Leaving Bocas

It actually wasn't a tough decision to leave Bocas...it was beautiful but not my type of place, far too touristy! And the diving was ok but not great. I'm in search of a backpackers paradise with beautiful clear seas, colorful coral and an abundance of fish (big and small) maybe it doesn't exist? Well I've heard of a place called Cocos Island on the pacific side of Costa Rica, now it sounds expensive but it's stunning...I'm toying with whether I should go check it out.

It was a fun journey from Bocas to Puerto Viejo, which lies just across the border from Sixola...I was determined not to pay tourist prices to get there. Hostels and tour companies were saying it would cost 30-40 dollars. In the end it cost $14. $6 for the boat taxi off Bocas, $2 for local buses to Sixola, $3 entrance into Costa Rica and another $3 to Puerto Viejo! The information the tour companies had told me was total bullshit. They'd said there was only one bus a day going to San Jose (there were several), they never mentioned the local buses, hmm wonder why?! They do this in every developing country cause it's how they make money, but I wanna travel like local people do, see the country from their perspective, and save money.

Actually crossing the border was kinda fun. It's this really old rickety iron cast bridge, but it's missing loads of planks to walk on, so in some places there are just holes, which you could easily fall through (Altho my backpack might have stopped me, with just my legs dangling through!). I'd like to think it was a cute tourist attraction but unfortunately I doubt it! Just years of delapidation and decline. 

That's what I love about these kind of countries, they just get on with things and make the most of it...I mean yeah things could be better but they aren't, so let's deal with it, not shut the bridge, keep it open and let anyone stupid enough fall through the holes and get eaten by crocodiles!

On my way to Puerto Viejo I met a Jevovah's witness couple, on their way to San Jose. I ended up chatting to them for a while , while we were waiting for the bus. I thought they were really nice, but I turned the topic onto their religion, cause im interested. I totally agreed with the guy about all the good things that they try and promote in people, treat others like you want to be treated, be kind and generous...just totally disagreed with him when I asked what about gay people. So their view is is that they are chemically imbalanced and the Bible says marriage should be between a man and a woman, so being gay is wrong...and you can be a Jevovah's witness if you aren't a practicing homosexual...right so at this point I had a lot to say but I didn't cause I could see it would never have convinced them. It's just so wrong and fucjed up to say or think shit like that though. They clearly have no understanding of sexuality, they don't understand it isn't a choice, and they don't get what damage that does to a person to say what you are is wrong, so you need to change yourself and debt yourself. This is my problem with organized religion and the bible. As good a number of values as it teaches, it also teaches intolerance to people, and so you look down on some people.