Central to South America

Starting the trip in Costa Rica and going south with the goal to reach Bolivia by the end of March. Read more

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Trip start
December 17, 2022
Central to South America Traveler
San Jose
December 18, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Spent my first jet-legged day in San Jose… Watched the World Cup final on the street at 10am with locals and was surprised that even though I was in Latin America, more people were cheering for France than for Argentina.

Having spent two past weeks in Switzerland, which felt quite empty and reserved, I was consumed and astonished by all the movement, crowds on the streets and loud music coming out of every little store from the early morning to the late hours.

Latin America, I’ve missed you.

I ate patacones which are large pieces of smashed and dip-fried plantain, served with beans, rice, various dips and meats. Yummy!

San Jose is nice, and contrary to what I expected quite safe. Ok, there is more “real” life feeling compared to super touristic places in the north, but if you know your way around there is no reason to worry.

I walked across the wider central area alone and discovered street art, street food, marketplace and local park full of university students and entire families chilling around. Got some recommendations about places to visit and set my trip to a good start. 😌Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Irazu Volcan and Cartago
December 19, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Decided to visit the first volcano of my life. Hostel offered organized trips with other travelers with stops in some town and coffee farm for like 80$. I decided to go on my own in a local bus and make a stop on the way back in Cartago, a small local town that used to be the capital of Costa Rica in the past. Coffee farms are everywhere anyway. It was way more convenient both cost and time-wise.

Volcano was nice but the central crater lake has evaporated. Enjoyed the sights of fog and clouds moving, constantly present smell of acid and black volcanic rocks against the lush green forest on its outskirts. Met Diego there, a local interested in bird-watching who was there with full camera gear which size kinda scared me. Taught me a lot of things about birds, and we even saw some rare ones (don’t ask me for the names, please).

Stopped in Cartago for a lunch, loved the local market, tried like 5 new fruits, and enjoyed olla del carne which is unexpectedly tasty considering that it has all the veggies you can think of and a random large chunk of meat.

Saw Grinch escaping on the bicycle and causing mild traffic jam. Already at that point was falling in love with Costa Rica.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
La Ventolera, views of San Jose
December 20, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Diego and I went to La Ventolera viewpoint recommended by one of the Couchsurfers on my first day… Visiting first the village of Bebedero, and hiking around 4km from there to the viewpoint.

It is a short and easy hike and really nice if you want to get a sense of how small actually Costa Rica is, cause you get the perfect views of the Central Valley and surrounding mountains and volcanoes.

It is also a nice route for bird watching and if you enjoy local and unpopular ways. Plenty of coffee farms on the way, good local food and just lots of greenery. Worth a half day visit from San Jose.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
La Fortuna and the sloths
December 22, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 24 °C
La Fortuna is one of the most visited spot for travelers in Costa Rica. From San Jose it is easy to get there and it was a nice sneak peek into the wilderness that I would experience later on.

Gaya and I met again (an Israeli girl I met in San Jose) and planned a cool full day trip to several sights around the area.

Firstly we went on Bogarin Trail which is famous for its sloths… It was super hard to spot them in the beginning, but as we spent more and more time there we got to see quite a few. The highlight was a baby sloth coming down to poop (yup, we watched it for the entire 1.5 hours).

After that we visited beautiful La Fortuna waterfall on our own, and were kinda disappointed that due to recent rain it was forbidden to swim.

The last place on our list were the hot springs. There are many resorts built around the area, advertising thermal waters, but we decided for the free version near the main road where all the locals go. It was a win! We had great time and saved 40$ per person 😉Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Rio Celeste
December 23, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Gaya and I met again with an Indian girl that we met in San Jose and accompanied her to Rio Celeste Waterfall and trail a bit to the north. Nice walk, pretty waterfall, but very easy and tame. We spent a better part of the day driving to there and back and walking in the forest.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Extremo Canopy and Bungee
December 25, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
We went to Monteverde separately but Gaya had a weird situation with a stalker so she asked me to stay with me.

It worked out well and we already knew each other enough to share a room (and a queen bed). 🤣

Apparently canopy and adventure parks are a big thing in Monteverde, soooo even though I haven’t planned it, I joined Gaya. At first I thought I would just do the zip lines and Tarzan swing, but I ended up doing bungee jumping as well. When, if not now?

I was not as crazy to experience it as I would have been 10 years ago, but I did it for the young Milena. She would admire this adult for doing it and always hoped to become one like that 🙂Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Monteverde trees and night tour
December 26, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
One of the things I loved the most about Monteverde was that you could do so many different things for free or almost for free and enjoy equally even if not more than with overorganized national parks. But the best part that comes with it - immersion in nature.

We visited Ficus La Raíz, a natural bridge on the river formed by ficus’ roots, and El Árbol Hueco, a hollow tree - both accessible by walking from the town. For the hollow tree we had to trespass into private property, but the feeling of climbing into the tree from the inside was absolutely worth the risk.

Also the following evening I did a night tour. It was great and with the sharp eyes of our guide we saw many amazing animals, preying, sleeping or just chilling in the bushes and trees. The highlight was the green pit viper a.k.a la lora verde in Costa Rica. 😌Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Monteverde Cloud Forest
December 26, 2022 in Costa Rica
What can I say about Monteverde Cloud Forest, except that it was my favorite national park in Costa Rica even though we didn’t get to see that many animals in the park (without a guide and binoculars of course). Gaya and I enjoyed the forest in which you could feel very alone, even though it was quite popular amongst tourists.

We saw some monkeys and cool birds and amazing trees/plants/vegetation covered in cloud, and misty, sticky air. If it was a person it would be that gorgeous quite girl that doesn’t say a lot but whose eyes tell story on its own.

The wind at the highest point felt rejuvenating, you could feel it’s power and sense the remoteness and wilderness in the treetops hiding between clouds.

I learned what a continental divide is - a place where the rain drops falling on two different sides end up in two different oceans. 🤩Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Playa Espadilla
December 28, 2022 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
After weeks of hiking volcanoes and forests almost every day, we really wanted just to chill and find nice place by the beach to stay until New Year’s. Well, guess what, not possible. Popular Santa Teresa and Northern Pacific beaches were all booked or too expensive, so Gaya and I decided to go bit more South. This is how my travel style sometimes define my trip by itself. Most of the times, it’s not bad.

We stayed between Quepos and Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla was the closest public beach. Wide stretch of sand, palm trees and the Pacific - we really enjoyed it. After visiting Manuel Antonio and overrated beach inside the national park - I can surely say that Espadilla has better vibe, more people, and believe it or not - more animals.

We enjoyed almost daily beautiful sunsets, stayed dancing on the beach and just really loved the place.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Uvita Beach and whale watching
December 30, 2022 in Costa Rica
Uvita is basically nature’s logo of the natural wonder found there. Think: whales. A fluke-shaped piece of beach sticks right out of the jungle and is surely one of the best and the most authentic places in Costa Rica. Also my favorite beach there.

We found a good economic option for a whale-watching tour, and headed there early in the morning. The tour doesn’t guarantee that you will see whales - but we did 😍 I was too excited to even look at my phone so the video I have are far from good - who cares really, the proportional distortion from couple of meters to couple of pixels does it no justice anyway.

They we re mag ni fi cent!!!

We saw mom with a calf and the baby even jumped. A special moment for me, and one of my dreams come true. Not possible to describe really.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Waterfall Nauyaca
January 1, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
I decided to start the year the same way I hope for the rest of the year to go - exploring, hiking, swimming in a waterfall and spending time in nature.

Waterfall Nauyaca was a good option for a day trip from Quepos, accessible by 1.5hr long bus ride. I went there early, enjoyed the hike, saw some monkeys (by this time I’ve seen so many that they became a “common” sight).

I swam and chilled and recognized a familiar face - a traveler from Italy that Gaya and I kept bumping into ever since La Fortuna in different places.

He showed me that you can actually access the upper waterfall, larger and truly magnificent, so we went there and even though we were not supposed to, entered water, jumped around the rocks, enjoying the views, breeze, and just taking in everything about this cute little wild oasis.

We headed back to make it in time for the last bus at 4pm (both of us asked our drivers) but the bus never came. Then a weird “taxi” (read spooky random guy with the car) came and tried to convince us to give us a ride to the closest town for the crazy amount of money. We refused and he kept pushing which made me feel insecure for the first time on this trip and sure as hell that I won’t be entering that car.

So, logically, we decided for the safer option - hitchhiking. It was already 5:30pm, getting a bit dark, in the hills and 30km from the closest town. However we found a ride in the first 10 minutes - some old hippie Canadian expats gave us a ride in their camper van and we chatted and listen to the mellow blues sounds. There was an accident on the road and that’s why they canceled the bus without any announcement - it took us additional 2 hours in the van to reach the closest town.

We made it home around 7, taking a mix of hitchhiking, taxis and buses, but it was so much fun. A good start for sure, way better than I could’ve had planned.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Manuel Antonio National Park
January 2, 2023 in Costa Rica
Ehhh, here is a short one: not worth a visit. It is ok for people who go to CR just for a couple of days and want to spend a lot of money to take photos of animals.

Great marketing. Even greater prices. And the greatest crowds of Costa Rica that made me feel like I was in an amusement park for rich gringos, not national park.

If you went to as many parks and natural havens as me before going to Manuel Antonio, you will be disappointed.

However, later on I heard of a boat night tour through the park and mangroves that is quite nice, lonely and full of animal sightings. Can’t say if it is worth it as I didn’t go, but it sure sounded better than my experience.

The beach is nice, but crowded with only tourists taking photos so it also felt like fake marketing.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
January 4, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
I reached Puerto Viejo after stopping for a day in San Jose, and guess who I found at the bus station - my good old friend Diego!

Unfortunately I got immediately sick and high fever shook me for couple of days so I didn’t do much. As soon as I felt better we got together and started exploring.

It’s nice and it’s touristy, but also it’s the Caribbean, so everything is forgiven.

Puerto Viejo is nice little town and a popular stop for people crossing from Panama to Costa Rica and vice versa. Playa Negra and Cocles are two closest beaches within walking distance and they are nice, but there are nicer ones around.

I ate almost every day different versions of rice and beans - not because there were not other options, but because they were absolutely amazing, cooked with coconut milk and a bit spicy.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Cahuita National Park
January 6, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
The moment I felt better I decided to go on a trip and having read that Cahuita is very easy to walk (though it could be long) it was an easy choice. We were welcomed by a toucan which my expert bird-watching friend saw within seconds of arriving at the reception. I loved Cahuita, saw tons of insects, lizards, some more birds aaand of course monkeys and sloths.

But the star of the day was definitely yellow eyelash pit viper, hidden beneath the broken tree skin of a palm tree. If it wasn’t for a small group of people looking at it, I am not sure we would’ve seen it. Well, maybe Diego’s sharp eyes accostumed to movement, colors and adaptations of tropical fauna, but mine for sure not.

I was feeling tired from being sick and laying in bed for a couple of days so we were making a lot of breaks. There were a lot of people, but it was still great to be there.

The beach was also quite nice and I enjoyed the Caribbean sea for the first time since getting there ☺️Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Punta Uva
January 7, 2023 in Costa Rica
Punta Uva was a really rewarding trip. Diego and I went with a bus and walked alongside the coast, enjoying the views, and finding random sleeping sloths and monkeys. Seeing them literally hanging from the trees I got an impression that they really know how to enjoy the view.

After the walk we decided to rent a kayak for like 10$ and go up the river, from the place where it enters the sea. That was absolutely the best call - I felt like in the Indiana Jones movie - the river was super calm and mirror-like, reflecting trees which were intertwining couple of meters above our heads. There were vines hanging, eagles praying, turtles swimming and taking sun… and absolute quiet once we got upstream enough for the forest to absorb the sounds of the people at the beach. Unfortunately I didn’t bring the phone, so this amazing scenery, you’ll just have to imagine!!

One of the best experiences not advertised at all, and quite cheap for Costa Rica.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Manzanillo Nature Reserve
January 8, 2023 in Costa Rica
Manzanillo was my last trip in Costa Rica, and good one to wrap up the trip - finally I found some frogs!

Ok, they weren’t bright blue, or pink, or green, but they were tiny and pretty and I saw them by myself (wellll ok, thanks Diego for the first one)

The reserve itself was nice, but more of the same that got me feeling really spoiled , never have I thought that I would get used to seeing monkeys, sloths, morpho butterflies and colorful birds all the time.

The final beach that we reached was finally calm and nice for taking a dip - it was kinda hidden (thanks Diego) and we even saw a stingray and a flatfish pass by us in the clear shallow water 🤩Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Bocas del Toro
January 9, 2023 in Panama
The following day I crossed to Panama and head straight to Bocas del Toro. From the first five minutes on the main island I could feel it was dangerous - I missed the island life so much that I could easily get stuck there for a long time.

Which was kinda true and kinda not in the end. I stayed 7 days - catching up with work, learning to dive with Panama Dive Center but most of all, relaxing after crazy three weeks in Costa Rica.

Diving was great and that much more great that I head to move the boundaries of my water comfort. Beaches were nice, blue, calm and everything about the Caribbean that I missed in Costa Rica. Out of the main island the space was vast, wild, and just so beautiful.

Love Bocas, but there is a big but. Local people felt really rude and interested to communicate or note that tourists exist. Sometimes to an extent of not saying even Hello.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Boquete and Flower Festival
January 15, 2023 in Panama
Saying goodbye to Bocas was slow, hard and indefinite, but I got motivation to keep moving in order to make it to Colombia in the first week of February.

I headed to Boquete for some hiking - writing this retrospectively I realize that I keep going from the mountains to the coast to the mountains to the sea etc.

Arrival to Boquete was a curvy road and the whole shuttle ended up being super carsick. This resulted in me not being able to book a bed while on the road and barely being able to find an accommodation once I got there. It was a flower festival in Boquete - super crowded week where all the locals from different part of Panama head to Boquete.

In the end I found Boquete very cute and friendly. A lot of activities around as well, so I really enjoyed my time there. A lot of culture and indigenous people with indigenous clothes-reminded me of Chiapas a little bit! Worth a 4-5 days visit.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Las Tres Cascadas
January 16, 2023 in Panama
The first trek in Panama was an easy one. Las Tres Cascadas is supposeddly one of the nicest hikes around Boquete area, but let me be more blunt like the blogs that I read before going there were not: it is too easy. It is short, expensive, and very well maintained.

The most beautiful waterfall is the first one but it is fenced and out of reach. The other two you can visit and even swim, but they are less high and less spectacular. The price of 10$ is also kinda discouraging because there are many free stuff you can do in the area.

I did see some nice birds while hiking there.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
El Castillo y Los Ladrillos on foot
January 18, 2023 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
A combination of bus ride and walking to reach an abandoned and supposedly cursed castle and natural rock climbing wall can be made harder and more exciting if you choose to carry a 4-month old baby with you.

My young host really wanted to give it a try and do the hike along the street (like 9km in total) with her baby and a baby bag full of stuff. Also in crocs.

After some 2km of going uphills, she kindly asked me if I could carry the baby because she is not fit enough. My biceps, more than my kindness, took it as a challenge and I carried the baby for the rest of the day. I was eternally thanked to by my host, and also peed on by the little bastard. It was kinda fun though.

The rock climbing wall was cool and I wish I was in a different situation where I could have actually climbed it. The castle is just a locked up abandoned villa that you can’t even come close to but see a glimpse of it through the gates. The landscapes and river views were amazing everywhere along the way, and I even got some free guavas from the tree by the road 🤤Read more
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Sendero de Pianista
January 19, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
When you type “hiking in Panama” in Google the chances are that the results will return the numerous news reports about two Dutch girls that disappeared in April 2014 and couple of months later were found dead (well, parts of them at least).

This happened on the Pianista trail in Boquete. I hiked the trail with the Canadian traveler that I met a day before, and it quickly became one of my top hikes in Panama. Aside from the spooky background, this trail is everything I like: free, narrow, passing through deep forest and full of wildlife. We started around 9, were among the first to hike there that day (only saw one hiker coming back) and saw many animals that day. Highlights: two snakes, insect looking like wood, various birds.

The lower part of the trail is hot and humid, while as you climb the forest becomes denser and you enter the layer always moving clouds - the popular “cloud forest”. The trail becomes a narrow canyon-like path full of mud, which sides carry the greenery above your’r head and with just enough space for the shoulders to pass. Even though it’s only 4 kilometer long, it really is special.

I can see how easy it was for the girls to get lost on the hike - the fog (cloud) at the top is dense and if you go off trail you could be standing 5m from the trail and not be able to see it, wondering in which direction to go. The limited visibility makes it hard to oriente so I strongly advise staying on trek. However the passing clouds, wind and dense forests are definitely something special. Highly recommended trail, that I would gladly do again.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
La Piedra de Lino hike
January 20, 2023 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 22 °C
La Piedra de Lino is known to have some of the best views over Boquete and the valley, but unfortunately I haven’t made it to the top. I always like to finish hikes, but this time I was in my snickers (hiking shoes still a bit wet from El Pianista) and started the hike quite late.

Tip if you decide to go: go early in the morning. Clouds ALWAYS gather around this hill in the afternoon and most of the time it rains. Rain makes it super slippery with the combination of dirt and mud on round and steep rocks and clouds ruin the views. So if you find yourself in my situation, it’s best to go down.

On the way down I met amazing family that invited me for a coffee and to stay with them in Panama City later in my trip.Read more
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Valle de Anton
January 21, 2023 in Panama
I decided to make this a special post just to give one simple advice: GO WITH A SHUTTLE.

Reaching El Valle from Boquete turned to be 12-hour trip for me, changing three buses and in the end having to go in a taxi from the main road to El Valle (30ish kilometers).

Luckily I met a cool Polish girl on a bus and we struggled together which is always easier than on your own.Read more
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Cerro Cara de Iguana
January 22, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
There are several very nice and quite easy hikes from el Valle de Antón and I decided that my first one should be Cara de Iguana.

It was easy to follow the trail and the views were just getting better with each step up. On the way I met another traveler from my hostel and we kept hiking together. We decided to do a circular trail and tried to reach the waterfall on the other side, but unfortunately the land was sold since the last time my hiking maps were updated and it was impossible to trespass so many bribed wires and warnings.
Don’t ask how I know.

It rained a lot on the way back and finally all the outdoor equipment I had became useless and not waterproof anymore - after one and a half month of almost daily rain.Read more
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La India Dormida and Frog Sanctuary
January 23, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
I stayed in Anton Valley 4 days but all the hikes did in 2 same days. Which may be a reason for me often feeling exhausted 😅

The Polish girl Aga and I decided to start the trek to India Dormida peak at 5am in order to make it there in time for sunrise. It was really beautiful hike even tho it was night, and we got to see a scorpion 😍

The sunrise was beautiful and a cute dog followed us from the foot of the hill. We decided to go circular trail and other way down even though that trail was not showing on my map (but was visible there).

Once down we realized that it was only 9am and headed to the waterfalls. There was no one there and we enjoyed jumping across the rocks and following the flow even though the waterfalls themselves were not amongst the most amazing once we’ve seen.

25km later from the start of the day, we made it back. 🙂 I took a nap and after that it was still too early (love waking up early!) so I decided to join two other travelers from my hostel and visit a frog sanctuary and squared trees valley.

In short:

Frog sanctuary - very nice, local project from a passionate nature lover.

Squared trees valley - nice nature walk, but close to the road, and actually nothing special. To the extent that I thought that the trees were artificially squared (squeezed for years when young to have this shape) and not natural as advertised.Read more
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