These three countries lie between Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to the north, and Colombia to the south; Managua, our starting point is about 12 degrees north and Panama City, the finishing point, 8 degrees north of the Equator. It is an area of active volcanoes, especially in Nicaragua which lies at the intersection of three continental plates; and the entire area is a continuation of the Pacific fault line which runs down the west coast of North America. The Arenal Volcano is very live and there are great photos on sale of it erupting, but unfortunately it didn't perform while we were in the nearby town of La Fortuna.
For the visitor, the currency in Nicaragua is the cordoba (exchange rate $ 1= Cordoba 21) and in Costa Rica the colones ($1=Colones 518). Dollars are routinely accepted, with change given in local currency. Local currencies are not convertible across the borders. At these exchange rates, Nicaragua is very inexpensive: a large bottle of water cost $1 in Nicaragua and $2.86 in Costa Rica. However, Nicaragua is a poor country, its per capita income being the lowest in Latin America. Panama is a completely $ economy, including coinage, although there appeared to be local coins minted replicating their $ equivalent. I can't really make many valid comparisons as we didn't visit many large towns or cities because it would have made for dangerous cycling. The only capital we stayed in was Panama City; we flew into Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, but it was dark and we travelled straight away to Granada (which has a very attractive, restored old centre near the lake shore). There appeared to be quite a lot of subsistence or very small scale peasant farming in Nicaragua. The extremes between wealth and poverty seemed most evident in Panama: the area around the border was pretty dismal with real urban squalor and poverty (our family visited Nuevo Laredo in Mexico, walking over the border from Laredo in Texas, while we were staying in Dallas in 1982, and it was similarly dismal). In Panama City, where one third of the population lives, the skyscrapers of the so-called financial district sit cheek-by-jowel with the poverty and crime in areas close to the old city (Casco Viejo). The skyline has mushroomed as the city gained prominence as a centre of international banking, cocaine trafficking and money laundering, until Bush Senior invaded the country in December 1989 with 'Operation Just Cause'. The occupancy rate of some of the skyscrapers didn't seem high, but one doesn't need many people to manage letterbox ('shell') companies! The Panama Canal has of course brought big economic benefits.
Proximity of these Central American countries to the United States means that the US influence has been and continues to be substantial-sometimes benign, more often perhaps malign. Nicaragua has a history of involvement with the US as far back as 1909 when the US Marines were sent in to overthrow the Liberal president; they stayed there until 1933. Readers of a certain age are likely to remember the 1978/79 revolution against the Somoza Government by the Sandinista guerillas. After heavy fighting and over 30,000 deaths, the Sandinistas took over; and then won the election held in 1984 with Daniel Ortega elected President. The US failed to recognize this democratically elected government and supported the Contra rebels in a lengthy guerilla war against the Sandinistas which went on until 1990. Reagan on one occasion wore a t-shirt with the label 'I'm a Contra too'. A major political scandal in the US during this period was the 'Iran-Contra Affair' of 1986 when a US flight crew was shot down over Nicaraguan territory. The subsequent period has seen a continuing series of political controversies, with Ortega, as leader of the FSLN party, the dominant political leader.
In Costa Rica, there is some tradition of democratic government going back to 1889, and the country is more stable than its neighbours. The 'revolution' of 1948/49 led the the dissolution of the army which could be somewhat problematic if the current border dispute with Nicaragua isn't resolved by diplomatic means (see following). Other challenges have concerned the role of the US banana multinationals; and issues associated with privatization and deregulation; as well as the allegations at some times of government corruption and links with drug traffickers. Generally, good government and planning appears to have brought major tourism benefits both in beach and wildlife tourism, mainly I assume from the US, but my personal experiences were quite limited.
I have talked about the benefits and controversies surrounding relations with the US over the Panama Canal. We stayed in the Albrook Inn in Panama City which is located in the area which housed the US Air Force base of Albrook Field, until the Canal Zone became Panamanian territory. According to our trip notes, the opulent dwellings which were residences for American military officers, are now dwellings for the elite class of Panama with good connections to government. The ownership of the Canal was a source of bitter resentment for many years. The ending of Panama's protectorate status by the US in 1939 and the limiting of the latter's rights of intervention, having little effect on anti-US feelings. A key political figure in the years from the early 1980s was General Noriega who had both removed existing Presidents and annulled elections before formally assuming powers as Head of State in 1989. The US miltary 'Just Cause' invasion, mentioned above, led to Noriega's arrest and extradition to the US on drug trafficking and related charges. Noriega was sentenced to 30 years in prison and released in 2007. The country has had a reputation as a dumping ground for international political criminals seeking asylum, and the political situation remains highly volatile. Personally I didn't get good vibes in Panama City - although it's hard to put a finger on the reasons. It may simply have been the big city environment after the peace of the countryside and the small towns we experienced for most of the trip. One (of many doubtless) remnants of US influence in Panama is the celebration of Thanksgiving: so I had a pretty genuine Thanksgiving dinner at the Pencas Restaurant set right on the bay of Panama City, comprising Turkey soup, Turkey and accompaniments, and Apple pie; a bit weird but enjoyable.
Aside from internal politics and US relations, inter-state relationships can also be volatile. I had heard the story of the border current dispute between Nicaragua and Costa Rica from our Trip Leader and from Walter, and The Economist newspaper discussed it too in its 13th November 2010 edition. In what can be considered the first 'Google War'(!), the Nicaraguans claimed that Google Maps showed the south side of the San Juan River (until then Costa Rican territory) to be in Nicaragua. Google then admitted an 'inaccuracy' in its map, noting that its maps 'should not be relied on to make military decisions' (The Economist, p66). The dispute is bound up with Nicaraguan politics and the aims of the former Sandinista guerrilla leader Daniel Ortega to seek a third, unconstitutional, term as President of the country. Nicaragua has the support of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who has provided donations to offset the cut in Western aid associated with Ortega's trampling over the constitution. Walter, however, asserted that Chavez was seeking to revive an old plan to build a trans-ocean canal along the San Juan River and through Lake Nicaragua to the Pacific. In fact this route had been a serious contender with the Isthmus of Panama in the early days of exploration, but current plans seem like a pipe-dream, especially with ongoing works to widen the Panama Canal. As a postscript to the above, The Economist (March 12th 2011) reported that the 'International Court of Justice ruled that Nicaragua must remove its troops from Calero Island in Costa Rica. Nicaragua sent the soldiers there last year when it began dredging a channel in the San Juan river, which marks the border between the two countries. However, the court said that Nicaragua could go on dredging, despite Costa Rica's claim of environmental damage.'
I have mentioned already about the Afro-Caribbean population on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica. They are primarily in the province of Limon, where black peoples of Jamaican descent make up around one third of the population, speaking Jamaican English as their native tongue. My guide Walter at the Hanging Bridges reserve was of Jamaican mixed-race origins and still spoke in a Jamaican accent. He told me that his grandfather had come from Jamaica as a slave to clear the forests and work in the banana plantations, followed later by his grandmother. He commented that until the 'revolution' in 1948/49 (primarily about disputed election results and the country's constitution), the Caribbean population were not allowed out of their coastal enclaves, meaning discrimination and segregation by race (I'll need to check the accuracy of this). Once free movement was allowed, many of these black Jamaicans moved inland where their English language capabilities were valuable in customer-facing businesses (including tourism) in the cities. Reflecting this trend, the black population in Limon had declined from 57% in 1927 to 33% fifty years later. While a topic for comment on a later day, there was considerable international pressure in the 1990s over poor labour conditions, labour rights abuse and low levels of unionisation (despite supposed constitutional guarantees of union freedom) in the banana plantations.
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Theme 2: Highlights
In no particular ranking, these included the Panama Canal; Bocas del Toro group of islands; rafting, and hiking in the rain forest, where the wildlife was the major attraction, as it was indeed throughout our journey; and the Eco-Termales hot springs near La Fortuna.
The Panama Canal deserves to and will get longer comment and reflection on another occasion (especially in connection with politics), but it was a real highlight, the more so perhaps since it was our last cycling day (Day 14).
The canal was conceived in the early days of discovery in the 16th century with the desire by the Spanish to unite the Pacific and Atlantic oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. The project was finally inaugurated by the French in 1869 with Ferdinand de Lesseps as its builder, but was beset by financial problems, weather and disease (over 6300 graves were dug during the abortive construction) and abandoned in 1903. Strong political pressure from the United States led to the independence of Panama from Colombia in 1903, with the US then 'negotiating' a treaty with the new country whereby a strip of land 10 miles wide from ocean to ocean plus some parts of the capital city and and adjacent islands were ceded to the Americans to build and manage the proposed canal. The Panama Canal was finally completed in 1914, a hugely impressive engineering feat. The US maintained control of the Isthmus of Panama until 1999, when, following growing tensions over financial confrontation and sovereignty and the breaking of diplomatic relations, it was transferred to Panamanian ownership and control.
We visited the two-tier Miraflores Lock, one of three lock systems overall, located at the Pacific end of the canal. At this lock system, ships are lowered by means of two tiers to the level of the Pacific Ocean, from which they enter a broad approach channel and continue under the spectacular Bridge of the Americas to the open sea. Average transit time for the overall canal journey is 8-10 hours, but 24-30 hours in total when customs and other formalities are included. We were extremely fortunate as a ship was about to enter when we arrived at the observation platform overlooking the lock system at 9am on this very hot and sunny Friday. Although at first I thought it was going to be like 'watching paint dry', the transit process was both obsessively fascinating and impressive; and from entry to exit of the Miraflores Lock only took about one and a quarter hours. While ships are under their own control in the canal (or at least that of a canal captain), a number of mechanised vehicles (called 'mules') are attached to the ship to keep it centred in the canal chamber and prevent it hitting the concrete walls; the widest ship would only have 60cms space on each side of the lock walls. So this was a great spectacle, most enjoyable, accompanied by detailed commentary and applause from the many visitors. I bought Isla, one of my grand-daughters a Panama Canal t-shirt for Xmas-she's only 6 so I hope I can explain this to her okay, but I have decent photos which will help.
Leaving Miraflores, we had our last cycle ride alongside the canal to lunch at an open air restaurant on the lake shore. While, this wasn't the best ride because of heavy traffic (something we had hardly experienced before), the open vistas of the lake and the Bridge of the Americas from the restaurant were great.
Bocas del Toro is the main town on Colon Island, one of a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, close to its border with Costa Rica. A 30 minute crossing in a small boat dropped us off a few metres from the Bahia Hotel where we stayed for two nights. The Bahia Hotel is the old Panama headquarters for the infamous United Fruit Company (now Chiquita Brands) and the big safe, where ill-gotten gains were doubtless stored, has been maintained. And no cycling - which was something of a relief! I also spent the second evening on my own, eating a burger and drinking some beer by the ocean, which was also a relief I must confess.
Bocas del Toro is an emerging tourist town, attracting a mix of backpackers and wealthy incomers at present. It is basically a single street, one side of which backs onto the waterfront. The latter was a curious mixture of rundown dwellings and very expensive properties with equally expensive boats. There was a real Caribbean flavour to the town, so although the Afro-Caribbean population was not as dominant as in Cahuita, there was a pleasantly relaxed air which I liked.
With a free day on Tuesday (Day 11), a number of us opted for a trip involving dolphin watching, snorkelling and a visit to Red Frog Island. We all got soaked on the boat trip out to Dolphin Bay, a combination of heavy rain and the spray from the waves; we saw a few solitary dolphins, the remainder presumably having shut up shop because of the weather (Juliette has a similar but better story about hedgehogs on North Uist!). However the rain gradually eased and then the sun came out (shades of 'wait a minute it's stopped raining, guys are singing, guys are sailing... mother, father kindly disregard this letter' - only people of a certain age will know the song!), and I enjoyed the snorkelling which I haven't done in years. The highlight, however, was the afternoon when we took the boat through an area of dense mangrove swamps to Red Frog Island. We hiked over to the far side of the island (looking at some red frogs en route - tiny frogs about 3 or 4 cms in length) where there was an idyllic beach and the surf was up giving the opportunity for some great swimming. So a day which started out in a dispiriting manner ended on a real high.
Rafting and Hiking. The two wildlife-focused activities were the float trip down the Rio Tenorio (Costa Rica) on the morning of Day 6 and the hike in the Hanging Bridges of Arenal (it sounds better in the Spanish - 'Puentes Colgantes del Arenal') private nature reserve in Costa Rica on Day 8. I was impressed with this reserve which comprised 600 acres of protected forest, located in an area of ravines, streams and waterfalls with 16 hanging bridges to negotiate the terrain; some of the bridges were high up allowing spectacular vistas of pristine rain forest. It was designed with conservation in mind with a single paved track over the bridges and around the reserve. It was beautiful in the rain, although I didn't see much because it was late morning before I got there. However I has a fascinating discussion with my guide Walter (I hired a personal guide) which I'm going to write about in the next theme. Wildlife sightings were a regular feature of cycling days too, especially those through the rain forest areas.
Just a general aside on conservation, it seemed that Costa Rica was doing a decent job in balancing wildlife tourism and rain forest protection. There was mention of 35 state-owned and a similar number of private reserves. But I need to investigate this. By comparison in relation to Panama the Footprint guide writes that: '..the integrity of Panama's fragile natural environment is in peril. Rainforests are being cleared for gated communities and foreign-owned housing projects; ancient tribal lands face obliteration from grandiose hydroelectric schemes; and many of the country's most beautiful coastal habitats have already been wrecked by luxury hotels hoping to profit from tourism' (p317).
On the Rio Tenorio rafting, the main species were the iguana (some pretty large), crocodiles, various types of heron, egret, kingfisher, humming birds, and howler monkeys. On the Arenal hike I saw a viper close up which was pretty special (they are small but very dangerous and apparently quite a number of children are killed by trying to pick up the yellow variety to play with), but otherwise there wasn't much on view as it was late morning when I got there. While cycling, we saw toucan, parakeets, white-faced monkeys, coatis (like racooons), and the huge sloth. The howler monkeys were pretty ubiquitous in the forests: they make a sound like a dog barking, but when you hear them at dawn, the noise of a colony is quite haunting, reminiscent of distant thunder. The habitat of most varieties of toucan is open woodland rather than rain forest, so we saw these distinctive yellow-beaked birds on a number of occasions. As ubitiquous as the howler monkeys were the vultures: I saw vultures nesting on a fence in Ometepe Island; and four vultures in the scruffy back yard of a ramshackle dwelling on the waterside in Bocas del Toro (for vultures in Bocas del Toro, read sparrows in Scotland!).
Hot Springs. While not in itself a huge highlight, the hot pools were integrated into the dense surrounding jungle with an attractive hotel/restaurant complex where we had a good buffet dinner (Day 8). The hot pools were layered by heat level, which I'd not experienced before, with an artificial waterfall and it was very relaxing. My previous experiences with hot springs were more interesting and amusing, however! When Juliette and I were in the Amazonian rain forest, we were taken to a natural 'hot spring', basically a little pool filled from a stream which drained into the main river complex. There was just enough room for the four of us present. Sitting uncomfortably on stones of different shapes and sizes, I seemed to be attacked at every turn by little biting fish-the other three were women, whom these fish apparently didn't fancy, so I didn't stay too long! I wouldn't say the water was terribly hot either. The second (non-)experience was also in Peru, this time Agua Calientes (literally 'hot water'), a shabby, rundown town at the bottom of Maccu Pichu. Returning from the Macchu Pichu trek, all my clothes were dirty and smelly, so I stripped off and sat huddled under the blankets on the bed stark naked - what a sight to behold! - while Julie took her and my clothes to the laundry. She returned with them three hours later, having also investigated the hot springs which she pronounced dirty and smelly too and not worth a visit. We had a good laugh about all of this-perhaps I have an obsession with clean clothes which has come up a few times in this blog!
The Panama Canal deserves to and will get longer comment and reflection on another occasion (especially in connection with politics), but it was a real highlight, the more so perhaps since it was our last cycling day (Day 14).
The canal was conceived in the early days of discovery in the 16th century with the desire by the Spanish to unite the Pacific and Atlantic oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. The project was finally inaugurated by the French in 1869 with Ferdinand de Lesseps as its builder, but was beset by financial problems, weather and disease (over 6300 graves were dug during the abortive construction) and abandoned in 1903. Strong political pressure from the United States led to the independence of Panama from Colombia in 1903, with the US then 'negotiating' a treaty with the new country whereby a strip of land 10 miles wide from ocean to ocean plus some parts of the capital city and and adjacent islands were ceded to the Americans to build and manage the proposed canal. The Panama Canal was finally completed in 1914, a hugely impressive engineering feat. The US maintained control of the Isthmus of Panama until 1999, when, following growing tensions over financial confrontation and sovereignty and the breaking of diplomatic relations, it was transferred to Panamanian ownership and control.
We visited the two-tier Miraflores Lock, one of three lock systems overall, located at the Pacific end of the canal. At this lock system, ships are lowered by means of two tiers to the level of the Pacific Ocean, from which they enter a broad approach channel and continue under the spectacular Bridge of the Americas to the open sea. Average transit time for the overall canal journey is 8-10 hours, but 24-30 hours in total when customs and other formalities are included. We were extremely fortunate as a ship was about to enter when we arrived at the observation platform overlooking the lock system at 9am on this very hot and sunny Friday. Although at first I thought it was going to be like 'watching paint dry', the transit process was both obsessively fascinating and impressive; and from entry to exit of the Miraflores Lock only took about one and a quarter hours. While ships are under their own control in the canal (or at least that of a canal captain), a number of mechanised vehicles (called 'mules') are attached to the ship to keep it centred in the canal chamber and prevent it hitting the concrete walls; the widest ship would only have 60cms space on each side of the lock walls. So this was a great spectacle, most enjoyable, accompanied by detailed commentary and applause from the many visitors. I bought Isla, one of my grand-daughters a Panama Canal t-shirt for Xmas-she's only 6 so I hope I can explain this to her okay, but I have decent photos which will help.
Leaving Miraflores, we had our last cycle ride alongside the canal to lunch at an open air restaurant on the lake shore. While, this wasn't the best ride because of heavy traffic (something we had hardly experienced before), the open vistas of the lake and the Bridge of the Americas from the restaurant were great.
Bocas del Toro is the main town on Colon Island, one of a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, close to its border with Costa Rica. A 30 minute crossing in a small boat dropped us off a few metres from the Bahia Hotel where we stayed for two nights. The Bahia Hotel is the old Panama headquarters for the infamous United Fruit Company (now Chiquita Brands) and the big safe, where ill-gotten gains were doubtless stored, has been maintained. And no cycling - which was something of a relief! I also spent the second evening on my own, eating a burger and drinking some beer by the ocean, which was also a relief I must confess.
Bocas del Toro is an emerging tourist town, attracting a mix of backpackers and wealthy incomers at present. It is basically a single street, one side of which backs onto the waterfront. The latter was a curious mixture of rundown dwellings and very expensive properties with equally expensive boats. There was a real Caribbean flavour to the town, so although the Afro-Caribbean population was not as dominant as in Cahuita, there was a pleasantly relaxed air which I liked.
With a free day on Tuesday (Day 11), a number of us opted for a trip involving dolphin watching, snorkelling and a visit to Red Frog Island. We all got soaked on the boat trip out to Dolphin Bay, a combination of heavy rain and the spray from the waves; we saw a few solitary dolphins, the remainder presumably having shut up shop because of the weather (Juliette has a similar but better story about hedgehogs on North Uist!). However the rain gradually eased and then the sun came out (shades of 'wait a minute it's stopped raining, guys are singing, guys are sailing... mother, father kindly disregard this letter' - only people of a certain age will know the song!), and I enjoyed the snorkelling which I haven't done in years. The highlight, however, was the afternoon when we took the boat through an area of dense mangrove swamps to Red Frog Island. We hiked over to the far side of the island (looking at some red frogs en route - tiny frogs about 3 or 4 cms in length) where there was an idyllic beach and the surf was up giving the opportunity for some great swimming. So a day which started out in a dispiriting manner ended on a real high.
Rafting and Hiking. The two wildlife-focused activities were the float trip down the Rio Tenorio (Costa Rica) on the morning of Day 6 and the hike in the Hanging Bridges of Arenal (it sounds better in the Spanish - 'Puentes Colgantes del Arenal') private nature reserve in Costa Rica on Day 8. I was impressed with this reserve which comprised 600 acres of protected forest, located in an area of ravines, streams and waterfalls with 16 hanging bridges to negotiate the terrain; some of the bridges were high up allowing spectacular vistas of pristine rain forest. It was designed with conservation in mind with a single paved track over the bridges and around the reserve. It was beautiful in the rain, although I didn't see much because it was late morning before I got there. However I has a fascinating discussion with my guide Walter (I hired a personal guide) which I'm going to write about in the next theme. Wildlife sightings were a regular feature of cycling days too, especially those through the rain forest areas.
Just a general aside on conservation, it seemed that Costa Rica was doing a decent job in balancing wildlife tourism and rain forest protection. There was mention of 35 state-owned and a similar number of private reserves. But I need to investigate this. By comparison in relation to Panama the Footprint guide writes that: '..the integrity of Panama's fragile natural environment is in peril. Rainforests are being cleared for gated communities and foreign-owned housing projects; ancient tribal lands face obliteration from grandiose hydroelectric schemes; and many of the country's most beautiful coastal habitats have already been wrecked by luxury hotels hoping to profit from tourism' (p317).
On the Rio Tenorio rafting, the main species were the iguana (some pretty large), crocodiles, various types of heron, egret, kingfisher, humming birds, and howler monkeys. On the Arenal hike I saw a viper close up which was pretty special (they are small but very dangerous and apparently quite a number of children are killed by trying to pick up the yellow variety to play with), but otherwise there wasn't much on view as it was late morning when I got there. While cycling, we saw toucan, parakeets, white-faced monkeys, coatis (like racooons), and the huge sloth. The howler monkeys were pretty ubiquitous in the forests: they make a sound like a dog barking, but when you hear them at dawn, the noise of a colony is quite haunting, reminiscent of distant thunder. The habitat of most varieties of toucan is open woodland rather than rain forest, so we saw these distinctive yellow-beaked birds on a number of occasions. As ubitiquous as the howler monkeys were the vultures: I saw vultures nesting on a fence in Ometepe Island; and four vultures in the scruffy back yard of a ramshackle dwelling on the waterside in Bocas del Toro (for vultures in Bocas del Toro, read sparrows in Scotland!).
Hot Springs. While not in itself a huge highlight, the hot pools were integrated into the dense surrounding jungle with an attractive hotel/restaurant complex where we had a good buffet dinner (Day 8). The hot pools were layered by heat level, which I'd not experienced before, with an artificial waterfall and it was very relaxing. My previous experiences with hot springs were more interesting and amusing, however! When Juliette and I were in the Amazonian rain forest, we were taken to a natural 'hot spring', basically a little pool filled from a stream which drained into the main river complex. There was just enough room for the four of us present. Sitting uncomfortably on stones of different shapes and sizes, I seemed to be attacked at every turn by little biting fish-the other three were women, whom these fish apparently didn't fancy, so I didn't stay too long! I wouldn't say the water was terribly hot either. The second (non-)experience was also in Peru, this time Agua Calientes (literally 'hot water'), a shabby, rundown town at the bottom of Maccu Pichu. Returning from the Macchu Pichu trek, all my clothes were dirty and smelly, so I stripped off and sat huddled under the blankets on the bed stark naked - what a sight to behold! - while Julie took her and my clothes to the laundry. She returned with them three hours later, having also investigated the hot springs which she pronounced dirty and smelly too and not worth a visit. We had a good laugh about all of this-perhaps I have an obsession with clean clothes which has come up a few times in this blog!
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Introduction & Theme 1: Cycling in Central America
My post from Managua was as it turned out the only one I could manage while I was in this region. Hotels often had internet access but no computers and we were hardly ever in towns, plus in Nicaragua and Costa Rica I struggled with the keyboards (!). So I'm writing now from my notes. But first I wanted to add another observation to my list of disadvantages of group travel. I found that I had rather little time to myself, and also little integration with local people and cultures because these interactions (for example, dealing with Customs & Immigration, which in fairness would have been a nightmare especially at the Nicaragua / Costa Rica border) were handled by the Trip Leader.
The attraction of this trip to me, when I was thinking of booking, was its variety, so writing in a thematic way is quite appropriate. Cycling was, of course, the central purpose and so I'm going to write about this first. I would describe this activity as 'designer cycle touring' (remember 'designer backpacking' in New Zealand). Bikes were Cannondale hard tail mountain bikes with semi-slick tyres, appropriate for the mix of terrains. Most of the cycling was on minor tarmac roads but potholes were a constant threat, and there were some tracks and rutted unpaved roads.
Most of the group were active cyclists, and a number were much more serious than myself which showed in their stamina and power, especially on long, flat sections - but (as with my walking experiences) some of the Southerners weren't so good on the uphills. Cycling gear was well in evidence-tops, shoes, shorts etc (by comparison I simply wear hill-walking stuff except for cycling shorts with their padded inserts).
We had a mini bus for the entire trip with an impressive roof rack that carried our 19 bikes. It also had a container at the back with water, fruits & snacks plus repair equipment for the bikes. Aside from Rob the leader who cycled, we had two Costa Rican cyclists/mechanics (Paul and Randall) and a Costa Rican driver Luis. Paul and Randall were brilliant mechanics as there were quite a lot of punctures plus broken chains, and my derailleur which broke when I ran into Mary who came off in front of me. Later in the trip we lost Rob who went back to his family in the US for Thanksgiving and was replaced by non-cycling Kevin (which didn't go down so well with the group), and Paul who had to quit because of a throat infection.
In total I cycled 275 miles at an average speed of 11.6mph. Doesn't sound much I suppose. We cycled on 11 days but mileages were very short on some days; I opted out of one day to go to the rain forest, and another was effectively washed out by torrential rain. Maximum downhill speed was 40mph - one or two people got up to >45mph but I braked as soon as as got to 40 in case of potholes. Most of the cycling was in the mornings as it got very hot and humid after lunch, and I have memories of reaching some restaurant lunch stops, really enervated and absolutely lathered in sweat. As the days went on the interior of the bus really stank!
The longest cycling were Days 7 & 13. The former involved 43 miles from Hotel Tilawa (near Tilaran) to La Fortuna, a developing (but currently shabby) tourist town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Basically we cycled around the north side of Lake Arenal towards the beautifully symmetrical, cone-shaped and very active Arenal volcano. This was a lovely cycle through lush agricultural land and dense rain forest. The rolling countryside meant numerous albeit generally short uphills and made it pretty hard going in the heat. I definitely had 'lead legs' and had to push myself hard for the last few miles before lunch. Stayed at the Hotel San Bosco near the beach in La Fortuna: I was looking forward to swimming in the Pacific Ocean at sunset, but the sight of two sewers was somewhat offputting, and I ended up dipping my toes in the water.
Day 8 also involved 43 miles cycling in Panama from Santiago to the Pan American Highway some distance from Panama City. After an uphill section at first, the route was mainly flat through rolling countryside (a bit like southern England). It was hot but I felt great and really enjoyed this.
Other interesting days involved cycling to/from country borders where one really got close to people, long lines of trucks, and scruffy border posts; crossing and re-crossing the Continental Divide; and Day 9 when the formal cycling was cancelled as I mentioned above. Leaving La Fortuna on this ninth day, we crossed Costa Rica to its Northern Caribbean coast, where we stayed at the lovely Hotel Atlantida, near Cahuita, amongst beautiful tropical gardens right by the beach. The rain had more or less petered out and a few of us went out for some offroad cycling on the rough track running parallel to the palm-fringed, totally empty beach. Named Black Beach, it looked to me have pristine white sand. Undeveloped at present, this will undoubtedly be a tourist haven in years to come. At present the most distinctive features were the small palm-leaved huts with reggae bars and little dwellings; and the area itself is Afro-Caribbean, with English spoken in a Jamaican dialect, lots of 'hey man', dreadlocks and a very laid-back, friendly atmosphere. Cycling along, the track became increasing indistinct and muddy with no possible access for cars, and little 'bridges' over creeks which eventually led to a tree-trunk bridge that was impossible for bikes too. This was about the only occasion where bugs were a slight nuisance. Still it was a great end to a day mostly stuck in the bus. My personal finale was to go for a little swim in the sea, although I didn't stay long as it was getting dark and there was a noticeable undercurrent.
So this is just a flavour of the cycling which itself characterises the variety of this overall journey. The scenery encompassed banana plantations on the Caribbean coast, the rugged, tree covered mountains of the Continental Divide; the volcanoes particularly in Nicaragua and the huge Lake Nicaragua; rain forests; and lakeside and coastal vistas.
The attraction of this trip to me, when I was thinking of booking, was its variety, so writing in a thematic way is quite appropriate. Cycling was, of course, the central purpose and so I'm going to write about this first. I would describe this activity as 'designer cycle touring' (remember 'designer backpacking' in New Zealand). Bikes were Cannondale hard tail mountain bikes with semi-slick tyres, appropriate for the mix of terrains. Most of the cycling was on minor tarmac roads but potholes were a constant threat, and there were some tracks and rutted unpaved roads.
Most of the group were active cyclists, and a number were much more serious than myself which showed in their stamina and power, especially on long, flat sections - but (as with my walking experiences) some of the Southerners weren't so good on the uphills. Cycling gear was well in evidence-tops, shoes, shorts etc (by comparison I simply wear hill-walking stuff except for cycling shorts with their padded inserts).
We had a mini bus for the entire trip with an impressive roof rack that carried our 19 bikes. It also had a container at the back with water, fruits & snacks plus repair equipment for the bikes. Aside from Rob the leader who cycled, we had two Costa Rican cyclists/mechanics (Paul and Randall) and a Costa Rican driver Luis. Paul and Randall were brilliant mechanics as there were quite a lot of punctures plus broken chains, and my derailleur which broke when I ran into Mary who came off in front of me. Later in the trip we lost Rob who went back to his family in the US for Thanksgiving and was replaced by non-cycling Kevin (which didn't go down so well with the group), and Paul who had to quit because of a throat infection.
In total I cycled 275 miles at an average speed of 11.6mph. Doesn't sound much I suppose. We cycled on 11 days but mileages were very short on some days; I opted out of one day to go to the rain forest, and another was effectively washed out by torrential rain. Maximum downhill speed was 40mph - one or two people got up to >45mph but I braked as soon as as got to 40 in case of potholes. Most of the cycling was in the mornings as it got very hot and humid after lunch, and I have memories of reaching some restaurant lunch stops, really enervated and absolutely lathered in sweat. As the days went on the interior of the bus really stank!
The longest cycling were Days 7 & 13. The former involved 43 miles from Hotel Tilawa (near Tilaran) to La Fortuna, a developing (but currently shabby) tourist town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Basically we cycled around the north side of Lake Arenal towards the beautifully symmetrical, cone-shaped and very active Arenal volcano. This was a lovely cycle through lush agricultural land and dense rain forest. The rolling countryside meant numerous albeit generally short uphills and made it pretty hard going in the heat. I definitely had 'lead legs' and had to push myself hard for the last few miles before lunch. Stayed at the Hotel San Bosco near the beach in La Fortuna: I was looking forward to swimming in the Pacific Ocean at sunset, but the sight of two sewers was somewhat offputting, and I ended up dipping my toes in the water.
Day 8 also involved 43 miles cycling in Panama from Santiago to the Pan American Highway some distance from Panama City. After an uphill section at first, the route was mainly flat through rolling countryside (a bit like southern England). It was hot but I felt great and really enjoyed this.
Other interesting days involved cycling to/from country borders where one really got close to people, long lines of trucks, and scruffy border posts; crossing and re-crossing the Continental Divide; and Day 9 when the formal cycling was cancelled as I mentioned above. Leaving La Fortuna on this ninth day, we crossed Costa Rica to its Northern Caribbean coast, where we stayed at the lovely Hotel Atlantida, near Cahuita, amongst beautiful tropical gardens right by the beach. The rain had more or less petered out and a few of us went out for some offroad cycling on the rough track running parallel to the palm-fringed, totally empty beach. Named Black Beach, it looked to me have pristine white sand. Undeveloped at present, this will undoubtedly be a tourist haven in years to come. At present the most distinctive features were the small palm-leaved huts with reggae bars and little dwellings; and the area itself is Afro-Caribbean, with English spoken in a Jamaican dialect, lots of 'hey man', dreadlocks and a very laid-back, friendly atmosphere. Cycling along, the track became increasing indistinct and muddy with no possible access for cars, and little 'bridges' over creeks which eventually led to a tree-trunk bridge that was impossible for bikes too. This was about the only occasion where bugs were a slight nuisance. Still it was a great end to a day mostly stuck in the bus. My personal finale was to go for a little swim in the sea, although I didn't stay long as it was getting dark and there was a noticeable undercurrent.
So this is just a flavour of the cycling which itself characterises the variety of this overall journey. The scenery encompassed banana plantations on the Caribbean coast, the rugged, tree covered mountains of the Continental Divide; the volcanoes particularly in Nicaragua and the huge Lake Nicaragua; rain forests; and lakeside and coastal vistas.
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