Aug 8 - Las Lajas to Bellena National Park, Costa Rica

The following day we had a great breakfast down the road at Las Lajas Beach Resort and drove to the Costa Rican Border.  Things were still very quiet in the truck…I refused to apologize and Marnie would not speak with me.  I knew who would lose this little battle but I wasn’t ready to give in yet….besides, I might have been in the wrong…again.

We had wanted to drive across Panama to Bocas De Toro on the Caribbean side and then cross into Costa Rica.  Bocas del Toro is another acquipelago of islands known for great beaches and surf.  It would add some distance along with at least two more nights in Panama.  After much back and forth discussion, we decided it would be best to drive north into Costa Rica.  We had spent a considerable amount of time in Colombia and Panama and wanted to ensure we had time to see all the other countries in Central America...tough decisions of only having a limited amount of time.

As soon as we crossed into Costa Rica we spotted a sloth on the side of the road, the mood changed…or so ever slightly but we were all excited to be explore Costa Rica.  We waited until we reached Palmar before deciding which way to drive.  The option was the PanAmerian highway through Mountains and Jungle towards San Jose or turn towards the Pacific. 

The lure of Costa Rican beaches, the promise to surf with the kids and our love of sun, we decided to drive towards the pacific, and we did not regret it.  It was 3 p.m. when we stopped at the Bellenas National Park Campsite. Again, we were in the middle of palm trees, on the beach. 

I finally came to terms with my stubbornness and apologized for my childless behavior of a couple days prior…it was all Marnie needed.  We all played in the surf and enjoyed the beauty of the jungle nestled up against the beach. 

It was great, we had time to swim, set up camp and even prepare some Kraft Dinner. We ended the night all playing cards up in the roof tent while listening to the sound of the crashing surf.