We were ready to cross our seventh border on this journey into Costa Rica when I had an epiphany! Borders should not be approached as some sort of torture you need to endure but rather as game…a scavenger hunt! We needed to collect enough stamps to prove that we had been to all of the hidden offices. First, to exit Nicaragua we needed our passports stamped – to get your passport stamped you need to pay a municipal tax and get a receipt – and our vehicle permit stamped cancelled – but first you need fill out the appropriate paperwork, get this approved, and then find the police so they could check your vehicle and stamp the form. It all would have gone quickly except for the incredibly slow line for the vehicle permits.

Not to worry, we both love games and were prepared to make up some time entering Costa Rica. We decided to tackle getting our passports stamped first but were stymied by the bus load of people (it’s amazing how many people can get off a bus in Central America!) that had got in line just ahead of us. With patience, mostly for the annoying expat that needed to talk to us constantly, we got our stamps. Now we needed a new stamped vehicle permit – but before they will stamp that you need insurance… another building and this was challenging to find. We were sure we had it when we got in a line that seemed to match the description we were given but the truckers all motioned that we needed to be elsewhere – the high roofed building behind all the trucks, you could just see the peak of it. We found it and sure enough up on a loading dock was a small sign for insurance – they don’t make these games easy! We were concerned that we hadn’t seen anything for animal permits but decided to try our luck at the last border station where they check all of your stamps. We pulled up and with Chester peering out from the back seat and I handed over all our stamped paperwork….we won!..they handed it back and lifted the gate. It was mission accomplished for the Twisted Compass Scavenger Hunt Team! And all in only 2 1/2 hours!

Canas Castilla, a working farm and campground, had been recommended to us by a couple of overlanders as a great place to stay. As it was just 20 minutes from the border, we headed there right after crossing over. Although we have typically headed for a hotel for a couple of days when we enter a new country (to get organized and to give ourselves a treat), we opted to camp because of the great recommendations….and because we had just been hanging out in a hotel for the last 5 nights.

Canas Castilla was a wonderful introduction to Costa Rica. It has several nice hiking trails, but the best part was the wildlife! On our first evening we went to have supper in the common area and were shown a Lyre snake in the rafters and bats in the chimney of the BBQ. The next morning we were entertained by the acrobatics of a troop of spider monkeys and watched a large crocodile in the river. They even had a baby sloth that they’d rescued (it had fallen from one of the trees) and were nursing it until it could be released back into the wild. We also met a wonderful Swiss couple who had travelled from Alaska to Panama and were returning. We swapped a few tales and really enjoyed their company. We could have stayed longer but wanted to explore more of Costa Rica.

We had hoped to move on to a wildlife reserve but found that pets were not allowed so continued to the surfer town of Playa Grande. We had heard that one of the local hotels allowed camping in the parking lot and pulled in. We were greeted by a friendly young man that assured us that we would be allowed to camp but probably at an apartment not far away but would need to wait an hour for the owner. We hadn’t eaten so decided we could wait in the restaurant. In about the hour the owner did come and we were introduced and told we could camp at the apartment and he would show us there in a minute. First he explained that he didn’t let people camp at the hotel anymore because some crazy Canadian in a tent had overstayed his welcome, become abusive, and had to be removed by the police (that explanation took 15 minutes); then he explained that he used to let people camp for free but that electrical costs were crazy and we should pay something, though he never got to a figure (another 15 minutes); then there was a rant on the Costa Rican taxes (15 minutes); followed by a rant on how the government was destroying the country and it would all be bankrupt in a few weeks (15 minutes); and finally how turtle conservation, which was very dear to him, was a complete failure (15 minutes). He was finally ready to show us to our camping spot 500 meters away but he had to stop three times to show us the important spots in town. We were relieved when we were finally left alone in our “campground”. The next day we explored the town and checked out the beach. We also stopped in at the wardens’ office to inquire about turtle tours. It is possible to accompany the wardens at night and wait for turtles to come ashore to nest. However, the wardens weren’t very optimistic. So far, it had been a disastrous year for turtles at Playa Grande with only one turtle so far this season. We opted out and decided to move on the next day.

A beach campground in the town of Playa Samara had been recommended by our Swiss friends so we decided to check it out. It is owned by a friendly Tico couple and we basically have the place to ourselves. Although the electrical system is less than perfect (this marks the first time we’ve seen impromptu rewiring with a machete), the beach is awesome (with waves just the right size for swimming) and the town is charming. On our first evening, a Howler monkey decided to give everybody at the local bar a thorough tongue lashing; it was great!