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Caro and Jacques travel stories around the world

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Browsing Category Best beaches

Our favourites beaches to relax, read a book, or more…

Little Corn Island, l’insolente petite soeur

September 13, 2013 · by Jacques.L

Avant de commencer ce post, je voudrais apporter quelques précisions…

  1. Notre tour du monde est presque fini étant donne que nous sommes actuellement en France… (voir la carte en bas de page)
  2. Mais le blog n’est pas fini…
  3. Il nous reste encore 1 mois et demi de voyage à raconter, donc à peu près une soixantaine d’articles à écrire (en anglais et en Français), et quelques 3500 photos à trier avant de les mettre en ligne sur le blog…

Nous sommes donc en 2013 après Jésus-Christ. Tout le Nicaragua est occupé par les Nicaraguayens.. Tout? Non! Une petite ile d’irréductibles parlant anglais et créole résiste toujours à la langue espagnole… Et la vie ne lui est pas facile face à cette population qui descend d’anciens pirates… Nous voila donc sur Little Corn Island, la petite soeur presque insolente de Big Corn.

Nous y accédons par lancha que nous prenons depuis le port principal de Big Corn. 25 minutes plus tard sous un soleil de plomb (et quelques coups de soleil) nous y arrivons. Notre traversée a été relativement calme, mais les conditions sont plutôt optimales. Il faut savoir que la traversée durant les mois les plus ventés (autour de novembre) sont beaucoup plus agitées (l’océan entre les deux iles pouvant être démonté). Et oui, accéder à Little Corn durant les périodes touristiques se mérite..

In the boat ready to go to Little Corn
In the boat ready to go to Little Corn
The "lancha" between Big and Little Corn
The “lancha” between Big and Little Corn

Sur place nous logeons aux 3 frères (The 3 brothers) que nous apprecions beaucoup etant donné qu’il est le seul hostel avec une cuisine… Et oui, un tour autour du monde c’est un budget à gerer et nous découvrons que la petite soeur est bien chère à entretenir..

Randy, the owner of 3 brothers

Randy, the owner of 3 brothers

En effet, Little Corn est encore plus paradisiaque que sa grande soeur et donc plus développée d’un point de vue touristique (cela reste tout de même relatif si on la compare avec d’autres iles des Caraibes). Cela n’empêche, les prix y sont donc quand même beaucoup plus élevés qu’à Big Corn et si vous y restez une semaine et mangez au resto tous les matins-midi-soirs revient vite bien cher.

Pourquoi les Corn Island?

Les iles du Mais sont une alternative sérieuse à ses concurrentes Hondurienne (Roatan et Utila). Beaucoup moins développées, beaucoup plus vraies (pour le moment) et beaucoup moins chères, elles accumulent les points positifs.

Que faire sur Little Corn Island?

Contrairement à sa grande soeur, nous n’avons pas eu besoin de louer des vélos. Nos jambes nous ont suffi pour parcourir les quelques 3 kilomètres carrés constitués principalement de plages, avocatiers, manguiers et palmiers où l’on peut se perdre facilement…

The road of Little Corn Island
The road of Little Corn Island
The road of Little Corn Island
The road of Little Corn Island
More than 300 types of mangos, Caroline is so happy
More than 300 types of mangos, Caroline is so happy
The base-ball field
The base-ball field

Le farniente est une religion à laquelle il faut se soumettre. Entre midi et deux les rares commerces sont fermés et la chaleur vous pousse à une petite sieste sous l’ombre d’un palmier sur la plage. C’est dans ces moments-ci où l’on se rend compte de la difficulté de la condition humaine sous les tropiques.

Sunset on Little Corn

Sunset on Little Corn

Nous visitons donc les différentes plages qu’a à offrir Little Corn Island. Voici-ci dessous une petite galerie des plages paradisiaques de Little Corn.

Storm coming
Storm coming
Caroline
Caroline
The south west cost of Little Corn
The south west cost of Little Corn
Little Corn Island, the north east beach
Little Corn Island, the north east beach
The harbour on the east coast
The harbour on the east coast
West side of Little Corn
West side of Little Corn
Another sunset in Little Corn
Another sunset in Little Corn
The east part of Little Corn...
The east part of Little Corn…
Us from the most beautiful beach of Little Corn
Us from the most beautiful beach of Little Corn
Paradisiac beach
Paradisiac beach

Nous partons deux fois en sortie snorkeling (Palme-masque-tuba) autour de l’ile où nous sommes partis à la rencontre de la faune et flore marine: tortues, requins, raies, mais aussi une épave…

Little shark
Little shark
Both of us on the wreck
Both of us on the wreck
Caroline on the boat wreck
Caroline on the boat wreck
Ready to snorkel
Ready to snorkel
Under water Litte Corn
Under water Litte Corn
THe boat is still there...
THe boat is still there…
Little corn from the snorkelling spot
Little corn from the snorkelling spot
In the water..
In the water..
Randy, the owner of 3 brothers
Randy, the owner of 3 brothers
Randy and David from the 3 brothers
Randy and David from the 3 brothers
Little fish around the coral

Nous avons aussi dégusté quelques plats locaux tels que le porridge fait de Bread Fruit, le run-down (que nous avons déjà mangé à San Juan del Sur) ainsi que des écrevisses fraichement péchées (c’est l’industrie principale des iles Corn Island)

Eating a bread fruit porridge kindly cooked by a local!!! yummy...
Eating a bread fruit porridge kindly cooked by a local!!! yummy…
Caroline, the cat and her porridge
Caroline, the cat and her porridge
Grilled lobsters, what's else?
Grilled lobsters, what’s else?
Our last night in Little Corn with a lot of good friends

Que de plus?

Vraiment pas plus, il ne vous reste plus qu’à les découvrir par vous même…

A tres bientôt,

Jacques&Caro

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Little Corn Island, the cheeky little sister…

September 12, 2013 · by Jacques.L

Before starting this post, I would like to add a few details about our current situation…

  1. Our trip around the world is almost finished as we are currently in France and will be back to Sydney in a bit more than 16 days…
  2. But this blog is not yet over
  3. We still have one month and half of travel stories to tell you so around 60 posts to write (in both french and english) and around 3,500 pictures to sort out for the blog.

We are friday 28th of June and on our way to Little Corn Island… Big Corn little sister…

We get there by boat (the local lanchas) that we take from  Big Corn harbour… 25 minutes later under a strong sun we arrive in Little Corn.. Some locals are there along with a sign “Welcome to heaven on earth).. Quite nice…. Crossing the sea between the two islands was quite smooth but we have been told is usually rougher especially during the month of November to January when the wind blows.

In the boat ready to go to Little Corn
In the boat ready to go to Little Corn
The "lancha" between Big and Little Corn
The “lancha” between Big and Little Corn

Overthere, we stay at the Three Brother that we like a lot. Nice room and terrace plus the fact there is a kitchen to cook… When you travel for a few months, it is always nice to be able to cook your own food… You don’t have to rely on restaurant which usually blow your budget away. And the little sister is quite popular among the tourist and therefore more expensive…

Randy, the owner of 3 brothers

Randy, the owner of 3 brothers

Little Corn is more popular than her sister and maybe more idyllic than Big Corn. As a result you can find more resort, hotel and restaurant which push the price up… But it is still far cheaper than some island in the Caribbean

Why Corn Island?

These islands are a good alternative of two Honduran island (Roatan and Utilan)… Less developed (estate wise), more original, you will enjoy as well less people…

What to do on Little Corn Island

Unlikely to it other sister, we didn’t need to rent a bike. Our legs were enough to walk across the 3 square kilometers of the island filled up with beaches, avocado trees, mango trees and palm trees.

The road of Little Corn Island
The road of Little Corn Island
The road of Little Corn Island
The road of Little Corn Island
More than 300 types of mangos, Caroline is so happy
More than 300 types of mangos, Caroline is so happy
The base-ball field
The base-ball field

Doing almost nothing is our motus for the next week or so… Wake up early morning by the heat, you crawl then to the beach until mid-day until the heat become unbearable. At this time, the nap is a must do… Then the rain hits the island form 12pm to 3pm… We are going back to the beach until the night falls down.

Sunset on Little Corn

Sunset on Little Corn

We visited the various beaches that Little Corn has to offer… Below is a little gallery:

Storm coming
Storm coming
Caroline
Caroline
The south west cost of Little Corn
The south west cost of Little Corn
Little Corn Island, the north east beach
Little Corn Island, the north east beach
The harbour on the east coast
The harbour on the east coast
West side of Little Corn
West side of Little Corn
Another sunset in Little Corn
Another sunset in Little Corn
The east part of Little Corn...
The east part of Little Corn…
Us from the most beautiful beach of Little Corn
Us from the most beautiful beach of Little Corn
Paradisiac beach
Paradisiac beach

We went twice snorkeling around the island where we met tortules, sharks and ray.

Little shark
Little shark
Both of us on the wreck
Both of us on the wreck
Caroline on the boat wreck
Caroline on the boat wreck
Ready to snorkel
Ready to snorkel
Under water Litte Corn
Under water Litte Corn
THe boat is still there...
THe boat is still there…
Little corn from the snorkelling spot
Little corn from the snorkelling spot
In the water..
In the water..
Randy, the owner of 3 brothers
Randy, the owner of 3 brothers
Randy and David from the 3 brothers
Randy and David from the 3 brothers
Little fish around the coral

We tasted some local dishes such as the fruit bread porridge, the run-down and some fresh lobsters.

Eating a bread fruit porridge kindly cooked by a local!!! yummy...
Eating a bread fruit porridge kindly cooked by a local!!! yummy…
Caroline, the cat and her porridge
Caroline, the cat and her porridge
Grilled lobsters, what's else?
Grilled lobsters, what’s else?
Our last night in Little Corn with a lot of good friends

What’s else?

Nothing really, but now it is time to discover it by yourself…

Blog you soon,

Jacques&Caro

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L’ile de Big Corn, un petit oasis de bien-être

September 5, 2013 · by Jacques.L

Après notre épopée digne d’Ulysse, nous nous posons enfin sur Big Corn Island.

Cette fois-ci pas de carte google mais la carte locale prise sur le mur d’une maison au bord de la plage Coco.

Welcome to Big Corn Island

Welcome to Big Corn Island

Nous passons nos nuits juste en face de la plage Coco dans un petit hostel surnommé La Casa Blanca.. La mer est à 1m de notre chambre, que demander de plus?

View from of our hostal...
View from of our hostal…
View from our hostal...
View from our hostal…
La playa Coco facing our hostel
La playa Coco facing our hostel
Jacques off Playa Coco, a few meters from our hostel...
Jacques off Playa Coco, a few meters from our hostel…
Playa Coco
Playa Coco
Fishermen boat overlooking Playa Coco, west side of Big Corn Island
Fishermen boat overlooking Playa Coco, west side of Big Corn Island

L’eau est chaude et claire… Nous louons le lendemain de notre arrivée des vélos pour faire le tour de l’ile…

Tout d’abord la South West Bay qui est (pour nous) la plus belle plage de l’ile. Jugement pas très objectif étant donné que le ciel s’est couvert pas la suite et ne nous a pas permis d’apprécier à leur juste valeur les autres parties de l’ile.

South West Bay beach is the most beautiful beach of Big Corn Island
South West Bay beach is the most beautiful beach of Big Corn Island
Caroline with the beautiful background of South West Bay Beach, south east of Big Corn Island
Caroline with the beautiful background of South West Bay Beach, south east of Big Corn Island
Jacques keeping the bikes while Caro goes snorkelling at South West Bay Beach
Jacques keeping the bikes while Caro goes snorkelling at South West Bay Beach

Après la pause nous repartons vers l’intérieur de l’île (juste en dessous de la piste d’aéroport) où nous nous arrêtons pour un déjeuner pas cher mais excellent… Poisson grillé, riz, tortilla, haricots cuisinés à la manière locale, onions et frites de bananes bien fines et craquantes…

Best fish for almost nothing.. and nicest people ever… what's else for lunch?

Best fish for almost nothing.. and nicest people ever… what’s else for lunch?

Une fois le déjeuner finis, nous partons digérer sur nos vélos en direction de la côte ouest de Big Corn. Nous arrivons donc sur la plage de Long Bay, mais le temps se gâte au point d’être surpris par la pluie.

C’est donc sous une paillote, ou à jouer à la pétanque avec les noix de coco sur la plage ou bien à essayer de les casser pour en boire le lait, que nous attendons que le temps se calme.

Caroline drinking a coconut on the north part of Long Bay beach

Caroline drinking a coconut on the north part of Long Bay beach

Nous repartons ensuite vers le nord de l’ile pour atteindre la plage de Sally Peach. Avant d’y arriver, on croise ce genre de signe.. attention ils vont vous attraper ou attention de ne pas rouler dessus? On dirait qu’ils ont déjà mangé une partie du panneau…

As you can see, be aware, dangerous crabs crossing the road...

As you can see, be aware, dangerous crabs crossing the road…

Sur la plage de Sally Peach, on peut goûter les fameux pain au coco.. Un délice!!

Caroline enjoying a coconut bread… so tasty. on the north part of the island
The coconut bread bakery
The coconut bread bakery
Church, coconut tree...
Church, coconut tree…
North east beaches of Big Corn: Sally Peaches...
North east beaches of Big Corn: Sally Peaches…
North part of Big Corn… I love the grass and coconut tree..
North part of Big Corn… I love the grass and coconut tree..
After the storm, the sun is back.. on the north side of Big Corn Island
After the storm, the sun is back.. on the north side of Big Corn Island

Notre tour de l’ile est terminé et nous nous dirigeons vers notre hostel. Demain nous partirons sur Little Corn.

Sunset in Big Corn Island

Sunset in Big Corn Island

A bientôt depuis Little Corn Island.

Jacques&Caro

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Big Corn, the cool island.

September 4, 2013 · by Jacques.L

After our epic journey to reach these islands, we finally settle down in Big Corn Island for a few days…This time no google map but a local map shoot on the wall of a house in Playa Coco.

Welcome to Big Corn Island

Welcome to Big Corn Island

We spend our nights in a little hostal, “La Casa Blanca” facing Coco beach. We are only 1m away from the blue azul and warm water. What’s else?

View from of our hostal...
View from of our hostal…
View from our hostal...
View from our hostal…
La playa Coco facing our hostel
La playa Coco facing our hostel
Jacques off Playa Coco, a few meters from our hostel...
Jacques off Playa Coco, a few meters from our hostel…
Playa Coco
Playa Coco
Fishermen boat overlooking Playa Coco, west side of Big Corn Island
Fishermen boat overlooking Playa Coco, west side of Big Corn Island

The next morning, we rent some bikes to explore the island.

Firstly the South West Bay which is, for us, the most beautiful beach of the island. Not to say that our judgement is subjective as the weather turned to overcast when we visit the other beaches.

South West Bay beach is the most beautiful beach of Big Corn Island
South West Bay beach is the most beautiful beach of Big Corn Island
Caroline with the beautiful background of South West Bay Beach, south east of Big Corn Island
Caroline with the beautiful background of South West Bay Beach, south east of Big Corn Island
Jacques keeping the bikes while Caro goes snorkelling at South West Bay Beach
Jacques keeping the bikes while Caro goes snorkelling at South West Bay Beach

After this first break, it is time for lunch break… We ride toward the inside of the island and stop at the end of the airport runaway where we find a local and small place… Best lunch ever at a competitive price. Indeed. We are served two massive plates made of grilled fish, rice, tortillas with beans & onions and finally some tasty fried sliced bananas.

Best fish for almost nothing.. and nicest people ever… what's else for lunch?

Best fish for almost nothing.. and nicest people ever… what’s else for lunch?

Once the lunch over, we leave on our bike to speed up the digestion. We ride toward the west part of the island but the weather starts to turn to grey and by the time we arrive there, it rains…

Staying under a straw hut and watching the rain, or playing “petanque” with coconuts or breaking them to drink coconut milk are our activities while the pouring rain wet everything and cool down the air temperature (but it is still warm)

Caroline drinking a coconut on the north part of Long Bay beach

Caroline drinking a coconut on the north part of Long Bay beach

Once the rain stops, we leave toward the north part of the island to reach Sally Peach beach.. Before reaching it we see this yellow sign.. What does that mean? Be careful not to drive onto them or be careful they can catch you…. (And it looks like they have already caught part of the sign)

As you can see, be aware, dangerous crabs crossing the road...

As you can see, be aware, dangerous crabs crossing the road…

On Sally Peach beach, it is coconut bread mode… We love it!!!

Caroline enjoying a coconut bread… so tasty. on the north part of the island
The coconut bread bakery
The coconut bread bakery
Church, coconut tree...
Church, coconut tree…
North east beaches of Big Corn: Sally Peaches...
North east beaches of Big Corn: Sally Peaches…
North part of Big Corn… I love the grass and coconut tree..
North part of Big Corn… I love the grass and coconut tree..
After the storm, the sun is back.. on the north side of Big Corn Island
After the storm, the sun is back.. on the north side of Big Corn Island

Our ride around the island is over and we now go back to “La Casa Blanca”.. Tomorrow, we will leave Big Corn to go to it little sister, Little Corn Island.

Sunset in Big Corn Island

Sunset in Big Corn Island

Blog you soon from Corn Island.

Jacques&Caro

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San Juan del Sur, capitale du surf au Nicaragua…

September 2, 2013 · by Jacques.L

Après avoir passé la frontiere et quelques 40 min de taxi nous voila arrivés à San Juan del Sur, la capitale… pas du pays mais incontestablement du surf au Nicaragua…

Attention, on ne peut pas surfer a San Juan del Sur.. Soit il vous faut bouger sur les plages situées à quelques encablures et y dormir (pour être sûr d’y être tôt le lendemain matin), soit vous prenez les navettes disponibles depuis San Juan del Sur pour les differentes plages… Chacune présente un niveau de surf différent selon que vous êtes débutant, confirmé ou expert…

La carte ci-dessous:

Nous avons passé au total deux nuits sur San Juan del Sur et trois nuits en cabine à la playa Maderas pour aller surfer…

A San Juan del Sur, nous etions avec Aicha et Jean-Baptiste au même hostel…

First evening in Nicaragua for the four of us as we just met Aicha and J-B at the border of Costa RIca

First evening in Nicaragua for the four of us as we just met Aicha and J-B at the border of Costa RIca

Nous y avons rencontré Dennis, un local originaire de Corn Island (l’ile du Mais) qui nous a prepare un delicieux run-down a base de poisson, Yuka et pommes de terre.

Run-down on the fire… Potatoes, Yuka, and whole fish along with coconut milk and curry
Run-down on the fire… Potatoes, Yuka, and whole fish along with coconut milk and curry
The A-team
The A-team
Everybody enjoing the run-down
Everybody enjoing the run-down
Run-down session in San Juan del Sur (typical Nicaragua dish) made by Dennis our friend from Corn Island...
Run-down session in San Juan del Sur (typical Nicaragua dish) made by Dennis our friend from Corn Island…

Niveau plage, nous sommes restés à Playa Maderas, un havre de paix (en tout cas en semaine) et sommes partis explorer les alentours dont Playa Marsella.

Sunset in Playa Madera, a few km away from San Juan del Sur

Sunset in Playa Madera, a few km away from San Juan del Sur

Howler monkey in the trees above our cabin
Howler monkey in the trees above our cabin
Relax time in Playa Maderas
Relax time in Playa Maderas

C’est à Playa Marsella que nous avons rencontre Paco le crocodile ains que manger les meilleures pâtes aux langoustes pour quelques dollars…

The best pasta of all Central America…with Aicha and J-B
The best pasta of all Central America…with Aicha and J-B
Jacques and Paco
Jacques and Paco
Caroline and Paco, the "nice" crocodile...
Caroline and Paco, the “nice” crocodile…

Au retour de Marsella, nous faisons une étrange rencontre..

Caro and the crab...
Caro and the crab…
Jacques and a dangerous creature...
Jacques and a dangerous creature…

Bon en surf, on n’est pas aussi bon qu’en kite (le comble pour nous qui vivons en Australie)… au point de casser la planche.. (qui entre nous n’était pas en super état)

Caroline ready to kick some ass on the surf...
Caroline ready to kick some ass on the surf…
Jacques and two parts of what was one surf board...
Jacques and two parts of what was one surf board…
Caroline and her surf in the waves of Playa Madera
Caroline and her surf in the waves of Playa Madera
Playa madera
Playa madera

Mis à part cela, nous avons adoré Playa Maderas.

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San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua surf capital.

September 2, 2013 · by Jacques.L

After crossing the border of Costa Rica and then 40 min spent in a cab, we arrive in San Juan del Sur… Not the capital of Nicaragua, but indisputably the capital of Surfing in Nicaragua.

Beware that you can’t surf in San Juan del Sur itself. But from it you can access a a lot of beaches that will offer different surf condition for all the levels from beginner to expert. You can stay in some beaches which offer accomodation while other are only accessible by day.

The map below:

In total we spent 2 nights in San Juan del Sur and three nights in Playa Maderas in a cabin.

In San Juan del Sur, we stayed with Aicha and Jean-Baptiste at the same hostel. Cheap but nice…

First evening in Nicaragua for the four of us as we just met Aicha and J-B at the border of Costa RIca

First evening in Nicaragua for the four of us as we just met Aicha and J-B at the border of Costa RIca

There, we met Dennis, a local from Corn Island who cooked for us a run-down. This local dishes comes from Corn Island and is a mix of fish, coconut milk, potatoes and yucca.

Run-down on the fire… Potatoes, Yuka, and whole fish along with coconut milk and curry
Run-down on the fire… Potatoes, Yuka, and whole fish along with coconut milk and curry
The A-team
The A-team
Everybody enjoing the run-down
Everybody enjoing the run-down
Run-down session in San Juan del Sur (typical Nicaragua dish) made by Dennis our friend from Corn Island...
Run-down session in San Juan del Sur (typical Nicaragua dish) made by Dennis our friend from Corn Island…

On the beach side, we stayed at Playa Maderas, a good spot for surfing but as well relax and do nothing. (except writing the blog and fighting mosquitoes)

Sunset in Playa Madera, a few km away from San Juan del Sur

Sunset in Playa Madera, a few km away from San Juan del Sur

Howler monkey in the trees above our cabin
Howler monkey in the trees above our cabin
Relax time in Playa Maderas
Relax time in Playa Maderas

We went to the next beach, Playa Marsella where we met Paco the crocodile and eat excellent lobster pasta for a few dollars.

The best pasta of all Central America…with Aicha and J-B
The best pasta of all Central America…with Aicha and J-B
Jacques and Paco
Jacques and Paco
Caroline and Paco, the "nice" crocodile...
Caroline and Paco, the “nice” crocodile…

On the way back from Marsella, we met a strange thing….

Caro and the crab...
Caro and the crab…
Jacques and a dangerous creature...
Jacques and a dangerous creature…

Surf wise, we are still as good as we are in Kite Surf. To the point that Jacques broke his board (a crap rental board)  but Caroline did enjoy her sessions.

Caroline ready to kick some ass on the surf...
Caroline ready to kick some ass on the surf…
Jacques and two parts of what was one surf board...
Jacques and two parts of what was one surf board…
Caroline and her surf in the waves of Playa Madera
Caroline and her surf in the waves of Playa Madera
Playa madera
Playa madera

Except this we really like the place.

Blog you soon,

Jacques&Caro

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Surf à Jaco sur la côte pacifique du Costa Rica

August 31, 2013 · by Jacques.L

Depuis San Jose nous rejoignons un autre couchsurfer Diego (un jeune dentiste) avec qui nous sommes censés passer le weekend au parc national de San Antonio, un des plus magnifiques du pays.

Meeting with Diego from CouchSurfer, we are ready to go to the beach!

Meeting with Diego from CouchSurfer, we are ready to go to the beach!

Malheureusement, entre le temps dans les transports pour le rejoindre en ce samedi, plus lui qui doit récupérer quelque choses dans un centre commercial, nous ne quittons pas San Jose avant 16h. Le lendemain est la fête des pères, et il devra rentrer pour passer le déjeuner avec sa famille.. Nous décidons donc de ne pas trop nous éloigner de San Jose et atterrissons à Jaco, à deux heures de San Jose.

Voici la carte google de notre trajet:

Finalement, nous decidons avec Caroline de rester deux jours de plus et de profiter de l’endroit qui s’avère être un super spot de surf pour les débutants comme nous…

Sunset by Jaco beach, on the pacific coast of Costa Rica

Sunset by Jaco beach, on the pacific coast of Costa Rica

Cool car above the hostel office
Cool car above the hostel office
Jacques and his watermelon
Jacques and his watermelon
Caroline eating her watermelon at our hostel
Caroline eating her watermelon at our hostel
Iguane looking for food during our breakfast
Iguane looking for food during our breakfast
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today...
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today…
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today...
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today…
Jacques back from his surf lesson in Jaco
Jacques back from his surf lesson in Jaco
Just after the surf lesson in Jaco
Just after the surf lesson in Jaco

Jaco ne vaut pas le parc de San Antonio, mais il nous aura au moins donné un petit aperçu de la cote pacifique du Costa Rica.

A très bientôt,

Jacques&Caro

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Surfing in Jaco, pacific coast of Costa Rica

August 31, 2013 · by Jacques.L

From San Jose, we meet an other CouchSurfer, Diego with who we are supposed to spend the weekend at San Antonio National Park., one of the most amazing park of Costa Rica.

Meeting with Diego from CouchSurfer, we are ready to go to the beach!

Meeting with Diego from CouchSurfer, we are ready to go to the beach!

However with the time spent in the transport to reach him and in the trafic jam, we don’t leave San Jose before 4pm… And tomorrow is father days, therefore Diego needs to be back to San Jose for the familly lunch.

We decide therefore to stop in Jaco, only two hours away from San Jose. Not the best place to stay on the pacific coast of Costa Rica, but not the worst place..  We decided with Caro to stay two days overthere, taking the opportunity to take some surf classes….

Here the map:

Jaco is not worth San Antonio National Park, but still, it was a good snapshot of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

Sunset by Jaco beach, on the pacific coast of Costa Rica

Sunset by Jaco beach, on the pacific coast of Costa Rica

Cool car above the hostel office
Cool car above the hostel office
Jacques and his watermelon
Jacques and his watermelon
Caroline eating her watermelon at our hostel
Caroline eating her watermelon at our hostel
Iguane looking for food during our breakfast
Iguane looking for food during our breakfast
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today...
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today…
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today...
Jacques preparing his surfboard before going.. easy conditions today…
Jacques back from his surf lesson in Jaco
Jacques back from his surf lesson in Jaco
Just after the surf lesson in Jaco
Just after the surf lesson in Jaco

Blog you soon,

Jacques&Caro

9.616667 -84.633333

Bienvenue au Costa Rica à Puerto Viejo

August 27, 2013 · by Jacques.L

Nous traversons finalement la frontière entre le Panama et le Costa Rica sous la pluie.

Après avoir payé 4$ pour sortir du Panama, traversé à pied le pont qui sépare les deux pays , nous sommes maintenant au Costa Rica… Mais le temps n’a pas changé, il pleut toujours…

The bridge allowing you to cross the border between Panama and Costa Rica
The bridge allowing you to cross the border between Panama and Costa Rica
Panama border office
Jacques crossing the border between Panama and Costa Rica

Voici la carte de notre trajet entre Bocas del Toro au Panama et Puerto Viejo au Costa Rica:

Et même une fois arrivé à Puerto Viejo, une heure plus tard, la fine pluie s’est transformée en un énorme orage assez violent… Bienvenue… Décidément, depuis que nous sommes arrivés en Amérique Centrale, le temps est plutôt humide…

Next destination: Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica

Next destination: Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica

Nous avons passé au total 5 jours et 4 nuits sur Puerto Viejo. Cette petite ville de la côte Caribéenne du Costa Rica est un endroit plutôt tranquille où il fait bon vivre…

Caroline, early morning enjoying the water
Caroline, early morning enjoying the water
New friend
New friend
Breakfast time from the hostel balcony
Us down the beach from the hostel
Us down the beach from the hostel

La vue de notre second backpacker juste en face de la plage était plutôt sympa… Quel bonheur de pouvoir se réveiller en face de la plage et aller piquer une tête avant de prendre son petit déjeuner au soleil…

The beach facing our hostel in Puerto Viejo
The beach facing our hostel in Puerto Viejo
Same beach facing our hostel but different view
Same beach facing our hostel but different view

Nous passerons les deux premières nuits dans un backpacker plutôt moyen, la troisième dans un backpacker au-dessus d’un bar et la dernière finalement chez David, un couchsurfer américain installé au Costa Rica.

The local way to shave yourself in the morning...
The local way to shave yourself in the morning…
Yeah, relax Jack… before going to the dentist...
Yeah, relax Jack… before going to the dentist…
Colorful.. yellow and green
Colorful.. yellow and green
Special restaurant, the Outback…. Typical aussie they say!!
Special restaurant, the Outback…. Typical aussie they say!!

Alors qu’avons-nous fait sur place ?

Nous avons loué des vélos pour visiter les différentes plages de la côte. De Puerto Viejo jusqu’à la pointe Manzanillo (au sud, proche du Panama), il y a plusieurs plages parfaites pour la farniente ou le PMT…

The bikes on Chiquita beach
The bikes on Chiquita beach
Lunch time (at 4pm) at Manzanillo beach
Lunch time (at 4pm) at Manzanillo beach
Playa Chiquita
Playa Chiquita
Playa Chiquita
Playa Chiquita
View from Punta Manzanillo toward the north
View from Punta Manzanillo toward the north
Punta Manzanillo with a nice beach
Punta Manzanillo with a nice beach
Us from Punta Manzanillo
Us from Punta Manzanillo
Sunset (almost) at Manzanillo beach
Sunset (almost) at Manzanillo beach
Manzanillo beach
Manzanillo beach
Along Manzanillo beach
Along Manzanillo beach
Playa Manzanillo
Playa Manzanillo
Playa Manzanillo at the south of Puerto Viejo, we reached by bike
Playa Manzanillo at the south of Puerto Viejo, we reached by bike

Finalement, nous sommes allés passer notre dernière nuit chez David, un américain qui a décidé de tout quitter pour venir s’installer au Costa Rica et faire ce qu’il aime : composer de la musique et chanter. Et cela marche plutôt pas mal…

Nous avons dormi cette nuit là dans des Hamacs…

David and Caroline
David and Caroline
David mixing some good music
David mixing some good music
Caroline ready for an hammac night
Caroline ready for an hammac night

Nous sommes allés aussi faire deux activités que nous vous raconterons dans le post suivant…

A très bientôt pour la suite de nos aventures depuis Puerto Viejo.

Jacques&Caro

9.658333 -82.752778

Welcome to Costa Rica in the “relax” town of Puerto Viejo

August 27, 2013 · by Jacques.L

We finally cross the border, under the rain, between Panama and Costa Rica…

Pay 4$ of exit fee of Panama, cross the bridge. Here we go, we are in Costa Rica, but the weather so far hasn’t changed… Still raining.

The bridge allowing you to cross the border between Panama and Costa Rica
The bridge allowing you to cross the border between Panama and Costa Rica
Panama border office
Jacques crossing the border between Panama and Costa Rica

Below is the map of our journey from Bocas del Toro to reach Puerto Viejo… Boat, taxi, bus, walking and bus again…

Once we crossed the border, We catch the bus to Puerto Viejo and arrived one hour later…  While we are looking for an hostal, the weather changes a lot, not for the best… The rain keeps falling quite roughly…

Next destination: Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica

Next destination: Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica

We spend in total 4 nights/ 5 days in Puerto Viejo.. Enough to see around between the storms….

Caroline, early morning enjoying the water
Caroline, early morning enjoying the water
New friend
New friend
Breakfast time from the hostel balcony
Us down the beach from the hostel
Us down the beach from the hostel

We spend two nights in a very average backpacker quite expensive for what it has to offer (but I guess, we are in Costa Rica, one of the most expensive Central America country). Then a third night spent in an other backapcker and the last night spent at David’s place, a couchsurfer host from the US.

The beach facing our hostel in Puerto Viejo
The beach facing our hostel in Puerto Viejo
Same beach facing our hostel but different view
Same beach facing our hostel but different view

Above is the view from our second backpacker, located two meters away from the beach.. So good to be able to swim early morning before breakfast…

The local way to shave yourself in the morning...
The local way to shave yourself in the morning…
Yeah, relax Jack… before going to the dentist...
Yeah, relax Jack… before going to the dentist…
Colorful.. yellow and green
Colorful.. yellow and green
Special restaurant, the Outback…. Typical aussie they say!!
Special restaurant, the Outback…. Typical aussie they say!!

What to do there ?

We rent a bike to visit the south cost (toward Panama) and the various beaches it has to offer. There are some really nice beaches as you can see below in the pictures.

The bikes on Chiquita beach
The bikes on Chiquita beach
Lunch time (at 4pm) at Manzanillo beach
Lunch time (at 4pm) at Manzanillo beach
Playa Chiquita
Playa Chiquita
Playa Chiquita
Playa Chiquita
View from Punta Manzanillo toward the north
View from Punta Manzanillo toward the north
Punta Manzanillo with a nice beach
Punta Manzanillo with a nice beach
Us from Punta Manzanillo
Us from Punta Manzanillo
Sunset (almost) at Manzanillo beach
Sunset (almost) at Manzanillo beach
Manzanillo beach
Manzanillo beach
Along Manzanillo beach
Along Manzanillo beach
Playa Manzanillo
Playa Manzanillo
Playa Manzanillo at the south of Puerto Viejo, we reached by bike
Playa Manzanillo at the south of Puerto Viejo, we reached by bike

And finally our last night spent at David’s place… sleeping in hamac ! Not the best night but something we had to try. David, from California, decided to quit his « normal » life to settle down in Costa Rica to do what he likes most : composing music and singing on top of it.. And he is doing it quite well….

David and Caroline
David and Caroline
David mixing some good music
David mixing some good music
Caroline ready for an hammac night
Caroline ready for an hammac night

We did two other activites that we will talk about in the next post.

Blog you soon from Puerto Viejo,

Jacques&Caro

9.658333 -82.752778
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