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Costa-Rica

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-- From 2015/11/10 to 2015/11/16
-- From the border of Nicaragua to Volcan Irazu
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The road tacklog
from the border of Nicaragua to Volcan Irazu
from 2015/11/10 au 2015/11/16

Penas Blancas

Enter Costa Rica, CR

I arrived around 8:00 at the border post at Penas Blancas to enter Costa Rica. I left there around 9:30. In Nicaragua the procedure was promptly dispatched at the immigration with the payment of US$3 and at the customs to return the license of temporary circulation. At Costa Rica it was a little longer. At the first building at the office of immigration my passport received the entry stamp. Beside at the customs a charming person made me fill two forms without visiting my truck. She sent to me to the building of the customs at the entrance while coming from Costa Rica to buy a compulsory insurance US$29, to pay ₵50 for the photocopy of the insurance with the page of the passport with the entry stamp. Finally to make the queue at the customs to obtain the temporary license of circulation. I recovered my truck at the first building to leave the enclosure of Penas Blancas.

PN Volcan Rincon de la Vieja

But really not from chance a violent downpour fell during more than one hour whereas I moved towards the PN Volcan Rincon de la Vieja which is with about twenty kilometers of the junction of CA #1 of which the last seven kilometers are a paying private track ₵700. I arrived at the port around 12:00 on a small carpark in front of an unspecified entry. The entry of the park costs US$15. After lunching I undertook a one-hour small excursion on Sendero Las Palias. Indeed the other trails require a duration of more than four hours, moreover the crater track was closed due to the activity of the volcano. I bivouacked on the carpark at the entrance of park.

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Sendero Las Pallias, click la photo

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Playa del Coco

61 km separate the carpark of the PN Volcan Rincon of Vieja from the town of Liberia where I arrived around 8:00 to take cash at the bank, supply at the supermarket and to consult my mailboxt at a cybercafé with according to Lonely Planet “a pedestrian speed”. The city has a superb modern church. Then I was going to pose to me at the Playa del Coco for my bivouac vis-a-vis the Pacific Ocean.

Liberia

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Playa del Coco

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Santa Elena

At dawn I gave up the coconut beach to go up in the mountains at Santa Elena where I had three visits. This mountain village is at 38 km away from Quebrada Grande at the end of an overland route at the altitude of 1367 meters. It was created by the Quakers fleeing the conscription in the USA for the Korea war in 1951. Initially in Monteverde I visited Monteverde Cheese Factory then I did purchase of cheese Monteverde and Cheddar. Then I traversed the trail Bajo del Tigre in Bosque Eterno de los Ninos. On 4 km it twist in a primary and secondary forest which is the habitat of wild species particularly birds and monkeys, visible early the morning or in the evening. Of course I didn't see anything! Then having parked my truck I went to the Jardin de Orquideas. The guide explained me, in English, the characteristics of the 400 species present in the garden from the smallest in the world to the most odoriferous. I bivouacked on a parking lot.

Monteverde Cheese Factory

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Bosque Eterno de los Ninos, Bajo del Tigre, click la photo

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Jardin de Orquideas, click la photo

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Volcan Arenal

I went down from Santa Elena as of early dawn, 5:30, to arrive at the Volcan Arenal around 8:30 after 96 km around the eponymous lake. Indeed the road winds in rolling mountains reducing the speed. The two hours excursion for 4.7 km was done with a drizzle whereas the clouds capped the top of the volcano always in activity after  its surprised eruption in 1968.

Trail "Forest 68", click la photo

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Bivouac Volcan Poas

On Saturday, November 14th I moved towards the Volcan Poas. While passing at La Fortuna I sought a cybercafé which alas had a deficiency connection. I can neither to consult my mailbox nor to publish pages of my website. I arrived around 16:00 after 169 km in 9 hours stops included. Indeed the road curves in the mountain and the trucks blocked in the tight turns. The park of the volcano closes at 15:30. I found a sloping bivouac at the edge of the road at 2483 meters of altitude.

Bivouac on roadside!

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Bivouac Volcan Irazu

On Sunday morning as of the opening of the gate of Parque National Volcan Poas, 8:00, I began the excursion to go to the crater at 2704 meters of altitude in the clouds which persisted throughout all my way i.e. a little more than one hour. As for the preceding volcanos I do not see anything. But I am stubborn I will perpetuate at the Volcan Irazu. Around 9:30 I went down again towards Alajuela to go to bivouac at the only RV Park in Costa Rica at Belen close to an Josél. When I arrived at the known waypoint of all travellers with a camper I have the unpleasant surprise to find a supermercado. Information taken to the people of the vicinity there was no more RV Park in Costa Rica. I carried on my way to bivouac at the gate of Parque National Volcan Irazu at 3227 meters of altitude!

Volcan Poas trekking in the clouds, click the picture

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Bivouac on roadside !

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Volcan Irazu, click the picture

On Monday, November 16th I entered Parque National Volcan Irazu as of 8:00. I have chance at 8:15 the principal crater was visible, no cloud. The view of the caldera is sumptuous. Then I went at the highest point at 3432 meters of altitude. But time to go there the clouds darkened the crater. During the rise the pulse of my sick heart beat between 94 and 96 pulsations per minute, they were good omens for the continuation of the journey in South America. I remained on the carpark to prepare the update of the pages of my website. A violent storm fell down which lasted until my arrival at the bivouac at the night falling on the beach of Dominical on the Pacific Ocean.

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