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Vale la pena on Costa Rica's Caribbean shore, part two
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Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) is a convenient one to exit. Off the plane, through the corridors, following immigration signs and arrows, and into a large room with enlarged rainforest prints on the walls and the serpentine line to the booths of officers with stamps and little time for chit-chat. Pretty simple, really, and logical considering that tourism, eco and otherwise, comprises a significant portion of Costa Rica's national influx of foreign monies.
The order of things when exiting the airport should be as follows: immigration, exchange some greenbacks for Colones (currently 575 to the USD), turn around to see the baggage turnstile, bring luggage through laid-back customs, make decision about transportation. At this point it is worth a note that while it is a good idea to exchange some cash, you'll receive a better exchange rate at a bank or ATM when withdrawing money out of your account- BCR ATMs will dispense USD or Colones and have an option for English. Your bank will likely charge a foreign transaction fee, but it will be less than the gouge at the Cambio, or money exchange window. Chase Bank's fee is 1%, but there can be as much as a 10% difference between the Cambio rate and the published bank rate. So, exchange some mad money to get you through a day or two, but not your whole trip's budget.
After customs comes a room with a bunch of kiosks for rental cars, shuttles and then one to solicit a taxi. All a waste of time, this author thinks. It is wise to pre-book any car rental for a better rate, but for a genuine experience and to do things on the cheap, get a cab to the Caribe bus terminal. Whether booked from inside or corralled on the sidewalk, a fair rate (it is the standard minimum) is 10,000 colones, or just under $20. This will be the shortest and most expensive ride you take anywhere, your whole trip. A good thing to remember is that, especially in this industry but also easily found elsewhere, both collusion and bargaining are commonplace.
The terminal is just that. Few frills and a handful of food stands that all seem to sell the same thing. Also, a convenience store, bathrooms (25 colones) and ample room to claim a table, spread out and talk about how humid it is.
Seating is assigned on the bus. If you're traveling alone, I suggest requesting a window seat. If you are traveling with a companion, you will be seated together by default... Unless of course the bus is full, in which case they'll sell you por pie seats, which aren't seats at all, but a position in the aisle where you can stand the approximate 3 ½ hours to Cahuita, where we're going. It pays to buy the ticket as soon as you arrive at the terminal. The window for purchasing a ticket to Cahuita is inside the “mall,” behind the food vendors.
As an earlier article mentions, protests that close the road between San Jose and Limon, as well as on others, are not altogether uncommon. They typically do not begin until the early afternoon and terminate by sundown, but the bus will not run a given route if there is a road closure. If this is the case, a traveler may elect to sleep over in San Jose or pursue alternative transportation. Taxi drivers solicit fares from the terminal to Cahuita or Puerto Viejo for 100-200 USD. A bus ticket costs less than seven.
The rest is internationally standard: Get comfortable waiting for the bus in a place you can keep an eye on your bags, munch on some local cuisine (the empanadas are pretty tasty at the terminal), double-check with the driver that you are boarding the correct bus and stow your larger and less-valuable items in the compartment underneath. Even after boarding, you'll need to retain your ticket as it will be checked, sometimes twice, along the way. If it's hot or you're just in the imbibing mood, its perfectly legal to grab some road sodas for the terminal or the trip, but remember, the first bathroom stop (Limon) is at least 2 hours away.
The basic route is go right 'till you hit the beach, then go down to Cahuita. If you hit Panama, you've gone too far. This route takes you over and around some fantastic mountains that rise dramatically like an EKG readout up from river-carved valleys and through a tunnel nearly devoid of light, all the while being serenaded by insects with punctuations of pounding water as the bus passes waterfall after cascading river. It is amazing that just a short while later you gaze through the palms, across the postcard beaches at the Caribbean Sea and the reflection of infinite blue.
Cahuita is the first town the bus stops in after Limon. The station is on the edge of town and features an assortment of shops including a hardware store, pharmacy and BCR. Payphones are available to call a cab, but require a phone card. Clerks are often happy to make a call for you for a couple hundred colones. A few hundred feet out of the “mall” is to the center of town, bars, restaurants, two small grocery stores, and on the Southern edge, an entrance to one of Costa Rica's most beautiful national parks.
Accommodations are aplenty in Cahuita, but some of the most breathtaking views can be found within 3km north, along a dirt, potholed road. Most landowners along this way operate between one and five rental units or cabinas that offer vistas ranging from natural tidal pools in coral to a deserted beach that fades into sea mist and tropical green. It is here that the rainforest meets the Caribbean Sea, and it is every bit as incredible as that sounds. Truly vale la pena.
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