We hired a small car and hoped it would have the grunt to manage some miles. It did. It actually was a superstar of a car that passed the ultimate hire car test - it survived the road to Papagayo.
It was neither. After about two kilometres we were a little fed up and Mr Dunnit a little fretful about stones damaging paintwork or potholes causing the loss of car parts...there were hub caps and exhaust boxes visible to illustrate his fret. But, we’re nothing if not English, and other people were driving the road, so we carried on. And blow me, a building appeared on the horizon. We thought it might be the civilisation of a beach cafe. Not likely. It was a toll! We parted, lamb like and without argument, with €3 and set off for another 3 kilometres of driving across the grittiest, pot holiest and boob jigglingist surface ever.
I was a little hysterical when we finally spotted the edge of the crater.....it was so obvious that it had blown out and formed a beach. And it was it’s own windbreak. A hike on jelly legs down and it was lovely. The socks and shoes came off and we did paddle. But that was all, it was very extremely cold. Hell, the Atlantico in January, of course it was cold....but it looked wonderful and inviting and calm and there were swimmers. Probably Northern Europeans made of sterner stuff. Or people who drive 4x4s and had barely noticed the bone rattling tooth shaking route and didn’t have jelly legs. We walked a bit, up hill of course, and found a beach cafe right on the rim of the old volcano that I could have stayed in forever.
We nearly had to. I was made breathless by the climb from the beach so was feeling a little vulnerable when Mr Dunnit told me that a bottle of Fanta Limon was €5. Yikes. And a return journey to face. Several reasons then, for remembering the road to Papagayo!
7 comments:
I've never been there in person but I now feel like I've experienced every bump in the road with you. Probably not somewhere you will go again [unless they build a tarmac road maybe] but you can say you've been now....it looks beautiful. Thanks for taking me with you :-)
Hugs,
Annie x
Julia, I'm surprised when you venture out, you don't have a very tight sports bra on, to keep those boobies in check:) LOL
Sounds like that cafe is on to a winner, although I should think locals take there own refreshments and should you want to go back, you'd maybe do the same.
Hope you are having fun in the sun. Sue
Glad you got to enjoy a bit of an adventure as well as your embroidery! I feel as though my teeth are rattling in my mouth in sympathy I am sure the resulting scrapbook pages will be fabulous!
I've been on that very same road, ONLY in KANSAS. Our country (or county/farm) roads are not paved. They are nothing but dirt The road grader comes along about once every three months when the roads are SO washboarded, even the farmers complain when their John Deere heavy machinery won't navigate the roads. You learn to drive in the ruts and make sure you have a vehicle that is NOT low to the ground. Unfortunately, there are no beautiful volcanoes, beaches, or even costly bars. Just mile after mile of wheat or cows. I really enjoyed this story because, even a world away, I could relate in a small way to the road trip you took looking for Papagayo. You tell the best stories with such amazing visual imagery. I feel like I was there with you. But I would NEVER spend that much on a bottle of Fanta.
Yes but think of the journey of all those fanta orange and lemons and the possibility of them exploding on that road.
Hi Julia,I stumbled across your blog by following the WOYDW badge, glad I did, because I have enjoyed reading your lovely post about your trip to Papagayo....x
Jane 🌴
Nice blog thankks for posting
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