Border Crossing at Peñas Blancas

 

We travelled from Vancouver to Liberia, Costa Rica via Toronto, arriving late afternoon on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

From there we took a taxi to the border, where you then have to walk over to the Nicaraguan side. Fortunately there were not many people and we were able to get through quite quickly.

I was expecting my friend Irma to meet us, but her car had broken down and so she sent Michael instead.

It was a bit of a crazy ride, he was using Google Maps to find the place, and he roared down the unpaved Chocolata highway with its many bumps. 

At least in this part of Nicaragua no one seems to have addresses, and you find places by a pin on Google Maps. We were directed to turn into Bosques del Mar, which is a gated community not open to the public. The security guards must have thought we were going there - on the other side more security guards let us out.

Although at this point it was dark, I realized we were very close to the casita, as we then drove across the river with the crocodiles, which must have been at least 2-3 feet deep. The road disintegrated even further, and I had been warned that four wheel drive was a necessity to get to Playa Maderas.

After a winding approach we come to an extremely steep and bumpy section that looked completely impossible to drive up, but Michael didn't flinch and roared up the hill coming to a halt in front of Buena Vista Surf Club.

We had arrived just in time for dinner, which was a communal affair.

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