Liberia to El Silencio

October 6 & 7 Liberia to El Silencio

Apologies for the missed blog yesterday but when you read below you will understand and forgive me. 

I left the Hotel La Arena in good time to make El Silencio by 2pm, which is when my host Joseph and Marya said they would be home from shopping at the market. I made a mental note to drive slowly and to enjoy the road,  the scenery and any other distractions that came along my way. The road was beautiful as it gently twisted and turned with the odd glimpse of the pacific or to my left the mountain jungle. A couple of hours in to my ride I passed an inviting cafe nestled in the shade of trees overlooking the pacific, I turned around and headed back as this seemed the perfect stop for a cold drink. It was and it also had wifi. I checked my emails and sent Joseph a message to tell him I was an hour away from Quepos, which itself was 1/2 hour from El Silencio. One of the emails I received was from the World Athletic Championships seeking volunteers for 2017. I filled in the online application and pressed the send button and thought that would be fun.

My Beach stop cafe

Back on the road I was enjoying the ride but looking forward to reaching my destination and meeting Joseph and Mary and having a rest from travelling. After 1/2 hr or so it seemed that the wind had got up and my bike became more difficult to handle, this lasted for the next few miles. It crossed my mind that I had a puncture, but as it wasn’t getting any worse I discounted that idea. As I approached the turn to Quepos where I was meant to continue on to El Silence I had to break sharply at the roundabout. This braking action, brought my bike into a judder that was undeniably the feel of a puncture. Getting off the bike, I could see it was clearly so. I began preparing to make my temporary repair but to do so required my putting my bike onto the centre stand and inspecting for damage to the tyre and then injecting with emergency puncture repair sealant. Despite my efforts I could not get the machine onto the centre stand, it was just too heavy with all the kit on. I know I can get it onto the stand, but this would mean taking off all the luggage and panders off the bike, I could not be bothered. By slowly pushing the bike forward a few centimetres at a time I could still inspect the tyre. There appeared to be no obvious nails or glass so I began to  fill the tyre with the sealant  and quickly pump up the tyre. Once having done this I put all my gear back on the bike and set off into Quepos, instantly the tyre was flat. Fortunately their was a filling station jut around the corner and they seemed enthusiastic to help me but it became clear they were just going to do the same procedure that I’d just tried - I stopped them and when they finally understood what I was telling them they told me that 400m down the road was a tyre place. In no time I was there and the tyre was off my bike and inner tube being replaced with the spare I had with me. There was a large hole in the old inner tube that must have been made by a large nail, which presumably popped out under hard breaking. I got the guy to repair the inner tube as this would now became my spare. Note: must get a spare inner tube. I could have fixed the flat myself but it would have taken me a lot longer and in the heat it would have been hard work.

Joseph outside his castle

Back on the road I headed to Joseph and Maryas, somewhat later than I informed them. I followed Joseph’s directions to the letter and turned off the highway and onto a gravel road. The unsealed road was more treacherous than ordinary unsealed road as quite large rounded smooth stones were also used. I crossed over a few bridges and after what seemed like a long time eventually reached the suspension footbridge that I’d been told to cross. It looked to narrow for my bike to fit through with its panniers and all. I observed the other option which was the river crossing. I looked anxiously as the water was fast moving and from where I had stopped there was no telling how deep it was. Just then a 4X4 passed me on this remote road and headed for the river. I could see as it made the crossing the water was half way up its wheel (approximately 2 ft deep). I decided to go for it, though somewhat cautiously and timidly. The bike at first sailed through the water but as I got to the deepest part of the water the bike teetered and became more difficult to control. My instinctive reaction was to put my feet down, but then I remembered something I’d read - keep the power on and the machine rolling. I turned on the throttle and it instantly kicked up and powered out of the water. I was pleased to have completed my second river crossing in as many days. Then it was up a steep rocky hill and as I was focussed on the obstacles ahead I nearly missed the house - it was Joseph’s hollering that brought me to a halt. It felt great to meet them eventually after a correspondence that had been going on for some weeks. Their place is really delightful sitting on the edge of the jungle with no electricity but all other necessary basics. Set above a beautiful river it really is idyllic - if one ignores the midgies! It was great chatting to them and finding out the history of the mammoth project they have set themselves to tame this 40 or so acres  of wilderness. Tropical fruits grow in abundance here and it would appear to be a staple part of their diet. I could see from my few  hours here that this is not an easy existence, though beautiful it involves much handwork, under quite stifling conditions. That evening under candle light and kerosene lamps I ate the first home cooked meal for sometime - A lovely dish of pasta and vegetables cooked by Marya. After putting the world to rights we hit the sack by 9am and I slept under the mosquito net that my dear hosts had provided, knowing that at 4am I had to be awake for a swim on the each as the sun rose.

Me by the Seaside (after my swim)

El Silencio October 7th

Surprisingly I sleep well, considering this was the first time I’d slept in a non air conditioned room for some time. My first hour or so was fitful as I felt the presence of bug on my body, some real and some imagined I suspect. In the clothes I stood up in we were off by 5am and after a ride in the ute we were at the beach by 5.30. I was instantly taken by the light and the spray from the sea as it crashed on the shore- taking photo after photo. The other two were stripped off and in the water, I decided I must join them. Now I’m a reluctant beach goer as many of you know, but this is due to the cold conditions and even colder waters of the UK. Even at 5.30am with the sun just rising this was in no way cold and on entering the water, with an autonomic shudder, born from entering many a cold British sea, I was immediately shocked to find this was not the seas I’d never grown accustomed to but a warm delightful sea that invited you in. The reasonably large waves breaking over you felt enveloping and warm, making the whole experience most pleasant and the perfect way to start the day.

As with every day I’ve had on this trip so far,  I have had one incident or more to bring me up short and today was no exception. Having had a run along the beach Marya came back and invited Joseph and I to see something she’d discovered. We duly obliged and followed her away from the beach. Up high in a tree was what looked like a nest, I took out my camera to focus on the nest like object. With the camera focussing and zooming in I could see it was a wasps nest with much activity taking place. Joseph moved closer and pointed at something he had seen and while my camera was still to my eye I heard the shouts from Marya and Joseph before I felt the stings hit me. They were already running down the track before I realised what was happening - we were being attacked by a swarm of very angry wasps. Within no time at all I could feel the pain of numerous stings on hands, arms and back. My bright blue t-shirt seemed to be attracting more than my fair share and Joseph kindly brushed away a number of wasps from my back. My right hand seemed to have born the brunt of the attack and it instantly swelled to Michelin man proportions.

The late morning I was taken by Joseph around his ‘Estate’ which is untouched native rain forest. He told me of his ideas to build various lodges and develop trails for tourist. I could see and share with him his vision - but I could also see the huge amounts of effort it would take to turn this dream into a reality. I could see from the start that they had already made, that they were not afraid of hard work. I am always impressed by people who are passionate about life and this couple impressed me greatly, as they not only had a vision, but they were not daunted by the difficulties of that vision but encouraged by the possibilities. Their little cabin on the edge of the Costa Rican jungle is just the beginning of their growing project.

The picture is a little blurred - I wonder why

After sitting down on their verandah for a few brief moment I was in no time at all in a deep and lovely sleep awakening as it began to darken after the afternoon’s rain - Joseph and Marya were also snoozing I later discovered. The climate here does that to you, it’s exhausting and makes huge demands on the western constitution.