The Final Pedals in Central America

The border crossing into Costa Rica was quick and easy. I was pretty eager to explore Costa Rica. I had heard that the wildlife was diverse and the beaches were great for camping. Costa Rica is one of the rare countries where you can legally camp in the wild and on the beaches for free. If there is one thing I’ll never get tired of, it’s sleeping in my hammock on the beach.

I saw many of these Crusted Caracara after crossing the border. It was hard to get a good photo as they kept flying away.

I was still overcoming an awful throat infection, so riding was a bit tough. My appetite and energy levels were low. I was planning a short day and a day off at a campground in the jungle not far from the border that had been recommend by many other cyclists.

It was a beautiful location tucked away along a river. It was owned by an old Swiss couple and this place was very popular with Overlanders and cyclists because of the nice camping arrangements.

Very soon after setting up my tent, a family of monkeys traveled along the tree above my tent. There must have been nearly 15 of them and even some babies.

The night was full of noises of these massive toads. It’s a sound I enjoy a lot as it reminds me of the nights on the lake growing up.

I took the next day off to explore the property. There were a few trails around and I was hoping to get to see some more wildlife (mostly a sloth). Thankfully I had two German Shepherds who showed me the way. They would run ahead on the trail and then look back and wait for me.

Big wonderful tree while my guide patiently waits.

Sadly, my guides had gotten distracted and chased an unknown animal off into the jungle and left me to continue alone. Until I came across this elegant goat with quite the set of horns. He was only interested in posing for a photo and not being my new guide.

The hills of Costa Rica. The riding in Nicaragua had been flat and easy but that was going to change…

I got extremely lucky and managed to spot a tucán while walking the trail. One of my favorite photos from Costa Rica.

The next day I headed for the large town of Liberia in hopes of finding a bike shop to fix my front shifter. It had rusted pretty bad and was no longer usable and it would be really nice to have for all the upcoming steep hills.

Unluckily for me, I arrived on a Sunday and all the bike shops were closed. Also, it was New Years Eve and tomorrow all the shops would be closed for the holiday as well. I guess I would have to continue without my front shifter.

I was staying at a hostel and decided for a more chill NYE, as my last one in Guadalajara, Mexico had been an all night intoxicated party with a few good friends.

Here at the hostel, I met a cool Dutch surfer girl, Rachel. We started talking and we’re getting along pretty well. We decided to stay back at the hostel and drink a few bottles of wine together while the rest of the hostel went to a nearby beach for fireworks.

We drank and we talked and we laughed the final moments of 2023 away, and welcomed 2024 with a new years kiss surrounded by the sounds of fireworks.

Rachel was headed to a surf town called Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula which was on the route that I was following. We talked and planned to spend a few days together when I arrived.

Not feeling much different from the year before, I headed for the coast, eager to sleep on the beach.

I was following a popular bikepacking route along the peninsula. I was excited to finally get back to some gravel roads as well since they are usually much more tranquilo.

I ended up riding much further than planned to take a day off the ETA to get to Santa Teresa. Maybe I was looking forward to some days off on the beach, maybe I was looking forward to seeing Rachel again.

There was a few local families camping on the beach for the holidays and I met a wonderful guy named Carlos who I chatted to for a bit. It turns out his sister was the owner of the land we were camping on and was cooking a big dinner tonight, which he invited me to.

After talking for a bit with Carlos, I swam and walked up and down the beach. Very much in my happy place. I know I’m looking forward to the high alpine of the Andes, but it’s hard not to love the warm and easy living on the Pacific Ocean.

One small section of the beach was covered in seashells and coral, creating a beautiful mosaic of colors. I picked a nice seashell to give to Rachel.

This shell already had an owner. I loved watching all the hermit crabs come out in the evening to feed. There would be hundreds of them all along the beach.

My first proper Costa Rican sunset. It was a nice day riding and I was looking forward to the next week of riding along the coast and seeing more beautiful beaches like this one.

My buddy Carlos was so welcoming and friendly.

I ate with him and his large family. I tried listening to them all talk and follow along but it is such a challenge to understand what was going on so I mostly sat there and smiled cluelessly. They would turn and talk to me frequently but they would talk to me like a child, which was pretty much the only way I could follow along.

Perfection in a photo. While I was watching the sunrise from my hammock. Carlos walks over with a coffee and a plate full of eggs and tortillas. Such amazing kindness. I followed him back to his sisters house were we all ate breakfast together.

Now it was time to really begin the coastal route. I had heard from many others that there were lots of steep hills and they weren’t lying. They were never long, but I usually had to hike up them. Photos like this never do the incline justice.

All day biking though magnificent beaches.

Some howler monkeys on the side of the road.

Near the end of the day, I was exhausted. I was trying to keep pushing myself 5km at a time, to slowly get to my goal destination. Every hill was harder than the last and I was struggling to push my bike up each one. It was a challenging moment to keep pushing but I knew that if I kept going, it would all be over soon.

After pushing and sweating for what felt like ever, I finally made it. This route was way tougher than I imagined and even trying to make 60km a day was a challenge. I had only one more day riding from here to Santa Teresa where I was looking forward to some days off. Rachel and I had booked an Airbnb for four nights together.

There was a big fancy resort at this beach and I helped myself to a nice fancy meal as a reward. Food will never fail to make me feel good.

And since wild camping was legal in Costa Rica, I could walk down the beach and set up my hammock no problem.

The beach was beautiful in the morning. I had just one more day left, about 60km to Santa Teresa. I woke up already with some doubt. The thought of trying to hitch a ride already in my head. I was full of excuses telling myself I wouldn’t be able to make it there on my own.

I did what I usually do and tell that part of me to shut up and I started pedaling. I still had all day and plenty of time to get there.

It was about now that I did notice something pretty bad. My rear hub was beginning to shake a lot and I knew that was a bad sign. It could be an easy fix but it’s one that can get much worse very quickly. I decided I would get it looked at when I was in Santa Teresa.

I pushed on. Most trucks that passed me I looked and dreamt of being in the back, cruising along to my destination. I had the desire to pedal myself there, I was lacking in the energy and strength. I was still getting over my illness and fighting to keep myself hydrated and energized, but my appetite hadn’t come back yet so I was starving myself of energy.

I remember passing three other cyclists who were riding the same route but going the other way. They were so full of energy and joy and I was like an energy vampire. They past me as I had just pulled over and was about to start looking to hitch hike.

After talking to them for a bit, they gave me the last bit of confidence I needed to finish the last section to Santa Teresa. I was determined to get myself there.

This section of the route was breathtaking. A massive beach ride with the ocean on one side and the jungle on the other.

The last section was along a wonderful coastal road into the town of Santa Teresa. I was proud of myself for making it there on my own, even with all the excuses in my head.

As I rode into the town, I started getting a weird feeling about this place. It was swarmed with vacationers, mostly all on ATVs or UTVs riding up and down the street. All along the streets were fancy boutique hotels and expensive restaurants. It felt more like an amusement park than anything.

I never like the way these touristy towns make me feel. I didn’t come all this way to feel like I was back home. I’m more used to being in places with locals and seeing what I feel is a more authentic experience of the country and its people. I don’t like when the only interactions you have with locals is from a service perspective.

Maybe it’s a bit egotistical, trying to separate myself from these other tourists. Put myself above them as if I’m better than them somehow. They are good people, too. Enjoying their limited vacation days in a beautiful foreign country that doesn’t feel too foreign for them.

Anyways, I was looking forward to some days off, even if it was here.

Rachel and I reunited and we enjoyed the first few days together a lot. We drank lots of wine, ate good food, and relaxed on the beach. The more time we spent together, the more time I started to notice many differences in our personalities. What started as small quirks turned quickly into annoyances, on both ends. It became pretty clear to me that our connection was pretty surface level. What was exciting and fun for a day or two turned more into a chore as the honeymoon phases faded away. It’s not due to any fault in either of us, just two pieces that didn’t fit together.

That is the beauty and reality of many travel relationships. It’s so easy to create seemingly deep connections while traveling. Everything is so new and exciting and it can be a lot more fun to experience with someone else.

I’m not looking for a life partner, I’m only looking to share some beautiful moments with people I meet along the way. And some moments last longer than others.

Eager to leave this town behind me, I started riding on my very wobbly hub. A nearby town had a bike shop and when I arrived I learned that it was Sunday, shops closed. It’s hard to know which day is Sunday when everyday is Saturday.

Because of the imminent doom of my hub, I was only planning to ride about 50km to take a ferry off the peninsula and then bus to San Jose, the capital city, for a bike shop.

I have a soft spot in my heart for ferries and bicycle travel. They go together so well together. It definitely helps that you almost always get out first on a bicycle also.

I arrived in San Jose late and got a hotel room and couldn’t resist going to the nearby Taco Bell. New year, same me.

After much consideration, I decided that I wanted to bus to Panama City the next day. The main factor was I wanted to reconnect with my friend Kacper. We had big plans to cross to Colombia together and he was waiting for me in the city, and it would take me about two more weeks to bike there. Also, the route there is the PanAmerican highway and it is not known to be a fun ride. Most of all, I was content with my travels so far in Central America and I could her South America calling my name. It still would be a while till I arrive, but it’s where I’m headed.

I had mixed feelings about my time in Costa Rica. From a natural beauty standpoint it was fantastic but I really didn’t like how touristy and expensive the country was. Prices were nearly double than other Central American countries. I don’t think I’ll return for a long time.

My next blog will share some of the stories I had in Panama City. A beautiful city that I enjoyed a lot and met some wonderful people.

Thank you all for following along, see you in the next one.