Junquillal (12/13/10-12/15)

A bit about the drive into C.R.


Tamarindo...the hotel view was nice

Driving into Costa Rica the change in the standard of living is almost immediate. Very few people use horsedrawn carts or horses, and there are fewer on bikes or walking. More buildings are modern, there are more westerners, and the paved roads are clean and in excellent shape, the opposite of what I had been led to believe in my research. (That's also true of most of the Nicaragua roads, many being less than one year old). Here you can drink the water and flush the toilet paper. Wow! And Tamarindo, though not my style, could appeal to those who want to party.

Junquillal

Michiel and Lieke



the pool/bar/restaurant

A 2 hour drive over 36 miles gets me to another beach town, Junquillal. It's quiet here with not nearly the people and very little town development, thou some pretty pricey hotels and private homes can be had. I spend about an hour knocking on doors looking for the best fit and end up at the Mundo Milo Eco-Lodge, http://www.mundomilo.com/ . It's a new place built and run by Michiel and Lieke from Holland. They only have the one cabina right now, beautifully appointed with an African theme and set off in the trees by itself, it even has a kitchenette. I love the full-sized bars of soap.They intend to build 3-4 more in the near future and if you want to relax this is a great spot. The room is comfortable, they are a super-nice couple and their food is very good. The fresh tuna was great as were the pork ribs the next night and the savory pancakes each morning (with bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, oregano, parsley and Vermont maple syrup). You also get a generous serving of fresh fruit, delicious coffee and bread with jam and butter which Lieke bakes fresh every morning (the breakfast is included). Lieke was kind enough to do some laundry for me and didn't even charge for it. Plus, she gave me some bread and ham and tomatoes to make a sandwich with when I left to drive to Samara, my next stop. How do you top that?

The beach here stretches out with hardly a soul to be seen. I saw my first bluecrested mot-mot (you'll have to take my word for it), pretty cool, and a tree full of howler monkeys. It's fun to listen to them in the night. And though the Lodge is off the beach you can still hear the waves. End of commercial. 


beach at Junquillal

Nica. to Junquillal.
click to enlarge