Crossing into Costa Rica

We were squeezed into a chicken bus as we made our way to the Nicaragua / Costa Rica border. I was lucky enough to snag a seat so had an enjoyable trip watching the goings on and listening to the preacher who had jumped aboard at a road side stop. But I was looking forward to getting out and getting some fresh air

As we arrived at the border crossing it began to rain. It seems there has been a lot of rain recently ... the bus was parked in a big pile of mud. I grabbed my bag as it was thrown from the top of the bus and squelched through the mud in my flip flops.

I stopped to change my money, not too worried about the rate as the rain kept coming down.

We ran past shop stalls along the muddy street and found some shelter near passport control. Mud was flying everywhere!

The queues at immigration were long, very long. We managed to reduce the 1.5 to 2 hour waiting time by chipping in some cash and paying a local dude to get us to the front of the line.

Money well spent I say!

With our passports stamped we were out of Nicaragua and made the mile long walk in the mud through no man's land. The rain had stopped and once again it was steamy as trucks roared by splashing us from the large puddles everywhere.

Costa Rica immigration is very fancy. There is quite a new building and ropes to sort the queue of people. Not the normal central american experience.

I got through passport control really quickly and easily and was relaxing with a cold drink waiting for the rest of the group. It seems that some of the dudes get a bit self important sitting in their glass partitions .... they were demanding to see tickets out of the country and all sorts of mallarky before they would let some people through.  It caused a little bit of angst to say the least!

I assume I was too soaked and covered in mud to worry about. Or maybe my innocence got me through ..... mmmm, maybe not.

But finally, it was welcome to Costa Rica.

We piled in to mini vans and began the four hour drive to Monteverde .... or the jungle as I prefer to call it.

Mmmmm away from the beach ... was I going to be ok with this?