From Monteverde to Montezuma

21/06/09 - 26/06/09

After the exertion of the canopy tour, we were ready for some more relaxation, and what better place to relax than at the beach? Our first stop was Montezuma, a mere two bus rides, one taxi ride, and one ferry crossing away :) We were amazed that the ferry only cost us 810 colones each, which at the current exchange rate, is less than £1!!! Montezuma is a very small beach town on the Pacific coast, another surfer's paradise, but with a lot more character than some of the other beaches we have been to and lots of animals too. On our first day while having lunch, we were shocked to see three monkeys coming down the tree right next to our table. It was great to see them so close up, but one of them started to get a bit agressive, showing us his teeth, so we thought it best to move tables. There is a photo of him just below. Yes, he looks cute now, but believe me, they can be quite scary!!!

We absolutely loved Montezuma and ended up spending quite a few lazy days there. Our hostel was right on the beach with hammocks just outside and I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that we spent the majority of our time in Montezuma laying in these hammocks, watching the waves, and at times, watching Vic fall over in the waves :) Sometimes they were so powerful that they would come all the way up to the hostel!!!

There are quite a lot of things you can do when you're based in Montezuma, but we took the relaxation very seriously this time and hardly did anything. We had kind of had enough of tours by this point as well so we weren't keen on jumping back on the tourist wagon, preferring instead to take long walks along the beach if we got bored of the hammocks :) At one point along the beach, there is an area with lots of rocks of all different colours and sizes, and people attempt to stack them into high piles. Here is a photo of me beside one of these rock piles. I made one too but it was tiny in comparison :)

There is also a waterfall that you can walk to, which we did attempt to do twice, but we failed both times. The first time, having heard that the trail was very muddy, we thought it was best to wear trousers and hiking boots, yet when we had started climbing over the first set of rocks, we saw that you actually have to cross pools of water. One group ahead of us were up to their waist in water at one point! We decided we would come back again the next day in shorts and flip flops, but didn't count on it raining throughout the night, meaning that the water levels had risen considerably, making it even more difficult to cross. At the start of the trail, there is actually a sign which roughly reads: Danger! Several people have died here (See photo of Vic next to the sign). We decided that seeing a waterfall, no matter how amazing, was not worth risking our lives for, so we again turned back :)

After Montezuma, we headed to the beaches of Malpais and Santa Teresa, where we spent just one night. Malpais used to be the more popular of the two, but when we arrived there, we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. We were both surprised and amazed to learn that Mel Gibson is currently building a film studio there, and can often be seen wandering around the village and eating in the local soda (a soda is a name for a local dining bar, offering typical Costa Rican dishes at very reasonable prices). Unfortunately, he wasn't around while we were there. Santa Teresa is now where all the tourists, and in particular surfers, go to, and although it was a bit more lively, we didn't really like it, especially compared to Montezuma. We actually felt more like we were in the States than Costa Rica. When ordering dinner that night, we had to order in English because the waitress didn't speak Spanish. I was very glad to get back on the bus the next morning, ready for the long trek back to Puntarenas via ferry, where we could catch a bus to Liberia, our first stop in the province of Guanacaste, which is famous for being the folklore province of Costa Rica. It will make a nice change after the beach :)