the far end of the forest, a good 5 minute walk from reception along a covered walkway through the rainforest. The lodges are raised on wooden stilts, and remind me of the merry-men's den in Sherwood Forest in the Robin Hood film, some with hammocks strung outside. The room is clean and spacious, with ceiling fans and a decent shower, and Jim had arrived before us (he and the other “kipper” Mac taking a direct route and missing out both the volcano, which we couldn't see, and the waterfall, which we couldn't get to...). But he wasn't in the room, and wasn't in the restaurant/bar either, but that wasn't unusual, as he often does his own thing in the evening. I joined Nick and Al for dinner, a plate of mushrooms cooked with parmesan followed by a decent pizza... When I got back to the room, there was still no sign of Jim, just his stuff on his bed, so I left a small light on for him and went to sleep...