Our Hostel in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We stayed at the hostel Cabinas Tropicales while we were in Puerto Jimenez and were very happy there. Scroll through the photos to take a look at some of it.

Mark, the owner, has lived in Puerto Jimenez for 20+ years so he is a wealth of information about the area. He can set you up with tours, fishing trips, or help you with whatever you want to do in the area. He’s from the US so there is no language barrier either.

We liked the big open area in the center of the hostel, all the beautiful plants and flowers, and the birds that came to the bird feeders. There is a comfortable kitchen area, tables, a sofa, hammocks, and a variety of books and notices about the area, the wildlife, and things to do in the area. The rooms aren’t huge but big enough, and clean and comfortable with adequate storage shelves, something you don’t always find in a hostel. We had an outdoor shower which I thought was really fun! Not all the rooms have that but we got lucky.

I like hostels because you can meet other travelers. We talked with a couple from Spain, another from Germany, a mother and daughter from Canada, and some guys from Alaska there during our stay. The Alaska guys said there was a 100 degree difference between there and CR, and they were sweating a bit! Everyone but us had come from a cold place and were really enjoying the tropical getaway.

This hostel is also affordable and close to everything you need. Main street and the stores are only a short walk away. (The town is small so everything is only a short walk away if you stay in town.) But, it is nice to be able to cook which is less expensive than eating out all the time. We have definitely found our home away from home when we go to Puerto Jimenez.

The front door, a hint of the garden that lies behind
Mark, the owner, checks his computer while a Canadian lady looks at her photos of birds and tries to identify them in the bird book.
There are a number of bird feeders around, they also have tiki torches that can be lit at night.
The side yard with all the plants and flowers, and a hammock.
The kitchen area – there is a fridge, a pantry area, a number of burners for cooking, and all the utensils and cookware you need to make your meals.
There is also a herb garden for your use. I love his growing method and need to try this myself at home.
A pretty ginger in flower.
He has many heliconias. This “sexy pink” is my very favorite. He offered me a start but I think I’ll wait until we are past dry season to plant anything here.
The hammock in the side yard beside some more beautiful heliconias.
More heliconias – another beautiful variety.
There were a number of beautiful birds that visited the feeders all day.
He has a couple bicycles for the guests. We took them out on two days and really enjoyed ourselves.
This is something you won’t find in most hostels though – an outdoor bathroom! It had a door, walls and a roof, but above and below the wall was open.
The shower is open so when you shower you can see the sky, or the starts if it’s night. I really liked that! I should have taken another photo so you can see that along the outside wall at your feet are pretty plants. They get watered as the water splashes.
Outside the bathroom is a little private sitting area with more pretty plants and flowers.
The private sitting area outside our door.
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Sunset in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

On our last night, we went to the beach near town and watched the sun set. It was so beautiful and we really enjoyed it!  Here’ s a few of my favorite photos from that evening.

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Beaches near Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We’re back, and now I’m catching up with some things from our last trip. After that I’ll get to talking about our incredible trip to the Rambala Lodge and our time in the jungle.

I love beaches so we had a good time in Puerto Jimenez and the beaches that are within an easy walk or bike ride from town. This beach was closer than the one we went to the day before, and almost deserted except for a couple people walking in the water in the distance. The tide was out so you were able to walk out a long ways on the wet sand.

I also have some photos from the countryside on our way to and from the beach and in the area in general.

A very interesting house near the beach.
I love the crazy trunk/roots on this tree.
There were a lot of these trees that look like they have shelves of branches.
One of the local’s houses in the area.
The clouds were beautiful again that day.
This horse found a cool place to hide out.
There was another bunch of cattle being moved on the road. (photo by Joel)
The crocodiles were in the river again.
The big guy was also sunning himself in the river bank again that day. This was taken with a good zoom feature on my camera!
This is what the river actually looked like from the bridge, and you can see the crocodiles down there. We weren’t as close as it looked in the previous photos!
This guy is a caretaker/guard for this area. I stopped to take a photo of this beautiful road and he came out to talk with us, nice guy, very friendly, and happy that we love the beautiful of his country. We were told that there are a lot of gringo homes back there in this secured area.
Joel rides ahead of me through the lush countryside.
Another local house. We stopped to talk with them the day before when the family and kids were all outside. They were polite but seemed busy and not interested in a lot of conversation at the moment, but the kids were sure cute and they all seemed to be having a good time.

And, a few more photos from our last morning there.

The tide was out and there was a lot more sand showing.
This is the road that heads to the boat dock.
Hanging out, waiting for the ferry back.
One of the planes comes in for a landing at the nearby airport.
We’re under the palm trees enjoying the morning.
Another beautiful day in Costa Rica.
The tide was out and we almost didn’t see the boat which was well under the dock instead of level with it! But, we made it on the boat and here we are pulling away from the dock.

This area in Costa Rica sure is beautiful, and as someone who loves scenery and water I had a great time taking photographs!

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Monkeys in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

These monkeys were at a fairly busy intersection in town with pedestrians, motorcycles, trucks, and everything passing through here. I spotted the first one eating a coconut in a tree, and then more and more kept appearing. It is really fun to see them!

I first spotted this one eating coconut.
Another eyeing the coconuts.
What a cute face!
They are amazing in the trees.
These two were walking along the power lines.
Another in a coconut tree.
The other monkey photographer at work!

We are leaving soon on another adventure, this time without electricity and internet. My apologies for not answering comments and emails, but I will catch up next week for sure!

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Costa Rica, Puerto Jimenez, more photos

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I finally have the rest of my photos sorted and ready to go, so I’ll try and get some of them posted.

These are a few photos taken around town. If you want a very chill place to just let any tension slide off you, this is a great place to go.

There were also dogs in the grocery store, not just waiting in the doorway. It’s a nice, attractive store though with pretty much anything you would need.
Joel waits for lunch while I take photos of the beach scene across the street.
The beach scene across the street, quite a nice view to enjoy while you eat lunch and people watch.
More of the beach scene from our lunch table. It looks like it’s raining a bit across the bay.
Joel’s lunch, baked garlic fish, good stuff!
My lunch, same thing but with patacones. They make excellent ones here.
We continue to enjoy the view and the clouds that seems to get more beautiful by the minute.
The distant clouds and rain start to take on rainbow colors.
Heading back into town, the kids are jumping off the bridge into the water.
Who needs doors?
Main street in town.
The delivery truck. If you buy more groceries than you want to carry, they will bring them to you. Pretty much anything else in town can be delivered as well.
Interesting little wooden house.
This beautiful area has very little water at low tide, but at high tide the water is up to the rowboats and the scene is beautiful.
More beauty at high tide.
Typical street, unpaved, occasionally with chickens.
Beautiful sky, and one of the many black vultures perched on a branch.
Another simple wooden house.
As it got later in the afternoon, the skies continued to become more interesting and beautiful.
The sky in the other direction.
Someone got creative with this little house.
The houseboat is still for sale, and now grounded at low tide.

We’re leaving again shortly so I may not get much more done here. We will be without internet but I’ll catch up more next week!

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Crossing the Border back into Panama

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We returned from our Costa Rica trip today, which means making the border crossing back into Panama. Things have changed and become more complicated lately – see this previous post with more information on the current requirements.

We started on the Costa Rica side getting stamped out of that country – no problem, no questions, nothing. Then we headed to the Panama side to get stamped back into this country.
“Where is your ticket back to the US?”  I produced our printout, pointed out it was for both my husband and I.
“You need $500.”  I said I have papers from my bank and pulled out the statements I had printed on my computer, asking if they would qualify. He pointed to the balance amount and asked if that amount was available (yes). Then he said we were fine, stamped both our passports and we were done! Joel started to pull out papers from his bank account but the man said that wasn’t necessary. The ones I showed him were sufficient.

I had brought statements for three months from two different banks, first my Schwab statement with an IRA, a regular investment account, and a checking account. I wasn’t sure if they would want a regular bank so I also had three months of statements from Wells Fargo. He only looked at the first page from Schwab, checked that amount, and was satisfied. That was the September statement so I don’t think he checked the date. The requirements say you need three months of statements though so I think I would always come prepared with these.

The man did tell me that the bank statements like that would always be acceptable, and he agreed this was a safer thing than traveling with all that cash.  I think next time I would take bank papers and tickets, and not so much cash. It just makes me uneasy to have that much cash on me. In an emergency there was that ATM we used in the store, and I noticed another as we walked between the two checkpoints.

So, that’s how it worked for us today, fast and easy as could be. As always, do your own research and don’t take what I say as the rules. Things change, and different people may be more strict about how closely they look at everything.

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Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica – Beaches

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I am very impressed with the beaches here! Yesterday we went bike riding to a beach area southeast of town, about a 30 minute ride (maybe less, or it went quickly because it was such a beautiful ride).  There were a couple resorts in the area but little activity. We saw one couple under a shelter at one beach, but otherwise there was nobody, no one at all. It’s like your own private paradise around here. The surf was very strong though and we didn’t dare go in past our knees. The waves felt like they could easily overpower you and drag you out. But, the water temperature was warm and perfect.

By the time we got back we were warm and in the mood for a swim, so we went to the beach right in town. It is also very beautiful and there were quite a few people from town enjoying themselves there.

Joel enjoying the water under some fantastic clouds.
This is an almond tree at the edge of the water. There seem to be many of them around here.
You can see a couple green almonds in the tree.
There were vines big enough to swing on.
Leaf cutter ants at work.

These are just a few photos from yesterday. We were out and about again today so there are a lot more. I think many of them are better but they will have to wait a bit until I can sort through them.

We are really happy with this town though, and we definitely want to come back again. It is just so easy going. Kids of all ages play in the streets without a care. People are calm, friendly, and happy. It feels like the ultimate in low stress life, and then add in the beauty and wildlife around here, and it’s really something.

We’re heading home tomorrow though, and then on to a new adventure this Friday at the Rambala Jungle Lodge. After that, maybe I’ll stay put for a day or two 😀

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A Wonderful Day in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Today was our first full day here. I was tired from the busy week so we relaxed and took it easy this morning – breakfast, a walk to town where we found the produce market, walked around, came back for a snack, and then headed out on bicycles to find a nearby beach.

This country is so beautiful! I love Panama and I’m glad we live there, but this may be even more beautiful. One of the locals told us that they aren’t allowed to cut down trees without getting a government permit. Everything looks so natural, untouched, unspoiled, and wild.

I have a bunch of photos, of course, but I’ve been too busy doing things to spend much time writing about them and sorting photos and dealing with this unfamiliar computer. But, here are a few of what we saw on our bike ride from Puerta Jimenez to a beach about a 30 minute ride away.

We head down the road on the bikes through this gorgeous countryside.
Joel rides with the bulls! (actually, we ride past some very mellow young cows being moved to another area down the road)
Everything is lush and green.
We passed a few cows in a field.
We crossed a little river.
When we looked on the other side of the river, we decided this was not a good place to swim. If you look closely maybe you can see the brown form of a second crocodile in the water.
Now that I have seen this crocodile, it has become quite obvious to me that they are different than the Florida alligators. For one thing, they are HUGE. The shape and color are also different.
The trees are amazing.
We passed this interesting swampy area.
I should have put Joel in front of these bamboo to give a better sense of how huge they are.

This is such a nice place to hang out and spend some time. We are really enjoying the hostel and fellow travellers here. This town feels good. It’s so laid back and comfortable, and the people are very friendly. There seems to be enough going on to keep it interesting, but it’s small enough that everyone seems to know each other. And, the beaches nearby… wow. Photos are coming!

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My Friends are Land Owners

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

My friends Holly and Scott have been looking at land, found a piece they liked, and have successfully become the owners of it. We just spend a couple wonderful days with them in Boquete, so of course we were curious to see the location of their new home to be. Naturally, I have photos.

We go as far as the four wheel drive can make it, which is almost to the site of the casita which will be built to live in while the main house is being built.
This is the view from the casita site. Nice eh?
We proceed up the path that Scott made towards the main site.
The land is pretty much overgrown with beautiful plants.
Eventually we get high enough to look down on the roof of the car.
As usual for Panama, trees tend to be covered with other plants.
These are some of the plants on the property, like these beautiful taro plants.
It is encouraging to see the banana leaves that aren’t shredded like in other areas that get stronger winds. Maybe the wind will be calmer here.
More interesting plants.

The drive to the land was also gorgeous along winding mountain roads. When we got to the land I also saw lots of wildflowers.

The site for the main house is on the higher part of the land.

Men with machetes 😀
Looking through the trees.
Men discuss the plans.
I see the clouds clear to reveal a peek at Volcan Baru.
Men continue discussing plans.
The fabulous view from what will be the far end of the house continues to change and become more beautiful!

My friends are living in a nearby spot that is also very beautiful!

The rain and clouds started to clear to reveal more of the distant mountains.
It is an ever changing view of mountains and clouds and beauty.
Sun turns the distant mountains green!
Here it has been very windy and the banana leaves look quite shredded.
The view is so beautiful!
The avocado eating dog.

The last photo is of a neighborhood dog who hangs out at Scott and Holly’s house most of the time. Every day she goes somewhere and comes back with an avocado which she licks until she has eaten out all the fruit inside. My friends don’t know where she finds them and haven’t figured out how to get her to bring an extra or two for them.

Posted in Exploring the Area, Miscellaneous, Panama | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Back in Puerta Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We liked Puerta Jimenez (eastern Costa Rica, Pacific side, not very far from the Panama Border) so much, we wanted to come back and spend some more time here.

The border crossing went very smoothly and the lines were short and quick. We were stamped out of Panama without a luggage inspection. The money changers were on hand and gave me an even exchange of 30,000 colones for $60. We filled out the wrong form for Costa Rica, were given the correct one, asked how long we were staying, and were stamped into CR. Done!  (I know, it’s the getting back into Panama that’s the interesting part)

SundayPuertaJimenez

We got off the ferry in Puerta Jimenez and enjoyed the scenery while we walked to our hostel. These kids are jumping off the railing into the water while some guy naps on the bench. Families are playing on the beach. People are biking and walking and hanging out. It feels nice here. We have a couple days to explore and I have some past things to catch up on, so there will be more posts as I get to them.

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