The Floor is Lava!

Back to the coast we went, down hills and through green mountainous valleys, back to where Franky is most at home. We also quickly reverted to our feral, beach combing selves that were perfected so well last time in Costa Rica. Cruising through the first town we pit stopped as soon as the road hit the beach, to swim and take in the amazing palm lined bay for a couple of hours then carried on south on the knackered old coast road a few bays and headland passes more to pull up at Punta Isalita.

An amazing little bay with a small island on the point, hoping for wave but the sea was too stormy. We settled in, slung hammock, swam and made the most of the coast. No one else around other than the fancy hotel at the other end of the beach (that was conveniently our source for water and toilets!)

Next day we let Franky have some time off and kicked back hard to some pretty dreamy beach life, with nothing more to do than some swimming, walking and silliness, we cooked on the fire, and sweated at every moment. A humid 30?c by day and night, you move, you sweat! And the floor was lava... bitting little ant armies, midges and more scorpions. Pissing by night with a new moon was dangerous stuff!

The day after we felt refreshed by paradise and ready to hit the road north, to see some more beautiful beaches and begin our constant journey towards Mexico. We took a gamble on the coast road we heard may be paved in parts but it wasn't and far from it, an absolutely awful 48km took us 4hrs. Luckily it was scenic driving through the jungle and we saw some true tico fishing villages with lots of turtle conservation but mostly dirt tracks, some suspicious bridges and a rogue river crossing later we found tarmac and hit the nearest beach. Weather and wind came in but we had a beach front spot and some quiet after a bumpy day on the road. Next morning was interesting...

I was bolt awake at 4.30am as our side door popped and straight at it like a good guard dog. We knew this coast had advantageous beach combers and we'd had thing stolen on the previous trip, but this was keen. The bloke in the door with a torch didn't expect to luminate a butt naked viking tree pirate right in front of him barking curses. He left swiftly but left us on edge. I snoozed in the hammock as night watch until Jelly rose with the day and we kicked

on after bad vibes and the coast from here was getting more populated. Tarmac roads took us past the lot to an afternoon on another beach, fancier with paid parking and Saturday vibes but peace of mind to leave the van watched by security and chill out by the sea.

Heading in land that evening for an early National Park start, we pulled into a viewpoint of the volcanoes. Amazing 360?s of the area, sun dropping, cooler air and the run of the canyon river. We pulled in to find a sorry looking local in need of tools to change a tyre. We stopped to help but struggled to get anywhere as our tool box was sporadic! Managed to flag him down more help who took him to the nearest mechanic. Figuring he had local help and content that we did what we could to keep our karma right, we continued our evening on the hill.

An hour later he pulls up the hill, needing tools. We help but considering I'm a useless mechanic and this car was a heap of shit it was slow going. We lit him up and changed the tyre, re-plumbed the empty blown fuel pipes, only to find a second puncture. We bumped him backwards down an awful dirt road but he was spiralling into nonsense and ended up stuck, blocking the only way out. Again we free him up but by now I'm done, filthy and its dark, loosing trust in his intentions and after the mornings antics I gave a stern word. Miraculously he manages to leave on his own right then and so do we after more bad vibes and end up parked at a bar in the village for the night. A boody long day that, lucky the next was lovely!

An early start got us to the National Park before the gate opened. We were half way up an active volcano with heaps of thermal activity and well laid trails. Huge strangler figs led the way in the morning through the forest, across the volcano plain and back into a valley to a beautiful waterfall with a bright blue pool, bridges over rivers and views all around. The afternoon track took us around sulphur holes, boiling hot springs and bubbling mud pools, the floor here really was lava. Deep in the rainforest still, it did what it does best and the heavens opened to absolutely drench us for an hour solid. Singing in the rain with the mist hanging over the steaming hillside it painted a perfect picture and grateful for such a lovely days hiking we changed got back to the van, offloaded the remnants of our bananas to the birds and left happy for a proper day in the bush.