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Ujarras to Cordoncillo

Day 8 – March 24

Mountain bike – 43.4 km (22.6 miles), 678 meters (2,224 ft) elevation gain.

Soccer camp
Soccer camp

The porters and guides caught a bus to the beach then on to San José and back to the Caribbean.

You’ll probably notice a significant drop-off in the quality of the pictures for the next few days.  Andres is a professional photographer and took many of the best shots in the first week but his feet had turned into hamburger inside his mountaineering boots.  As soon as we reached a road he headed to the nearest clinic then back to San José to recuperate.

Shower and Shave

We climbed on the mountain bikes that Javier brought and headed out on the last legs of the human powered trans continental trip.

Neck bandana. I told you you'd need one. Keeps you from getting sunstroke
Neck bandana

The first stop was Buenos Aires.  The only place you could call a town along the route since we’d dipped our toes in the Caribbean.  Javier had arranged for a couple of rooms at a local cabinas for a couple of hours so we could all take showers and shave while the maids did our laundry.  Ahhh, a clean shirt!

Bicycle Touring

It was good to be touring on a bicycle in Costa Rica again.  It had been over ten years since we decided the roads were getting too dangerous and hung up our panniers but Javier scouted out a route that was all back roads except one little section of the Pan American Highway which we’d do on a Sunday morning.

We used back roads and local trails to avoid the Pan American highway.  Most of the day was in pineapple plantations but just being in the warm, dry sunshine was marvelous.

Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires

As always Costa Rica surprised me with just how much uphill it can take to get downhill.  I mean we were on the Continental Divide at noon the previous day.  Once we stepped over to the Pacific side by definition it has to be all downhill to the ocean from there.  That’s why water on one side of the divide runs to one ocean and water on the other side to the other.  The catch is that the roads don’t follow the all downhill route that water follows.

Social Security Camp

Our support vehicle
Our support vehicle

We set up camp in Cordoncillo in front of the Seguro Social office where we had access to a sink with running water.  Javier arranged for us to use the bathrooms in the community center across the street but we had to ration our use carefully because there was something wrong with the plumbing and it was only good for about three flushes a day before it backed up.

Chris made a delicious ramen with veggies and chicken for dinner and turned in early in the most comfortable camp of the trip.

Go to Another Day
Caribbean – 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – today – 9 – 10 – Pacific

Photo Gallery Day 8 – Ujarras to Cordoncillo

Each of the images below is linked to a larger version with a detailed description

Crack of dawn - soccer field camp Ujarras
Crack of dawn
Clouds formed over the cloud and rain forests then poured down the mountainsides and re-evaporated in the deforested valleys
Clouds over the forest
Sunrise
Sunrise
Why did the chicken cross the road? I'll tell you why...can't you see the bloody big truck coming!
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Fushia
Fushia
Water is life
Water is life
Cerrado
Cerrado
Ice cold. I drink about three sodas a decade but if that pulperia would have been open at 5:30 a.m. I would have had one then
Ice cold
Ujarras school
Ujarras school
Palms
Palms
Soccer camp
Breaking camp on the soccer field in Ujarras the morning of day 8
Breaking camp
Javier's gear
Javier’s gear
My feet and legs were a little beat up and it was nice to have on sandals and dry ground under them for a change
Beat up
Guard dog
Guard dog
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Javier showing us the routing options for mountain biking from Buenos Aires to the Pacific coast
Routing options
Gravel road
Gravel road
Neck bandana. I told you you'd need one. Keeps you from getting sunstroke
Neck bandana
Suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
Mile after mile of pineapples
Pineapples
The sign says "prohibited - entry only for authorized persons" I wonder if Justin got permission before he went into the bushes...
Authorized
Almost a round rock road
Almost a round rock road
To the pineapple fields
To the pineapple fields
No shade for miles
No shade for miles
Our support vehicle
Our support vehicle

Go to Another Day
Caribbean – 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – today – 9 – 10 – Pacific

Ray & Sue

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Over the Hill
  • Trans Talamanca Trek – How To
  • Over the Hill
  • Puerto Viejo to Coroma
  • Coroma to Kichuguecha
  • Kichuguecha to Quebrada Mari
  • Quebrada Mari to Fila Bugu
  • Fila Bugu to Catarata Ririgu
  • Catarata Ririgu to Rio Lori
  • Rio Lori to Ujarras
  • Ujarras to Cordoncillo
  • Cordoncillo to La Gran Vista
  • La Gran Vista to Playa Hermosa
  • Meals & Gear Transcontinental



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