Our time in Puerto Viejo was pretty chill. We only went out during the day and if we were out at night we stuck to the main road. Puerto Viejo has a "shadow side" dealing in drug trafficking. We didn't feel unsafe, but I think it was, in part, because we are naive tourists and the townspeople make a substantial effort to put on a shiny "eco-tourist" vibe.
It was really hot. Our apartment had only basic amenities. No a/c, no microwave, minimal warm water, screened windows without glass. We had to sleep with mosquito nets. The place was about two blocks from the beach. The majority of our first full day was the kids school, a little biking and beach time, me teaching and hunting and gathering (of course).
The resident cat
At breakfast, the restaurant pup came to say "hi".
Oat pudding and cacao bowl for breakfast. Probably the best breakfast of my trip so far. The chocolate sauce was homemade with fresh cacao.
Fresh fruit crepe
Pancakes
At the bike rental shop, there were these neat two-seater bikes for an adult and child. There are pegs on the front wheel frame for footrests.
Biking around town.
Where to go...
The beach! Not the best ones from our trip but it's still THE BEACH.
Everyone is heading towards this tree to the left...
...to see this guy nestled in the branches.
While everyone was ogling the sloth, we heard a crash in the street.
That green bus in the background passed too closely to a food cart and smashed it. The guy's glass heater and display case broke all over the street. So many people came out to help clean up the mess. I thought it was refreshing to observe kind humanity, especially in a place known for being dangerous.
Pretty poppies
A tree with these strange potato like fruits.
Here is one smashed in the street.
Hunting and Gathering:
One of our favorite snacks.
Lunch
Dinner at an Indian-Thai fusion place. It was good for me, so-so for the others. The place was kind of eclectic.
Steak?
Veggie curry
Tacos
Chicken curry
Anecdotes:
After dinner we did a little window shopping in some of the souvenir shops. In one shop, the attendant followed us around (closely) and watched us like a hawk. It was kind of strange, like he thought we would pocket something. I wondered if that was a problem with tourists.
There was this girl who we'd seen around town a bit. She was clearly on drugs. She had begged for some money from us. She also made a big scene with a couple local guys. She was screaming and slapped the guy then chased him down the road. She didn't ever have shoes on, just bare feet. One morning, Clark said he took her to buy some food in the grocery store.
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