Liberia, Friday

Thu 16th 2125 FWIW if I wasn't clear that "horrible looking" cat wasn't bleeding or anything. It might have been ill in some way or maybe it had an accident ages ago and was left with a kind of deformed face for all I know. It was coming out from under a gate IIRC and may have been a pet or it may have been a stray/feral cat. No idea. I am very vague on exactly what looked wrong since as I say I was utterly unable to do anything and I didn't like to look at it, but it wasn't horrifically bad, just vaguely unpleasant.

Fri 17th 1835 Another fairly successful day's touristing.

Was last up in dorm again (to be honest, I don't actually know how many of the other beds are occupied) despite IIRC leaving hostel about 0830. Slept better, felt a bit cooler for whatever reason, still woke up a bit in the night.

Got Cañas bus, with assiduous OSM watching on phone I got off at the right place for Cataratas Los Llanos de Cortes, moderately hot walk down to the entrance, paid 4k and then took the walking trail down to car park. Large lizards scuttling around in the dry leaves on the trail vaguely creepy because it sounds like there's someone rustling around in the bushes. :-)

Further walk to falls, very nice, also pleasantly cool with a light spray in air. Spent more than an hour sort of sitting, looking and thinking and then went up to the top of falls (which are pleasantly unguarded and you can get close enough to slip over the edge if you wish) and then back down the road instead of the trail to the exit and on to the interamericana to wait for bus. I felt *slightly* rushed due to wanting to do Centro del Rescate Las Pumas as well but only very slightly.

Waited maybe 20-25 mins for bus, bit warm but not terrible - localish woman and kid also turned up to wait a few mins before bus came. Told driver CdRLP and he charged me a bit under 2k I think. Again assiduous watching of OSM (this sort of thing makes me vaguely edgy - and maybe it's just me, but the drivers while far from rude don't feel laid back enough to ask them to let you know when to get off, so I was watching map and getting ready to ring bell) allowed me to get off at right spot. I had worried slightly about crossing road - there are sometimes pedestrian bridges but not always - but there was actually a kind of double zebra crossing right there.

Short walk down clearly signed "private drive" to park, USD12 to get in and I handed over a 20k and got change including a lot of coins (woman at desk apologised) so not quite sure what I paid but probably fine-ish. CdRLP actually very cool, it is really just a "zoo with an excuse" from a visitor PoV but it was really nice to see the monkeys, big cats (puma, ocelot, jaguar and some more obscure ones), parrots, toucans (really developing a soft spot for toucans - there's something about the precise way they kind of hop from one branch to another) and even a sloth which apparently has a defective leg and wasn't really in a ful cage so presumably can't climb much - it was on ground when I saw it.

Someone came up and told me they were going to feed the cats so I followed the two women doing the feeding round and got to see that.

Went slightly nuts taking photos at first so apart from fact memory card nearly full after doing the first circuit round (the place isn't huge) I deliberately tried not to get camera out and just look at stuff.

Fairly quiet, handful of other visitors, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected and can't quite believe it isn't busier.

Left about 1545 (think they shut at 4) and had to wait at side of IA for about 30 mins for bus, but it was fine - unlike that "stranded" panic at Parque Volcan Arenal other day, here I was standing at the side of *the* main road, I knew a bus would pass every 30 mins and absolute not-going-to-happen worst case would be walking 4.5km along side of road into Cañas, a town I had some familiarity with, and getting a bus there or getting a taxi. None of that necessary of course and once bus turned up it was nothing more than a slightly tedious ride back into Liberia.

Fairly hungry and had casado de bistec at Soda La Hormiguita at bus terminal before coming back here. I had half promised myself a beer back at hostel for a job well done today, but I figured it would feel a bit grim sitting here drinking a beer so I thought I wouldn't. Hostel in Tamarindo has a bar unfortunately (I'd rather just take my own in from a shop) but I may have a drink there and/or I could perhaps see myself getting a can and taking it to beach to watch sunset.

Feel slightly loserish sitting here on my own, but earwigging on Scottish woman and probably French guy having a conversation in English. I've said "hi" to a few people as I've passed in corridor etc, but just doesn't feel like a conversation is happening. Two other pairs of people talking in I think French and German as well.

Farting around copying photos between memory cards and charging phones. Maybe a bit nerdy but fuck it, it's relatively standard tourist shit and it's not like anyone gives a shit.

Buses to Tamarindo tomorrow according to sheet out at breakfast are of course at 8 (stupidly early) then 11 (stupidly late - checkout here is 10). Gut feeling is (given I'll be going to bed earliy anyway) I'll try to get up 645-7 and aim for the 8 bus, since for better or worse it *is* a dorm tomorrow I think there's a fair chance even if I do get to Tamarindo hostel before I can check in properly, I can probably dump my bag in a locker and then go out and start to get a feel for the geography and maybe see what turtle tours are on offer etc. I haven't actually checked how long it takes to get there yet.

Hmm, RG says there's a bus every 30-60 mins, which isn't what probably more up to date info on that paper here at hostel says, and it takes 2h. Still, I think I will probably try for the 8 bus, as I say if I can at least dump my bag in a locker that's me kind of checked in even if bed not available. I hope I get a lower bunk - I remembered other day the *real* problem with an upper bunk is risk of phone falling off the edge while in bed (reading myself to sleep etc). Still, can only hope and it's not end of world if I don't.

I had a shower+shave when got back (after snaffling a free coffee - very good again, not quite sure why or how but still) and again gave the top I wore during today a quick pseudo-wash in the sink (no soap) and will again wear it tomorrow (I figure I'm sweating anyway during the day etc) and that should help tide me over and maybe ask about laundry at new hostel tomorrow night.

FWIW had a new sheet waiting to be put on on bed when I got back.

1933 Check in is at 2pm in Tamarindo, which feels mildly crap, but as I keep saying it's probably OK to get there early and absolute worst case I can probably sit around hostel with (maybe) a free coffee or something waiting to check in, which is no different than trying to hang on here til 10 and spending an hour at the bus terminal, and I *might* be able to check in early.

2149 Been doing some art on phone and getting quite into it. Also went back to dorm for piss and ended up having nice chat with 56 yo Canadian woman who arrived today who I had "tactfully" ignored when I came out of shower earlier. Probably go to bed soon but tinkering with art a little. Cleaned teeth so can just plop into bed and put power bank on charge.

2223 Bed.