Jimenez - Las stop in Costa Rica
Last stop in Costa Rica – Jimenez
As we wanted to leave Costa Rica for Panama during the night, timing our arrival in Isla Parida around mid-day, we sailed across Gulfo Dulce from Golfito to Jimenez, which would give us an open bay to leave rather than the more complicated channel heading out of Golfito.
Our cruising guide told us that we would be welcome at the Parrot Bay Resort who have a great pier and dock where we expected to leave our dinghy. One of their security people came by to let us know that though we could anchor where we were we could not go ashore on their dock as it was privado/private. So we took the dinghy ashore with our lap-top to look for an internet café. Landing was easy and we walked in the direction of Parrot Bay Resort, which was very aptly named as we saw many Macaw parrots, the big red green yellow and blue parrots that make a helluvalot of noise. We tried to get some video of them. We stood under their trees watching and talking to them. They are very interactive and like to show off by hanging upside down. And they are so colourful.
No internet in that direction so off we went to El Centro and found a soccer pitch, game in progress and most of the town standing and sitting around the pitch and more Macaw squawking like crazy to keep up with the cheering of the spectators.
We did not find a bar with internet which is our preference, but we did find an internet office with the atmosphere of a doctor’s waiting room. A couple of hours later we looked around for a store, but being Sunday they were all closed. We did however find a bar – and what a bar, run by 2 of the raunchiest women I’ve seen anywhere, drinking and joking with their already very drunk customers, and a few groups of people seated at tables, a couple with their baby and another with a small child, all drinking and having a good old time. Several men in the bar introduced themselves to us including a man called Jose who explained to us by holding his hand at his crotch and pumping it in what looked like (you know what) that he was a bull-rider and that he was only drinking water because he was riding that afternoon. Well he certainly had been drinking something other than water for the first half of that day.
We finished that day walking back to our dinghy through what seemed like hoards of eco-tourists. Eco-tourism seems to be what Costa Rica is hanging its hopes on, and I really question how serious their commitment is when there is so much garbage everywhere on the beaches and so many vehicles speeding through the towns, and the parks packed with guide driven tourists all expecting to see the animal wildlife in its natural habitat. Also – where are all the dolphins? Dolphins seem to love to play around boats, but maybe they are discouraged by the fishermen here.
So here we sit now at Isla Parida, our first stop in Panama, a very rolly anchorage, our first passage since leaving Costa Rica and we’ve been visited by dolphins, lots of dolphins which makes us very happy.
As we wanted to leave Costa Rica for Panama during the night, timing our arrival in Isla Parida around mid-day, we sailed across Gulfo Dulce from Golfito to Jimenez, which would give us an open bay to leave rather than the more complicated channel heading out of Golfito.
Our cruising guide told us that we would be welcome at the Parrot Bay Resort who have a great pier and dock where we expected to leave our dinghy. One of their security people came by to let us know that though we could anchor where we were we could not go ashore on their dock as it was privado/private. So we took the dinghy ashore with our lap-top to look for an internet café. Landing was easy and we walked in the direction of Parrot Bay Resort, which was very aptly named as we saw many Macaw parrots, the big red green yellow and blue parrots that make a helluvalot of noise. We tried to get some video of them. We stood under their trees watching and talking to them. They are very interactive and like to show off by hanging upside down. And they are so colourful.
No internet in that direction so off we went to El Centro and found a soccer pitch, game in progress and most of the town standing and sitting around the pitch and more Macaw squawking like crazy to keep up with the cheering of the spectators.
We did not find a bar with internet which is our preference, but we did find an internet office with the atmosphere of a doctor’s waiting room. A couple of hours later we looked around for a store, but being Sunday they were all closed. We did however find a bar – and what a bar, run by 2 of the raunchiest women I’ve seen anywhere, drinking and joking with their already very drunk customers, and a few groups of people seated at tables, a couple with their baby and another with a small child, all drinking and having a good old time. Several men in the bar introduced themselves to us including a man called Jose who explained to us by holding his hand at his crotch and pumping it in what looked like (you know what) that he was a bull-rider and that he was only drinking water because he was riding that afternoon. Well he certainly had been drinking something other than water for the first half of that day.
We finished that day walking back to our dinghy through what seemed like hoards of eco-tourists. Eco-tourism seems to be what Costa Rica is hanging its hopes on, and I really question how serious their commitment is when there is so much garbage everywhere on the beaches and so many vehicles speeding through the towns, and the parks packed with guide driven tourists all expecting to see the animal wildlife in its natural habitat. Also – where are all the dolphins? Dolphins seem to love to play around boats, but maybe they are discouraged by the fishermen here.
So here we sit now at Isla Parida, our first stop in Panama, a very rolly anchorage, our first passage since leaving Costa Rica and we’ve been visited by dolphins, lots of dolphins which makes us very happy.
Comments