Our first venture outside Playas del Coco was a short trip to Liberia this morning (Tuesday, February 4). Bob has been eager to try out the public bus system to see if it really would be a viable mode of transportation for us. Last evening we learned that the bus for Liberia (via the Pulmitan line) leaves El Coco every half hour between 5 am and 8 pm. The return schedule is similar. We also learned where the bus stop is located for this bus.
We set our alarm for 5 am, hoping to catch a bus sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 am. After a quick and light breakfast, we left the condo at 6:30 and caught the bus that left at 7 am. The fare was 600 colones each ($1.20) one way, so the total cost of the round trip for two was $4.80.
The bus was surprisingly modern and comfortable. Somehow, I had expected a rickety bus that could break down at any moment, but that was not the case. Most of the passengers, if not all, were Ticos. I think we were the only Gringos-Touristas riding the bus this early. The bus was a local which made several stops along the way. We passed through the dry, brown grasslands of Guanacoste, dotted with green (irrigated) melon farms and occasional oases of green trees and flowering shrubs. At one point, I spotted a group of vultures feeding on some basura (trash/garbage). This part of Guanacoste is ranching country and we saw lots of cattle and horses, but no caballeros (cowboys).
Even with many stops, the trip took less than an hour. We arrived at the Pulmintan terminal a little before 8 am. We made a stop at the terminal restroom, where we were charged 150 colones (about 30 cents) to use the facilities and we were handed a small wad of toilet paper which we were to use for both the toilet and for washing up afterwards. But it was worth it - the restrooms were very clean (not the case in most public bathrooms we've seen so far).
Unfortunately, we did not bring a map or guidebook with us and did not know where to go. We walked a few blocks and did happen on the main park (Parque Central) and one of the two main churches in town, Iglesia de la Concepcion Inmaculada de Maria. Unfortunately, we did not take a photo of this impressive building - a very large, modernesque, white stucco cathedral with A-frame styling over the windows and three impressive and artsy crosses on top.
Iglesia de la Concepcion de la Maria, Liberia, Costa Rica. (Photo by Rech/Panoramio)
But by this time, we were thirsty, a little hungry, and hot. I was also experiencing some discomfort in my left hand, which appeared to getting infected from a scrape I got during a fall a couple of days ago. We stopped at a small soda on the corner, tried to buy some bottled water (they had none for sale), and ordered two mango refrescos (a cool drink made with fruit juice and either water or milk - ours were made with water). We then headed off for a bakery we had spotted earlier, hoping for a good cup of coffee and perhaps some desayuno (breakfast). The coffee was OK, the pound cake was stale, and we left our two bottles of water on the table, by mistake, when we left. Not our best dining experience.
At this point, we decided to catch the next bus back to Playas del Coco, which left at 9:30. There was not much more to see in Liberia, from a tourist perspective, and we had accomplished what we came for - to experience and learn about the public bus transportation from El Coco to Liberia and on to San Jose. This bus was even nicer than the one we took earlier, and it was air-conditioned - a real blessing at this point! The ride was very pleasant and seemed to pass by quickly, despite the frequent stops.
Not too far outside El Coco, there is a village called Sardinal. It appears that we might be able to change buses here for others that go north or south to some of the other beach towns. Bob is busy investigating this possibility. This village has a charming park, which we might come back and investigate another time.
Kiosk at Parque Sardinal. (Photo by Gino Vivi/Panoramio)
Sardinal has another thing going for it - it has the closest gas station (a Mobil) to El Coco (which has lots of cars and other vehicles buzzing about, but has no gas stations).
We arrived back in El Coco around 10:30 am. Our entire round trip took three hours. We were pretty satisfied with this first venture out of El Coco - another unknown has become a known.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment