Camino de Costa Rica
Day 1: San José to Cimarrones
Date: February 13, 20204
Miles: ~15
Time walking: ~ 8 hours.
Difficulty: 2-hour drive to get to start point. Wake up call to the heat and humidity. Fairly flat gravel or paved road.
Pick ups began at 3:30am. We got to sleep a little longer with a 4:25am pick up. They ran about 20 minutes late, but did communicate well and regularly on the delay. Arrived close to 8am at the boating dock. (Did stop once for a bathroom break). Quite a bit of rain while driving. Slow traffic with many semis. Took a boat through the canals to breakfast. Note: before getting on the boat put on bug spray!!
Pretty shuttered buildings along the river.
Hearty traditional breakfast
Crossed the river and walked muddy trail after breakfast …
… To the Pacific Ocean for the official start of our coast to coast trek.
-15 mile hiking today on fairly flat gravel or paved road. Started hiking today around 11:20am and arrived at our dinner restaurant around 6pm. A little elevation started at 11.5 miles. Passed Lots of farm land, villages, and animals (e.g., cows, water buffalo, monkeys, birds…).
Village people seemed very friendly. Everyone waved to us and said hello. Saw the dole banana processing plant which was very interesting.
Completed last part of hike before sun went down
Hearty dinner at Yolanda’s house with lots of vegetables (carrots, green beans, salad, beets) rice/beans , potatoes and very good chicken. Got a surprise- stayed in a hotel. 10-minute drive from Yolanda’s. The shower felt amazing. We were revived. Sleeping in a bed with air conditioning great.
Day 2: Cimarrones to Las Brisas
Date: February 14, 2024
Miles: 11.5 miles
Time walking: ~6 hours
Difficulty: 2,700 feet ascend and 1,100 feet descent. Mostly gentle hills but some steep.
6:30am breakfast. Took awhile to shuttle all of us back to the trail but we were able to start hiking at 8:15am and finished our 11.5 mile hike around 2:30pm.
Hike today was lots of gentle, some steep, uphill (2,700 feet) some downhill (1,100 feet) and got our first taste of the mud.
Scenery was beautiful. Lots of views, more farms and communities. Some views back across the coastal plain to almost see the Caribbean Sea.
Our packed lunch (wrapped in banana leaf) was great. Double tortillas filled with cheese, beans, chicken, egg and more.
We ate it on the side of the trail
Cold shower was manageable (and needed). Separate tents on platforms with a mattress and blanket/pillow. Had an outlet in one of the posts to charge our electronics.
