15 Feb 2002 – 21 Feb 2002
Nicaragua - Costa Rica
Moyogalpa - Libera (Costa Rica) - Monteverda - La Fortuna - San Jose
The modern week-by-week edition
Leaving the island in Nicaragua, we managed to miss the ferry twice, and helped two backpackers escape locals who were going to rob them.
Into Costa Rica, which is the land of horses and cowboys, and into the hills. We saw volcanoes, did some tourist things, and finally some bike maintenance.
Goneriden
This week’s route
Road sections use current OpenStreetMap roads · ferry and flight legs are direct guides
Week 16 in the full journey
The preserved 2002 maps provide full-trip context while the modern interactive journey map is developed.
Memorable moment
After arriving in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, the bikes’ 3000-mile service was due.
After locating the KTM dealer and finding all of our necessary parts in stock, Marty enquired about purchasing a new mirror. We soon established that the dealership actually consisted of two stores and, before long, Martin was talking to one of the bosses, who, on learning of our intent to service our bikes, presumably in the courtyard of our hotel, invited us down to the service centre to freely use his workshop.
Accordingly, with an extra array of tools at hand, a cupboard full of maintenance sprays and formulas, and the shade of a nice, clean workshop, our duties were performed effortlessly. An experienced mechanic then filled and bled the oil system for us before we acknowledged our sincerest gratitude and headed home.
Upon arriving back at our hotel we were horrified to identify an oil leak that both bikes had developed on the journey home. A rapidly panicked interrogation of the bikes finally revealed the problem to be a loose oil-bleeding plug on the bikes’ frame. After accepting responsibility for not checking the mechanic’s work, we breathed a sigh of relief that what could have been potentially harmful to the bikes’ ability to function at all turned out to be only a minor infraction. In the end, we still got to spill oil in the hotel’s courtyard.
Original Week 16 accountPictures of the week
Quote of the week"The ferry won't leave without you" - Harbour Master on Isla Ometepe as the ferry pulled away from the dock
"Ten minutes ago we taught you how to ask a girl to dance in Spanish and here you are with 2 beautiful women" - local lad amazed with Boxy's prowess
"I was only two months old when I learnt to walk, nobody would pick me up cause I was too ugly" - tour guide we met at Monteverde sky trek
CompetitionTrying in earnest to get to the ferry on time to leave Isla Ometepe.
Winner: Isla Ometepe, as we missed the ferry twice in one day, forcing us to stay another night.
HighlightTravelling to Monteverde National Park, where we donned safety gear before riding 12 flying foxes above and through the jungle. The longest ride was 3,000 ft long and proved to be quite fast, as well as a huge adrenalin rush to boot.
Risk activityNot entered
LowlightAfter riding to two different volcanoes recommended to us by locals, we were faced with the worst possible conditions. Clouds enshrouded both volcanoes, reducing visibility to nil.
Road tallyInstead of counting dead animals this week, we witnessed the bulls at Liberia carnival take revenge on locals stupid enough to chase and torment the angry beasts until they were pulverised into the unforgiving earth of the arena.
Score...... Bulls: Many - Humans: O
Week 16 photo diary
The mosaic follows the numbered sequence in date-and-time order. Select any image for its full-screen view and comment.