Those three words basically sum up our day. Or maybe Heat, Monkeys, Heat, Kindness, Heat.
We went back to the soda from last night for breakfast. Guess what we had? Yes, rice and beans, plantain and cheese. It does taste really nice and it sets you up with some calories for the day ahead
We got out of town and the route took us on a highway for about a mile or two but after that it was gravel roads that separated farming land. At about 10:30 I checked the temp and it was 32 degrees. On the gravel roads there is no opportunity for shade and it is crazy crazy hot. Being where we are in the globe, the sun comes up quick and just stays right above you until it sets at about 1800. Unlike the UK where the hottest part of the day is later in the day 1600-1800, the hottest part of the day here is lunchtime 1200 – 1400.
A truck came past that was spraying water to keep the road dust down. He stopped the water when he got to us. We shouted out and he stopped and we said we wanted spraying, he gladly obliged and drenched us through. It kept us cool for about ten minutes.
We saw a couple of cowboys slowly moving their cattle to another area.
We went through some villages.
Just as we were riding down the road I saw a dog in front of me. Then something skipped past with a curly tail. I presumed it was a very big cat. We rode along about ten seconds later a monkey walked right in front of us. We looked up in the tree and there must of been between ten and twelve of them swinging around. We kept on looking back down the road where we saw the first one cross and they kept on coming out from one side and leaving on the other. I saw a mother walk across with a very tiny baby on her back, it was so beautiful.
We knew there was a restaurant showing on Google maps and we definitely needed some cold drinks. Warm water bottles are not the best for encouraging you to keep up with your hydration.
The restaurant owner is lovely. It is a fresh water fish eatery and he breeds his own supply. He currently has about 300 in his various ponds and he casts his net a couple times a day. If you want there are lines for you to have the experience of catching your own and his wife will prepare it.
They are sold in three sizes.
It was midday at this point and we wanted a couple of hours out of the sun. The only problem with the plan is that leaves an afternoon of about 40 miles. That we would not get in in time before the sun sets and we would struggle with 40 miles in the afternoon in this heat. So we asked the restaurant owner if we could put up our tent on his nice lawn and he said he would be happy to have us. Well that is what Google translate told me.
He showed us where we could have a shower. So we are just sat now looking out over his ponds and palm trees, waiting for it to cool enough so a tent is bearable.
View from the restaurant.
It has been a bit tricky to find camping spaces. Basically in the mountains there was not any. No campsites and no areas to wild camp as the bush just came up to the road. Today is the first time we have seen areas that would be suitable for a tent but the heat just puts you off thinking about wild camping in a tent without a shower or lake to get in. On the coast it might be different as we will be able to jump in the sea.
Around the restaurant there are the usual pets including a little tiny kitten.
We are sat in the owners rocking chairs chilling out.
Tomorrow we will be in Colorado, Guanacaste which is on the coast.