The Caribean Coast - no pirates to be seen!



We drove across to the Caribean coast, an adventure in itself as there's only one road and you can't help but get stuck behind loads of enourmous American trucks and wagons struggling up the hill for miles.  You know you're nearly at the coast when you reach Liverpool!

It's so worth it though as once you get to the Caribean you realise that you've arrived in a very different world.  Here life is far more influenced by the West Indies with a large proportion of the inhabitants of the costal towns speaking Creole - some of the original inhabitants came with pirates in the 17th century whilst a large proportion are decended from people shipped over from Jamaca and Barbados to help build the railways and work on banana plantations.

We managed to buy coconut oil straight from the plantation - something we've be searching for since we got to Costa Rica, we just can't find it on the Pacific coast. Dave has promised some delicious coconut rice and that's now possible!

Also, the weather is different.  It's still hot but a great deal wetter, which means facinating wild life, lush rain forest and almost continually wet feet!  Infact the first purchase I was compelled to make in a tiny 'end of the road' village was a pair of wellies!  I then had to go back the following day, after several disasters with waterproofs, to buy the only rainproof coat I could find - and am now the proud owner of a bright yellow children's plastic coat, with a picture of a lion on it.  Very flattering, although in the tropical rain there I really didn't care!!

The architecture is very Caribean, like this Methodist church in Manzanillo (the majority of the people here are protestant rather than Catholic) - also note the puddles, this photo was taken between rain storms!

The jungle (rain forest) here is amazing and we had a brilliant 3 hour walk cut short only by a huge rain storm and poncho problems.  We'll come back at some point and do more of this as it was facinating.  Apart from the usual suspects (noisy Howler monkeys and beautiful butterflies) we came across two types of Toucan and beautiful tiny red poison dart frogs that came out with the rain.

 

I was a little less impressed though when I almost walked into this chap and his large web, whilst happily walking through the bush - that'll teach me to think I'm getting used to jungle!

A beautiful place for a Christmas stay

We made the most of of time in Samara before the New Year rush when thousands of people, both American and Tico (Costarican), come to spend the New Year - this time of year is actually classed as the Summer holiday. Amongst other things we saw the start of preprations for the Rodeo - the chance for people to ride and tease bulls, which is seen as a highlight of the year here but which I have really mixed emotions about. Interestingly, unlike in Spain where the bull always dies, here the bulls aren't killed even if they badly injure, or kill, a person (which is not unknown)! In fact there's a bull that will be coming to the rodeo who has so far killed three people and is seen as rather a legend. Happily even David appears to feel that his bull running days are behind him! Anyway, more of this in a later blog.

We are so lucky to have been able to spend time enjoying the beaches and tranquility here before everyone started to arrive for the holiday season.  Amazing sunsets and almost deserted beaches that we have been privileged to experience and enjoy along with the locals (vultures in this case).

 

Amongst regular vistors to our house are the local chickens and these friendly horses who just roam around the area going wherever they want and eating whatever they want, Christmas and New Year make no difference to them.

 

Still no luck on the crocodile front, although I know Dave has plans to sort that out - so watch this space!

 

Back to the blogging - fully certified!

After four weeks of intensive, and challenging, work we've passed and are now fully qualified TEFL teachers!  It's been a really great experience, although long hours and hard work.  But it was all worth it and we now have a qualification recognised across the world and for which there appear to quite a few job opportunities - which is great to see in the current climate!

 

It's amazing to think how much we've learn't and although we've got a long way to go we both feel ready, and keen, to get into a class of our own and really start teaching!

 

So the hard work starts NOW as we apply for jobs and see what happens.  We'll carry on doing this over the next few weeks alhough everything is starting to close down for Christmas, so we'll be forced into some general relaxation time being tourists, which will be fun.

 

In the meantime we've still been having some impressive local visitors including this little chap who obviously lives somewhere near our house.  I won't be tempted to try and lift him up though as armadilo can apparently carry leprosy!  It's probably pretty rare but I don't think I'll risk it!

Anyway, have to stop for the moment as we're off to hunt for crocodiles again - so far no joy at all.  The place we went to yesterday (where crocs have been spotted very recently) had none, even though small children were happily swimming - this live bait made not a bit of difference!