With the chaos of the border crossing behind us, Frenchie, Bruiser and I began our trek through Costa Rica.
We found a ranch just 5 kilometers from the Nicaraguan border during the first night in this beautiful country. The owner of the ranch wasn’t around, but my new friend Hector Munoz had arranged for us to spend the night.
I let Frenchie and Bruiser out in a muddy pasture and they both stood there staring at me. Although they cannot speak, I knew they were saying, “Oh come on man, are you serious? This place sucks.” Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do. I gave them both a pat on the neck, assured them that better days were coming and went off to sleep on top of my saddle pads.
Before getting some much needed rest, I spoke to the ranch’s manager, Carlos, who lives here with his family. Like many Nicaraguans, he has been working in Costa Rica for several years now.
“I came to Costa Rica 10 years ago searching for work,” Carlos said.
All throughout Costa Rica, Nicaraguans are found doing various jobs that involve manual labor. Nicaragua has suffered severely due to long and bloody civil wars. This has left countries like Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua with a struggling economy resulting in a complete lack of jobs and growing poverty.
At the same time, Costa Rica and Panama’s more peaceful history, have left both with booming economies. This has translated into more and more youth going off to college and university and less wanting to work the land.
“I started working the fields and milking cows with my dad and grandfather ever since I can remember. We never went to school, this is all I know,” Carlos told me as he played with his baby boy.
The next morning a rainy sky set the mood as I said goodbye to Carlos and his family. After only half an hour on the road, Bruiser lost his front left shoe. Luckily, I heard the shoe fall and was carrying nails in the pack. The first home I came across, I stopped and asked if I could use their hammer. Not only did I get a hammer, I also got breakfast!
“My mom has breakfast on the oven, you hungry,” my new friend said as he watched me nail the shoe on.
With a full stomach and a shod pony, I continued heading south, but only after getting some awesome footage of 3 monkeys playing in the tree tops next to the road. This area I am riding through is extremely rich with fauna and flora. Two national parks stretch on both sides of the road – Parque Nacional Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Park.
Although we were surrounded by nature’s beauty for the entire day, this also meant that there were no ranches to spend the night. I rode as much as possible but an hour before sun set decided it was time to stop and set up camp. In a little opening in the forest, I put up my tent and let the ponies graze. After eating some stale bread and letting the boys fill up, it was time to tie them up and call it a night.
I awoke the next morning with water dripping on my head. As I turn on my phone I see it is still 3:30 am, my tent is drenched from the heavy rain and it is time to wake up.
I untie Frenchie and Bruiser and let them graze while I fold the soaked tent up. By the time the sun starts peaking over the horizon we are already moving south. The thought of sleeping in a real bed tonight in Liberia puts a smile on my face, but it doesn’t last long. Just as the day before, within the first hour of our ride Frenchie throws a shoe.
Luckily, I manage to find a home with a hammer to reset the shoe. Unfortunately, Bruiser ended up losing 2 more shoes. With rain coming and going all day it became an extremely hard day. But like many times on my Long Ride south there is only one option at hand – to ride on.
Just after 2pm I arrive in Liberia to be greeted my my new friend Hector and his cousin Evan. I was tired, soar and stinky, but my new friends immediately put a smile on my face. Evan guided me too his beautiful corrals where my ponies would rest for a few days. With fresh water, 2 bails of hay and grain I turn Frenchie and Bruiser out. This time there was no starring at me, only loud chewing.
