Day 2: Zero
Even though there is no walk planned for me today, I am standing next to my bed not long after sunrise, because breakfast is served early. When I walk to the pavilion at 7 a.m., I see a great curassow behind the lodge, a female this time, the brown body clearly different from the black male. The bird is almost the size of a pheasant and quietly forages through the backyard, allowing me to examine her extensively and even photograph her. To do so I have to quickly return to the cabin to get my camera. OK, so that was lesson 1 in Costa Rica: always take your camera with you, even to breakfast. After breakfast, Isaac and I take the kayak and paddle Rio Madre de Dios upstream along the shore. Immediately we see a yellow-crowned night heron, a small heron with a large yellow eye and a short crest. It takes some effort to keep the kayak on course with two people, but it is great to explore the river quietly from the water. We return around 10 a.m., because the boat will leave in an hour to pick up the group. But it turns out that it has already left, fishermen who wanted to spend some extra time on the river were also staying at the lodge. Around noon the group of 10 people arrives, a nice variety of people to whom I explain that I belong to their group as well and have already walked the first stage. After lunch we are transferred by boat to the island of Barre de Pacuare, where we walk a short distance through the jungle. Isaac uses a laser pointer to point out the animals that we had never found ourselves. First a lizard hides in the bushes and is barely noticeable. Later we see monkeys, but they are high in the trees and apart from the swaying branches we only catch a glimpse of them. A little further on we come to a small hamlet, you can't even call it a village. This is where the volunteers stay who protect the turtles when they come to lay their eggs. They place a fence around the nests so that predators cannot get to them and a guard stays with them, because in this region the eggs are also sold and eaten by people. We take a photo at the first official marker of El Camino de Costa Rica, a knee-high stone, and a number of hikers then go swimming in the somewhat rough Caribbean Sea. I too can't resist temptation in this heat and it's delicious. Nick, an American, warns me to be careful with my glasses, but I'm not worried. After all, things have always gone well, right? Unjustified, as it turns out less than a second later. One moment I have it on and the next it has disappeared into the waves. Oh well, I was already dissatisfied with the frame and at least now my travel insurance will pay for a new one. And I have prescription sunglasses with me, so I'll be fine. After half an hour we take a path along the edge of the jungle to a village on the tip of the peninsula. Along the way we see capuchin monkeys, who use their clever fingers to remove green coconuts from the trees. Their faces are pale and naked and the look in their eyes reminds me of an old man full of worries. In the village Isaac takes out a knife and treats us to fresh coconut water, delicious. The village has a small school for the two children who still live here. They will soon have to go to the mainland to attend college. When we walk to the pier, we encounter a small turtle, which quickly retreats into the foliage. We arrive at a pier, where the boat is waiting for us. A group of tourists from another boat receive an explanation about the reserve. After another small tour on the river, we are back at the lodge. All in all a wonderfully relaxing day. But I really want to start hiking now.

Day 3: Muelle de Goshen – Cimarones, 25 km
The first real day of hikinh with the group starts before sunrise, at 5:30 am, with a breakfast of rice and beans with fried plantain and delicious pieces of pineapple and melon. You would never eat canned pineapple again now that you have tasted the real thing. We embark for the fifteen-minute boat trip to Muelle de Goshen. This time the skipper keeps up the pace and does not stop for the small herons and bitterns that forage for food along the jungle shore. Soon the river narrows and we turn into a narrow channel where we maneuver around tree stumps and branches. We get out at a concrete quay. The first marker is here and after a group photo we set off. We walk on a gravel road between the jungle and we hear birds around us. A monkey bridge made of blue rope above our heads should prevent the monkeys from venturing onto the electricity wires and dying. We slowly exchange the jungle for banana plantations and the road gradually becomes busier. It is warm and the humidity is high. It's only 25 km today, but it feels longer and unusually hard. There are meadows full of white cows with humps in strange places which run away when we stop for a photo. After eight kilometers we turn to a village, where we all storm the small supermarket. Most buy bottles of cold water, but I enjoy an ice cream that melts before I've even paid. The garage has been converted into a mini gambling hall with seven slot machines, three of which are out of use. It is wonderfully cool in the back, on the tiled floor, but I enjoy the tap outside just as much, where I wet my hair, my hat and my ice towel. The ice towel should stay cold for several hours, but it cannot withstand this heat. We continue walking past a large football field surrounded by yellow workers' houses that were built by the banana factory for their workers. A small plane circles above a plantation to spray the bananas against insects. The bunches of bananas themselves are packed in white and blue bags.To improve air quality, bamboo has been planted around the plantation. The group has split up quite a bit and two British ladies, Liz and Maureen, are trailing behind. Liz has diabetes and has difficulty regulating her blood sugar levels in this heat. The sensor that controls the glucose pump does not work properly due to the sweat on her skin. At the next village we take a break again and I buy a bottle of coke at the small supermarket. I really need those sugars now, because despite the relatively short distance and the easy terrain, I am having a hard time. The small shops here are called 'pulperia', based on the French word for octopus. Because people always have to reach for the things on the top shelf and those reaching arms apparently remind you of an octopus. On the edge of the village we come across a cable car, a transport system that transports bunches of bananas suspended from the cable to the factory, pulled by people with a rope around their waist. The first is not in use, the second is. A man braces himself and sets a chain of at least thirty bunches in motion. The long line of blue bags filled with bananas moves past towards the factory, while a truck waits quietly until the road is clear again. Through the mesh of the factory windows we see how the bananas are then washed and given an anti-bacterial bath to prevent the Panama disease, which threatens to paralyze banana cultivation.
We continue along winding dirt roads, while vague green mountains loom on the horizon that I look at with admiration. That bodes well. Only the first and last stages are flat, we were promised. Or should I say: we have been warned about it? The interior of Costa Rica is all hills. Oh well, even though I come from the flat Netherlands, I'm not afraid of hills. Nice indeed. A little further on I see a Mexican tiger bittern standing along the road, a small heron-like heron with spectacular striped plumage and when I pick up my camera, he continues to pose very nicely for me. Isaac enjoys it, a little later Liz and Maureen join us too. And then it turns out that it is wiser for Liz to take the luggage car to the stream, which is still five km away. While Isaac stays with her, I walk to the group. For the first time there are now hills, although it is not too bad. In a tree we discover numerous woven nests and black birds with yellow spots on their wings, which bird expert Elizabeth recognizes as the Montezuma oropendola. We also see a pineapple plantation, with countless spiky plants in the ground. I thought pineapples grew on trees, but honestly I never gave it much thought. The next field has already been harvested and is just a bare affair.
A little later we can turn onto a gravel path that bends down to a small stream. With shoes and all, I step into the water. Wonderful. I wet my head and wash two spots of bird poop off my hat, which I'm glad I had on. After a short stop, Liz gets back into the car, because she also has a blister. That's just her luck! We continue through the forest until we arrive at a small river that flows under a sturdy railway bridge. The hikers ahead of us walk across the track to the left and for a moment I wonder if they made the right choice, until I see the car of Manuel, our driver who transports the luggage, in the distance. Just past the car I turn right and at a house with a fair few cats in front of the door, the other hikers sit in a cool room. Once again we are guests of a Costa Rican family in Casa Yolanda. In what looks like a converted garage, there is a large table set for lunch. This is exactly what El Camino de Costa Rica was developed for in 2018, to lure tourists away from the busy coastal towns and give people here the opportunity to earn a living doing something other than working in a banana or pineapple plantation. I'm happy for it, because the food is delicious and especially the yellow juice goes well after this strenuous day. Who would have thought that a 25 km road walk could be so tough?

Day 4: Cimarones – Las Brisas, 18 km
We return by car to Casa Yolanda, where those who missed the stamp in their Camino passport yesterday put it in after all. After waiting a while, we all set off and carefully cross the main road. Immediately we are allowed to climb over a fairly steep gravel road, with jungle and a few houses on both sides. It's hot and stuffy again, but I love being on the road again. Luckily I have my prescription sunglasses with me, because hiking without glasses is tiring for my eyes and my sense of depth lets me down. Still, I think it's a shame that the colors around me are a little less fresh than with regular glasses. Green is still recognizable as green, but the colors are muted and less exuberant. The pace of the group is not high and a few hikers lag behind. At a gate with something of a view we get the message that we have to wait. And we do. Fifteen minutes, half an hour, forty-five minutes. It turns out that Liz forgot her needles in her suitcase and she needs them to manage her diabetes. Due to the heat and humidity, combined with the sweat on and under her skin, the sensor that controls her insulin pump does not work and she has to manually inject. Although her health obviously comes first, I think the long break is a shame and I'm worried about tomorrow, when we have the first tough jungle stage. After almost an hour, Liz appears around the bend with her friend Maureen and Isaac and we can continue. We see toucans in the trees, although we see nothing more than their silhouette against the gray sky. Later I see a green parrot in the trees and with the zoom lens of my camera I can get really close to it. The gravel road slowly turns into a jeep track and becomes quite muddy. We look for a way across the driest parts, but we can't keep our feet completely dry. It is Elizabeth who falls first and also loses her phone in the water. Fortunately, it is found quickly and still works. At the top of a hill we stop for lunch, a tortilla wrapped in banana leaves filled with corn, chicken and other goodies. It's delicious and filling and I love it, especially because it's not the usual rice and beans I've been served the past two days. After hiking a while more we arrive in a village, where the door of the first house is beautifully painted with a panther. The church is also beautifully painted. We deviate slightly from the trail to the campsite, where tents are pitched on a platform with a roof that also has lights and a socket to charge your electronics. The driver picked up some groceries for us and so I treat myself to a coca cola from the fridge. Now that's luxury.

Day 5: Las Brisas – Tsiobata, 15 km
The British ladies, Maureen and Liz, wisely decide to skip the jungle stages and take the luggage car to Pacayitas where we will meet them in two days time. Liz because of her diabetes and Maureen because she is in no condition for these extremely difficult stages. Because today we're really in for it, the route leads through the Nairi Awari Indigenous Reserve, the land of the indigenous people and as required by law we are accompanied by an indigenous guide, Claudia. She feels completely at home here in rubber boots and we first walk a kilometer back to the route before entering the reserve through a gate. We descend through a rough grassland into the jungle and then the slipping and sliding begins. Thick red clay that sticks to your shoes and, together with the steepness, provides quite a challenge. It's a constant puzzling of where to put your feet, like taking a math exam you haven't studied for. We barely have time to look around, our eyes are constantly focused on our feet and the next piece of flat ground. It is oppressively hot again, but luckily we are in the shade. Every now and then Claudia waits for us slow tourists, while Isaac guides the slower hikers at the back. After an hour or two we start to hear the river we will soon have to cross, a loud roar that suggests a strong current. Once we are on the stony bank, it turns out not to be that bad. The water is roaring, but due to the waterfall downstream where we do not venture. The fore is a fairly shallow pool of clear water and although the river flows quite nicely, it certainly looks doable. Although I have my camp shoes with me, I decide to walk into the river, trail runners and all. After all, I have to do this almost every day in New Zealand and I want to familiarize myself with the feeling of walking with wet socks and shoes. On the other side we rest and I hand out mini stroopwafels, Erika and Emma, ​​who was quite nervous about this crossing, walk back into the water and sink in up to their necks. I think that's a bit too much of a good thing. After a short break we continue. We immediately start climbing and it continues for quite a while. We climb higher and higher over small paths and ridges.
Again the group is quite spread out and sometimes I don't see anyone in front or behind me. This time it's Danny who's having a hard time. An intestinal disease that has not bothered him for years suddenly flares up. When he asks if it's cold, we start to worry. I catch up to the front runners and tell them to wait, while Claudia walks back to Isaac and Danny. After waiting half an hour they reach us and Danny is offered electrolytes and a caffeine tablet, which helps him to persevere. There is no other choice, a helicopter cannot reach here, although on this small stretch of path we have some views of the jungle for the first time. From the deep valley to eye level and higher, everything is green. We don't see any birds or monkeys here, but every now and then a butterfly flutters by. The only way is forward and after half an hour of extra rest we continue. After the top of the first hill there are some lesser hills, but not so intense anymore. What remains intense is the mud, which makes it a lot more difficult than it would otherwise be. Not much later we come to a second river that we can cross with stepping stones and here we take another break. I enjoy my stroopwafels again, but this time I don't hand them out. I'm starting to get tired and need the calories myself way too much. On the other side of the river the path changes character again. Now there are gentle zigzags that slowly take us higher and the path is no longer so difficult. We still don't see any animals, although we do hear snorting now and then and some birds high in the trees. Then I turn a corner and see a wild pig digging its nose in the mud a little further away. That explains the snorting we heard, but I don't really consider a pig a wild animal. After another short break we continue, 15 kilometers under these conditions is quite a distance.
Isaac expected us to arrive in Tsiobata around 1:00 PM, but in the end it's around 3:30 PM. We are relieved, because we haven't had lunch yet. A narrow path leads past two traditional huts with a roof of dried leaves and behind them a small wooden house with a restaurant. The dining area has an earthen floor and the benches are wooden planks nailed to tree stumps. Behind it are three rows of tents in a large barn, our accommodation for this evening. The shower is a wooden cubicle without a door with only cold water. I hang my towel over the string at the door to have some privacy and warn the others when Erica enters the booth after me. After a hot meal of rice and beans, most hikers dive into the tents for a nap, which we are ready for after this hard day. Morella decides to build a campfire to lighten the mood. I put my shoes and socks near the fire to dry them a bit, but that doesn't help much. I end up hanging my socks on a stick which I hold over the fire and that helps. Only I place them over one of the benches when we go to eat and while we are enjoying rice and beans again, it starts to rain. Too bad, all that effort for nothing. After dinner we quickly dive into our tent, where I promptly fall asleep and don't notice the nightly commotion when it turns out that there are cows walking around freely. One tries to eat Danny's coat and Isaac has to play tug-of-war with him to get the coat back. Then he puts all the clothes that we hung over the mesh in the dining area, so that the cows cannot reach them. But it turns out that a cow had already been there and the next morning we have to avoid a cow pie when we have breakfast with rice and beans. Fortunately, on the floor and not the table.

Day 6 Tsiobata – Pacayitas, 18 km
A very young and very thin kitten walks around lost in the breakfast room and drinks water from a rain puddle. A mother cat is nowhere to be seen and when we can't finish our breakfast of beans and rice, I throw some rice on the floor. However, the little runt is no match for the big dogs that also walk around here and have to forage for their own food. Finally we put our plates on the floor for the dogs and put the kitty on the table with some rice. It breaks my heart to leave her here, but I can't take the animal with me. Of course we can't leave Tsiobata without visiting the small museum, where banners provide explanations in Spanish and the local language. Fortunately, Isaac does this in English and shows the filters and baskets made with washed wood, the ceremonial weapons and the wooden masks of yet another older culture. After the tour we leave the village through a fence over a narrow grass path on the edge of the jungle. Almost unnoticed, a native guide joins us and leads the front hikers into the jungle, down to the river. It is foggy and does not feel very warm, something we are very happy with. The path to the river would be muddy, Isaac predicted yesterday, but it's not so bad. There are a few muddy bits, but it's nothing compared to yesterday's slides. There are more leaves on the path and there are even some steps here and there, probably because there are more tourists here who come up from the river during rafting to visit the museum. The path ends high above the river at an iron platform with cables to the other side. Hanging from this is an iron basket with which we will pull ourselves to the other side. Isaac and I go first, because we have gloves and can therefore pull the blue rope without getting blisters. We don't have to do anything for the first part, gravity pulls us towards the river and the rope flies through the basket at a breakneck speed. Only halfway through does the basket slow down and we pull ourselves to the other side with muscle force. I'm having a hard time keeping up with Isaac, but eventually we get across the river and send the basket back for the next pair. The pulling is harder than expected and especially the last part to the platform is difficult, because the basket is just too low for the edge of the platform. I let Isaac pull the next pair alone and then Danny takes over, who also has gloves. Johanna and I push the basket over the edge of the platform and yhus still help out a bit.
It was supposed to take almost an hour to transfer everyone, but surprisingly quickly everyone is on the right bank and we continue our route. The landscape here is very different, almost rural. The path is a wide grass path and rises considerably and the views of the valley are fantastic. Although it is not very difficult, we are still quite tired, yesterday probably plays a major role. That's why the short break at a river comes at just the right time. Just downstream the river is big enough to swim in, but only me, Isaac and Erica venture into the water. With clothes and all, I even keep my shoes on. Very nice. After fifteen minutes we continue and my socks soon no longer feel wet. They will definitely come to New Zealand with me. We continue to climb over the hills, sometimes a bit steep, but always short. We end up at Finca Tres Equis, a rafting company and walk along the road to a restaurant for lunch. Here we can choose for ourselves and almost everyone goes for the hamburger with fries. Finally something other than rice and beans. It will take a while before everything is prepared and in the meantime a large part of the group visits a cocoa farmer 100 meters away. I'm too tired to move another foot for a while and have fun on the screened terrace with my cell phone. The view is beautiful, but I sit with my back to it. When the food arrives, the hamburger is so big and rich that I struggle to finish it all and it is hard on my stomach. From the restaurant we walk a bit along the very busy road, before turning onto a quieter side road. It weaves up and down, sometimes there is shade and sometimes sun and we walk slowly on. At a junction, El Camino turns left and we turn right, an alternative that is mentioned in the walking guide as 'Jan Tuinsta's alternative'. I do not mind.
Although for New Zealand I consider myself a purist who wants to hike every official kilometer, here I am more flexible. It's too beautiful and too hot to be picky and besides, the interests of the group now take precedence over my own wishes. In a village we stop at a mini market and they really have semi-skimmed milk. I buy two packs and drink them straight away, how delicious that is! It is another 1.5 km to Rita's Place and that feels long. Moreover, only a number of hikers appear to be able to stay in the lodge itself and a number of others are assigned rooms in a house 200 meters further on a hill. We also see Liz and Maureen again, who listen to our stories with admiration and are happy that they skipped this part. When I take off my shoes, I see that my right ankle is swollen. Huh? I didn't slip or sprain my ankle. It feels soft, but the tendon is warm. I get ice to cool my ankle and eventually a room in the lodge, so I don't have to walk up the hill, which I also didn't have the energy to do anymore. At night I also get diarrhea and barely make it to the toilet in time. This trip is definitely taking a toll on my body.

Day 7 Pacayitas – La Suiza, 15 km
The day starts foggy and the way back to the route is surprisingly short. That really felt much longer yesterday. My ankle also feels a lot better. I slept with my leg elevated and Liz gave me cooling gel, which I applied regularly. And from Elizabeth and Craig I borrowed some KT tape to strengthen my ankle. That should be all right now. Only my stomach is still upset, probably from yesterday's heavy hamburger. After eating mainly beans and rice for so long, it was perhaps suddenly too heavy. Hopefully today goes well, but just to be sure I have toilet paper with me. Today is an easy day, only 15 km and all on gravel roads between the sugar cane plantations. I keep Maureen company so I don't swoop off too quickly and put too much strain on my right ankle. We stroll quietly uphill, past a sugar cane plantation where two men with machetes are busy harvesting. In the meantime, we enjoy the trees that stand out beautifully against the gray canvas of the fog. Every now and then it clears up a bit and we have something of a view. A tree has branches full of Old Man's beard and that looks spooky. Then the lead hiker sees a sand viper on the gravel and, although it is only a small snake, it withdraws its head into its coils in the classic attack posture of a snake that feels threatened. With its gray markings it is barely noticeable on the asphalt. We take photos from an appropriate distance, after which Isaac places the snake back in the green with his stick. Not much later a tractor comes along pulling a number of blue carts full of sugar cane. Some pieces fall off here and there and Isaac peels one with his machete so we can taste it. It is slightly sweet, but above all very fibrous. We descend to a village where in a field the carts of sugar cane are ready to be transferred to a truck with an old tree.
We keep watching, but it takes a while before the bales are all covered with chains and the first lifting begins. After shooting another video, I'm impatient to continue after almost half an hour of standing still. I keep walking and run into Danny, who had walked back to see if something was amiss. We deviate a bit from the route to get to the lodge, which this time consists of two different houses. The four of us have an entire house at our disposal and we quickly hang our laundry to dry in the backyard. After a quick errand in the local mini-market, we do absolutely nothing for the rest of the afternoon. After two tough days we deserved it. After dinner, on the other hand, we are having a small party. Danny has put together a pub quiz for us with questions about Costa Rica and quite a few general questions, including a few trick questions. A wonderful evening.

Day 8 – La Suiza – Taus, 18 km
Before breakfast I am alreading taking the first photos because the valley that stretches before us is full of fluffy clouds with a mountain range and two volcanoes standing proudly above it. I walk steeply up to the lodge where the others are staying and from their veranda the view is absolutely fantastic. Even the moon can still be seen to complete the picture. After breakfast we start gently with a descent where we regularly stop to admire the incredibly beautiful view that could easily be done on a jigsaw puzzle. A vast valley with a dam and beautiful trees with bright red blossoms everywhere. It is a paradise and I feel privileged to see it. After the necessary photos we continue to a river, where Isaac discovers a sunbittern. The shy bird flees upstream as we approach, into the protective shade of the jungle. It is a beautiful day, sunny and warm, but without the high humidity that has made the last few days so difficult. Or maybe I'm starting to get used to it? After the river we first hike on a busy road and later on a slightly quieter one. It's Saturday and it shows, because there are countless cyclists on the road. Both cyclists and motorists greet us cheerfully. We take a short trip to admire the view of the lake, although it is more of a sea of ​​green lilies and two white herons in the distance. After another stretch of road we arrive at a shop where we buy something tasty. If we ask about the toilet, we are allowed to walk through the shop to the house behind it and simply use the family toilet. A second group from another trekking company arrives just as we are leaving. It is a large group and, just like us, they make grateful use of the small mini market.
Shortly afterwards we dive into the sugar cane plantations, a maze in a green tunnel where Isaac fortunately knows the way. We regularly saw markings on the road, but here in the plantation I would not have been able to find the way without GPS. Curiously, there is also an avenue of tall pine trees, imported from Chile. That doesn't quite fit in with the landscape here, but it is beautiful. An employee of the other trekking company has launched a drone and hopefully we will also receive a video of our group. After a dirt road over a hill we arrive at a house where ice cream is sold in plastic tubes, together with souvenirs, beautifully painted pieces of bamboo. Very nice and the ice cream is delicious, but very sweet. I buy a refrigerator magnet with a yellow-red hummingbird, the symbol of El Camino de Costa Rica, and enjoy the cool ice cream. When the other group arrives, we make room for them. We descend across the private property and cross a bridge. Here we say goodbye to Liz and Maureen, who continue directly to the campsite, slightly downstream. We cram into the back of a truck and are dropped off on a hill 4 km away. This allows us to nibble something off of tomorrow's stage, which is long and quite difficult and it is also nicer going downhill than uphill. We leisurely walk back to the campsite, or glamping, because here too the tents are on a platform and under a roof. There is just no electricity. Some of us also lower ourselves into the cool water of the river. The current is very strong and there is no swimming, but it is nice.

Day 9 Taus – Rio Macho, 25 km
Liz and Maureen are going with the luggage today, because both the distance and the height of the mountain are too hard for them. They plan to climb the mountain from the other side and walk towards us, finishing the last part together. We get into the back of the truck up to where we were dropped yesterday and we start hiking. The road continues to climb slowly, wide and with the occasional car. There isn't much of a view, trees block the view of the valley, but eventually I find an opening. Ahead of me I see the front group waiting in the shadows. Then there is a loud cracking sound. A large branch breaks off, hanging for a while on the last shreds of wood. Nick almost walks under it and doesn't hear us calling because he has earbuds in. Then the branch falls about three meters, right in front of Nick's feet and exactly where Johanna and Emma were standing. Both are unharmed, but the branch that Johanna used as a walking stick is broken. As with the snake, it is the observant Mozella who spots a small turtle on the road. After briefly admiring and photographing him, Isaac places him in the grass while the creature makes valiant attempts to bite him. Gradually the road becomes less and less passable and the jeeps that attempt to avoid the rocks, potholes and mud crawl forward painfully slowly and eventually have to give up. We pass them by and don't encounter them again later. The ascent takes a long time, it is quite warm again and I notice that I am starting to need a break, both physically and mentally. I don't feel like we have done that often enough and standing still while Isaac explains something about the local wildlife doesn't feel very relaxing. I want to sit or lie down, completely relax and take the weight off my feet, the muscles and tendons. Eventually I also mention this to Isaac and not much later we actually do take a break. I plop down on the grass, confident that there aren't any of those little ants here that bite so viciously. I enjoy the salty chips I hand out and the peace in my body. We hear a heavy engine coming up, but it is a tractor, not the jeeps we passed. After almost twenty minutes we continue and I notice the difference. Hiking feels much easier and I am also a lot lighter mentally. It's still pretty hard, but I can take it. Once again we are to slip and slide every now and then and we meet the tractor again near a stream. He has a trailer on which three motorcycles are loaded that apparently did not dare to make the trip over the mountain. Slowly we notice that the road becomes a real road again and walking becomes easier. A few more zigzags and we're at the top. We don't meet Liz and Maureen there yet, but luckily we do see them a little later on the way down. From the road we have a great view of the river, which flows under a yellow bridge and disappears into a collage of mountains as it meanders. Very nice. We descend further past a dilapidated resort that is sold by the bank after a bankruptcy. Once down we walk across a bridge and see several families in the water, swimming and paddling, accompanied by loud music. We continue on a fairly busy asphalt road and stop at a small restaurant for lunch, chicken with veggies and again rice with beans. I leave the beans and only eat a little of the rice and vegetables. Luckily I still have small packs of Smarties with me. After this it is only 4 km to a real hotel, where we can enjoy a hot shower for the first time in I don't know how long and our clothes are also washed. A friendly German Shepherd, Thor, lets everyone pet him and even though I'm a cat person, I can't resist giving him a good scratch behind the ears.

Day 10: Rio Macho – Navarro, 18 km
Elizabeth is not  hiking today because of a serious blister. I looked at it yesterday and it's not pretty. When she removed the tape, she pulled the skin with it and it's a bloody mess. By resting now, she will hopefully be able to complete the rest of El Camino. After a delicious breakfast (no rice and beans!) we set off. We turn off a short distance and climb steeply up through a street where the houses are surrounded by ugly construction fences. We then arrive at a quiet gravel road that we follow slowly but steadily uphill. At one point a concrete water pipe runs along the road and there are also gutters along some hills, apparently drinking water is extracted here. At a canal we can look deep into the jungle and the play of light and shadow is beautiful. We turn past a blue building to the water extraction area. After a short break there is a very steep way down. It is easy to do, provided you take small steps and the view of the hills on the other side of the valley is beautiful. Halfway through the descent I am distracted by the beautiful view of a coffee plantation and I cross over to a dirt road that runs there. The view is fantastic. On the other side a volcano with the top in gray clouds, villages and fields on the flanks and those beautiful orange trees lower in the valley. We walk down through the coffee plantation and also see wild bananas, a beautiful bright blue butterfly and wild hyacinths. At the edge of the plantation we see bags full of red and green beans. This is the last harvest of the season and that is why everything is being picked now, Isaac explains. Then there are small blue houses where Nicaraguan seasonal workers live who pick the coffee beans. We continue walking along a quiet road and start to hear a river rumbling. Isaac takes a side path to the river and ends up at a swimming spot where two men are already in the water, just below a rapids. Fortunately, we also have enough time for a quick swim. Isaac, Danny, Erica and I strip off our clothes, but keep our socks and shoes on and walk straight into the water. That's wonderfully cold. After fifteen minutes we go a little further to a wooden lodge, reminiscent of a tree house. But a very luxurious one, two floors with a family that cooks lunch for us. Rice, but no beans, delicious.

Day 11 Navarro – Palo Verde, 14 km
Today might be my favorite leg of the trail. What a nice day. It starts with a steep climb on a gravel/concrete road that gradually becomes narrower and less passable. Via a narrow grass path we eventually arrive at the beginning of Palo Verde Reserve, a fantastic forest through which the route passes. According to the hiking guide, it is muddy and slippery here, but that turns out not to be so bad. There are patches of mud and every now and then we slip, but in general there is just firm earth, covered with brown leaves. Sometimes tree trunks have even been placed in the mud to make walking easier and here and there steps have been dug into the mud to create a nice staircase. This means we don't have to pay attention to our feet all the time and we can look around us. We didn't see many birds, much to my surprise. Apparently everything here competes for light and therefore little grows that birds can feast on. Isaac keeps his ears pricked and occasionally hears something special, but we don't see the birds. Every now and then we have to cross a stream and there are some climbs, but it is not very complicated. I keep expecting that the difficult part is still to come, until we reach the other side of the forest after a few hours. A little lower is an information office with hummingbird feeders and I see one that is completely black. Very nice. From here we walk down a gravel road to a number of houses. And just when I think it's just a gravel road from here to the end, Isaac surprises us by turning onto a grass path that takes us deeper into the forest. Again it is an easy trail with a minimum of mud, but with the crossing of four small creeks. Through a last stretch of overgrown wilderness we arrive at a gravel road, where we leave the route. We descend through a rural area with meadows and rest on a patch of grass near a work of art that was specially created for the Camino. In the bushes on the other side of the road, a hummingbird flies from flower to flower, but too quickly to photograph. Danny has sat right on an anthill and is covered in the biting insects. He takes off his clothes and kicks his jacket across the road. It takes a while before he is ant-free again and we can continue to our accommodation, a kind of yoga resort that looks quite luxurious. Hérycka and I share a house with wonderful beds and a veranda overlooking a beautiful valley. The houses are surrounded by flowering shrubs teeming with hummingbirds. At the main building there is a feeding board for birds on which peeled bananas are pecked. We see countless special and colorful birds and thanks to bird expert Elizabeth we also hear their names. This way we can enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

Day 12 – Palo Verde – El Empalme, 14 km
Even before breakfast we look with wide eyes at the feeding shelf, where the squirrel from yesterday shows up again, but also a coatis, a small adorable animal the size of a badger. And it turns out that the hummingbirds need to warm up before they can perform their acrobatic feats, so early in the morning they sit quietly on a twig in the warm sunlight. We can get quite close and when a green hummingbird stretches out, I take a fantastic photo. But in the end we come to hike and after a tasty breakfast, we hit the road. Anyone who thought today would be easy was sorely mistaken. It is unexpectedly tough, especially the first four km. They go up steeply and it is sweaty. For the first time I feel my calves protesting about what I'm putting them through. It is warm, a clear blue sky without clouds or contrails and only shadows here and there. The fact that we are walking on a gravel road without potholes is the only bright spot. Halfway through the climb, Isaac stops at a passion fruit grower and we enjoy fresh guavas and passion fruits. We can also take a look around the backyard, where the passion fruits are grown. The climbing plant hangs from large pergolas, with green round fruits and a few wonderfully scented flowers. A number of hikers buy a bag of ripe, orange passion fruit, but I don't see a bag of guavas among them and they were just so tasty. After the short stop we continue, up again and again. A few times we have a view of the valley with its volcano shrouded in clouds. We have now seen the mountain from almost three sides, but it is still amazing. We climb higher and higher until we reach the top of the mountain and descend again. Liz gets a hypo and needs to eat something. While the group hikes on slowly, I stay with her. And I notice that I don't mind it anymore. Hiking is no longer the top priority. Enjoying the environment and each other's company scores higher. Finally we arrive at a small pulperia where I buy two cartons of milk. Morella is not feeling well and has not eaten. Luckily it's not far away. We continue on an asphalt road past a quarry and there is actually a sidewalk along the side of the road. Not much later we come across a second stone from stage 11 and it is located right at the entrance to our accommodation, houses on the edge of the hill with a great view of the valley. At the restaurant there is also a feeding board for the birds, but during lunch we hardly see any life on them. They must be way too hot this early in the afternoon. Time to laze around.

Day 13: El Empalme – San Pablo de León Cortés, 22 km
Last night the diarrhea struck again and harder than before. The bedrooms were on the top floor and I went up and down the stairs so often at night that I decided to continue sleeping on the couch. Well, sleep... I think I got some sleep around 3 a.m., but it probably wasn't much. I manage to eat a few pieces of pineapple for breakfast, but I can't eat much more. Still, I wanted to hike and not join the luggage like Maureen, who is also not feeling well. The day starts foggy and gray and we see nothing of yesterday's beautiful view. For the first time I put on my new, ultralight raincoat. At first I feel quite cold, but in the jacket I quickly warm up again. This is also because we are going uphill, to the highest point of the route. The first stretch along a highway is busy and not too beautiful, but fortunately we can quickly turn to a quieter gravel road where we enjoy the uniquely shaped trees in the meadows. The highest point is a small shopping center where we stop for a moment. Cars drive back and forth and it is very busy. Not my cup of tea. Soon we continue hiking and although the asphalt remains, it all goes downhill, with the occasional what Isaac calls 'Costa Rica flat', a small hill. The fog slowly disappears and we see a beautiful rainbow above the landscape. Also later, when we walk over a built-up ridge with houses on both sides, we have a great view. I notice that I have little energy and am therefore somewhat grumpy, a well-known symptom of sugar deficiency. At the first shop I buy a Snickers and three soft candies, but only the candies go in. A second shop has a bottle of drinking yoghurt and that also goes down quickly. A little later, at the edge of the forest, I have to rest for ten minutes, even though Isaac doesn't want to do that until later. I close my eyes for a moment and that helps. Later, at a group camping site where a lot of new bungalows are being built, we rest a little longer and can use the latrine. Then it is another two hours to a real hotel. The pace of the group is slow and I want to hurry, normally the adrenaline would help me a bit, but that is not possible with this strolling pace. I grumble internally, but I hope it doesn't bother the group. How glad I am now that I chose the 16-day trip and not 11 or 14 days. And apart from my stomach, I actually enjoy those lazy afternoons of birdwatching. Isaac said that the group that walks the route in 11 days arrives at the yoga retreat, eats, showers and sleeps and then continues hiking, without taking the time to enjoy the birds fluttering around. No, better slowly. Take a quiet walk and look around you. And rest from the exertion of hiking on an almost empty stomach. At the hotel I have a real hot shower for the first time in a long time and then I lie on the bed and doze. I can't really sleep, but I do rest. In the evening I eat the Snickers and slowly down a bottle of cola. Hopefully I can have a good breakfast again tomorrow and enjoy the walk again.

Day 14: San Pablo de León Cortés – La Esperanza, 15 km
Immediately upon leaving the hotel we see two special woodpeckers perched on a wooden telephone pole. Black back with a red head and a yellow band at the beak. I think it's a black-cheeked woodpecker, but I'm not completely sure. We walk back to the route along a busy road. Fortunately, I feel a bit better than yesterday. There was actually yoghurt for breakfast and it went down well with pieces of pineapple and strawberries. Yet today turns out to be unexpectedly difficult. I thought it would be a day with a short climb and then mainly descents, but it turns out to be exactly the other way around. Moreover, we mainly walk through coffee plantations, with a house here and there, where the sun shines down mercilessly on us. There is a yellow bridge over a river, but we are too high to swim. On the other side we pass the painted rock with a small statue of Mary on it that we saw from the hill. Up close it is even more impressive. When we climb again, we also pass a wooden building where the collected coffee beans are sorted and can be dumped into a lower-parked truck at the back. At a small shop I wet my head under the outside tap. Wonderful. A little later Isaac turns off to a coffee factory, where we can look around and receive an explanation. The coffee beans rotate in a small oven until they have the right color. Although the employee can take a sample to check the color, I also notice that there is a laptop next to it that accurately displays the desired and actual temperatures of the oven in a graph. When the coffee is roasted, it falls into a round container where it is slowly cooled. It is an interesting sight and we learn something from it. The others buy some cartons of coffee, but I let the opportunity pass me by. No matter how authentic, I've never liked coffee. After the stop we continue ascending to even more coffee plantations. The view of the green hills that surround us is wonderful in all directions and I enjoy it. It has become a bit cloudy and there is some wind, so it no longer feels so extremely warm. When we descend, we can cross two rivers. I splash through the water, but Isaac walks across a narrow iron beam that has been placed between the two banks. Morella also tries, but ultimately finds it too narrow and chooses the water anyway. The part after the rivers is the toughest part of the day, a steep dirt road uphill. I don't have much energy left, but I'm still okay. Maureen is also having a hard time and has even less energy than I do. I keep her company and try to cheer her up and distract her with jokes, because I always get extra courage when I can support someone else. When Liz gets a hypo, we will rest again. But the slow pace and stopping every four steps is starting to get to me. Suddenly I feel my legs getting wobbly and Liz gives me some very sweet sugar stuff, which gives me an extra boost. A little further we come to a small shop where there is a lovely sofa on the terrace. I sit down for a moment, but then buy some bread with guava and a bottle of 250 m coke. In the end I save the bread for later and I only finish half of that coke, which clearly indicates to my body that it has been enough. Fortunately, the steepest part is now over, but I still continue at my own pace as we continue. Until we reach a gate with a sign pointing to a campsite. I vaguely remember that we have to get off the road here and that appears to be the case. And that's right, we enter a wonderfully cool forest, along narrow paths and especially downwards, where we also cross two small streams. We come to a barn in which two rooms full of beds have been made with canvas. I skip lunch and stretch out on the grass on the lawn. That makes me feel good. Later I eat some of the muesli bars I brought from the Netherlands. This way I still get some food in.

Day 15: La Esperanza – Naranjillo, 20 km
In the morning I eat half a sandwich and drink a bottle of cola, but I don't eat much more than that. Fortunately, today almost the entire route is downhill and the roads are easy asphalt. We are again surrounded by hills, but it is not a real wilderness. Everywhere we see houses and electricity lines on their high poles. Along the road we see large bushes with beautiful hanging flowers and a few cows in a meager fence. A blue truck is filled with long grass and two municipal workers pose with their machetes together with Isaac. In the village of Napoles we take a break at a shop. As we walk further, the view of the hills changes again. There are now more meadows than coffee plantations and through the palm trees we see the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It is especially the straight coastline that stands out, because the sea has the same light blue color as the horizon. The dirt road we follow goes all the way to Quepos and because it is Sunday there are quite a few cars on their way to the beach. When I need some rest, Isaac knows a spot, but it's not the lawn I was hoping for. A piece of turned earth with rocks to sit on, that's what we have to make do with. Fortunately, we also have a fantastic view from here. When the clouds come floating over the hills, it is a special sight. When we leave the route to go to Naranjillo, we descend very steeply. The group is now quite spread out and everyone goes at their own pace. I'm making good progress, it's the fatigue that drives me forward and I know I can rest at the campsite. The well-known tents have again been set up in an enclosure under a roof in the middle of the village. Two ladies are already busy cooking on a wood fire. Rice with beans. I plop down on the concrete surface with my back against the wall and skip lunch again. According to Isaac, this village is a step back in time of about 30 years, but fortunately there is a small shop where they sell milk and coke. That will get me through the evening. But for the first time I'm starting to have doubts. The way down was fine, but up? With some reluctance I decide to take the luggage car up to the trail in the morning. I really can't manage that 1.5 km uphill on an empty stomach.

Day 16: Naranjillo – Esquipulas 12 km
Héricka starts walking just after breakfast, ahead of the group, because the road out of the village is long and steep. A little later the other hikers also set off, led by Isaac. Maureen, Liz, Elizabeth and I stay behind. It will take quite some time before the luggage car arrives and impatiently I start to doubt myself. I feel pretty good. Couldn't I have done it anyway? Breakfast this morning consisted of pancakes and they were delicious. We brought two cheese and ham sandwiches for the road. But eventually I get into the back of the pick-up truck, where the luggage is already tied up under a tarpaulin, and let the car take me up from the valley. Looking back, I think I did the right thing, because the way up would have been really tough and at least now I can enjoy the rest of the day. The driver, Victor, drops us off a little further than intended, so I miss a kilometer of the official trail. Well, I can live with that today. It takes a while before we catch up with the group, also because we are distracted by the beautiful view of the green hills. We see the coast getting closer, which emphasizes that this trip is coming to an end. After another short climb we descend. There are gravel roads along the jungle and we have quite a bit of shade. Every now and then small waterfalls flow down the rocks and create mud puddles on the road. A black dog has been following Johanna since we left the village and we named him Pablo. When we rest by a stream, I give him some of the ham from our packed lunch. I eat the remaining cheese sandwich myself and that does me good. Every now and then there is another stone with the number of the stage on it, but this time we don't have the energy to stand still for a group photo, which is what Liz wants for her 'relive' app. It's just too hot. At a bridge I see that a large swimming pond has been made with stones in the stream and I dive into the water with my clothes and all. A little later Isaac and Hérycka also join us. That's wonderfully cool. When another family arrives, we hoist ourselves out of the water and continue walking. Fortunately, it is not much further to the campsite, the bird paradise of Esquipulas. Again a place that I would never have discovered or chosen myself, it looks way too luxurious. But on the side there is another wooden platform full of tents and I feel at home there. Meanwhile, Danny had walked ahead and has already passed the campsite. Isaac borrows a motorcycle and quickly picks him up. Oops! While we wait for him, we enjoy the covered terrace with two feeding boards in front of it. There we see the most beautiful and colorful birds. There are not very many hummingbirds, but every now and then a very rare one with a crest appears. There are quite a few real bird watchers, with enormous lenses on their cameras. We enjoy the toucans and birds that are completely red or completely blue. After an hour we walk back a bit to swim in the river. There is a quiet pool under a waterfall, the river itself is quite rough. Four groups of people wearing life jackets prepare to go rafting and eventually disappear into the distance. We let the current wash away our sweat and then return to the campsite to spend the rest of the afternoon bird watching.

Day 17: Esuipuilas – Quepos, 24 km
The final day already. I feel like I've been here for a month and not just over two weeks. It's so relaxing not to have to make decisions and not have to be responsible. At breakfast Isaac gives us all white shirts with the logo of Urri Trek and the Camino. We leave very early again, 6.30 this time, but after a delicious breakfast, where everyone chooses what they like best from each other's plate, we set off. Fortunately, Pablo stays behind and we hope he finds his way back to Naranjillo. Above the palm trees we see the sky change color and the sun rise. We follow the gravel path through the jungle until we reach a village. I notice that all the houses are surrounded by high fences, which gives the impression that a lot of burglaries occur here, although according to Isaac it is not that bad. The road turns into asphalt and we stop at a shop to do some shopping. The road is quite busy at times, but everyone drives around us and it is not unsafe. Then we arrive at the first palm oil plantation, where rows and rows of palm trees are neatly arranged. At a certain village we stop at a bakery, where I buy something tasty that I save for later. After a short rest we turn onto a dirt road outside the village and find ourselves again among the meadows with a beautiful mountain range in the distance. There is a cemetery, where there are no stones, but square boxes so that people can be buried above ground. At a junction, Isaac deviates from the route for a moment and with good reason. Behind a small square of barbed wire sits a common potoo on a post. At first I only see the fluffy chick. “Where is the mother?” I ask Isaac. It stands behind it, so well camouflaged that I mistook it for rotting wood. Once from the side you can see better that it is a bird, even though it is not moving. But the eyes and sharp beak are clearly visible. With my camera I can take very beautiful photos. This meeting makes me forget all the discomfort of the past few days. How wonderful to see this! We go a little further and wind through the hills. A little further on, Liz and Maureen join us, who have covered the first 10 km with the luggage car. This way we can cover the last kilometers together, as it should be in a group. We dive into a palm oil plantation and enjoy the shade. I am slowly ready for some rest, because it is very warm again and the rest at the bakery was a while ago. But just as I am about to sit down, I see a cart pulled by an African water buffalo between the palm trees. A little further on there is a container where several carts pass to hand in their freight, which is carefully noted. How special. After taking some photos I really need some rest. According to Isaac there will be a football field in 30 minutes, but I think that's too far. He checks his GPS and it turns out it's only 10 minutes away. Allright, that I'll survive. I steam ahead and when we reach the football field, surrounded by workers' houses, I lie down on the grass again. I really should drink more electrolytes, I think, but I don't like them that much. That's why I stick to Coke. It is so warm that I even take off my T-shirt, which has already become quite dirty from the sand and sweat. I only stand up when a man on his horse drives past a herd of water buffalo. The enormous animals walk along the road and through the edge of the forest without making much noise. Refreshed, we continue again, but when we reach a road at the end of the plantation, we walk on the wrong side to the nearby supermarket. I get some coke and an ice cream, which is visibly melting. We have now really left nature and are walking through a busy, noisy city with a lot of traffic. After almost two weeks of serenity, it is an assault on our senses and these last kilometers are something we endure to get to the end. When we pass a tsunami warning sign, I know we are almost there. I spot my hotel along the way, so at least I don't have to look for it. We cross a bridge and I see a shallow bay, with the characteristic masts of a harbor in the distance. Despite the heat, no one swims in the tempting waters as fishermen throw the entrails of the catch into the water for the brown pelicans and vultures that prowl here. At the last Mahon we take a group photo. Then we go out for dinner and say goodbye to each other, although we do keep in touch via WhatsApp and exchange photos. I go back to my hotel by myself. Full of wonderful memories.

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