..busy days..

phew.. here we are.. was quite busy the last days and finally I get to a computer to update the world ;) hehe :)

glad I made it here.. I got quite some problems with my bike. Changed oil yesterday after I checked it since a long time and figured out that it looks quite old already (then having bad feeling in my stomach riding further). Didn't take too long (but I had to push me anyway a bit to do it), costed though 25USD for the 2.5lt oil I needed.. quite expensive but hey, at least the engine runs smoother again. Point is, I will have it changed anyway (and the filter) in Panama city, where I kinda urge to get to. The guys have hopefully ordered my spare part fan after I called twice and wrote a bunch of emails. It's really annoying but I hope the order has been made, because otherwise I will be waiting a long time in the city to get my bike fixed.. I should have changed that fan long time ago. I'm now riding in the flat, along the cost.. going through the mountains was cooking my engine and I had to stop several times, pouring water over it to cool it down a bit. Was racing uphill with 50km/h on this unpaved, bumpy, stony road, but I had to get as much natural air cooling as possible. was a bit crazy to be honest.. Then the rear brake failed because was overheated :P damn.. luckily nothing happened, was also good luck. Used then the gears to break.. I think, there's something not good adjusted with the break disc and pads, but didn't have the place or energy to look at. it's just getting very hot now but still works.. another item for the fix-my-bike-list for Panama. Yes.. it really, really needs to get into a BMW bike hospital and even if it will cost between 1000 and 2000 USD, I will have it done (I'm more prepared now, since I know it will be expensive ;)

I had a busy day in Fortuna.. went to the volcano and hiked all the trails they got (they don't let you go up too far) and enjoyed having a bit of head space (even if I was worried with some things at the moment). Saw some stones rolling down the volcano (reason why you don't hike to close ;) and had a beautiful walk through rainforest. On my way back I stopped at a hot river and chilled in the water :D ..there are many resots with pools, but they cost some USD and the river is free and beautiful for being more natural!
went back to the hotel and was ready to spend the afternoon updating blog because it looked a lot like rain. to mention.. the day before getting there was a nice ride, but the last 5km it started raining (no, it was POURING!!) and I got soaked within minutes what ended in a drying session at this backpacker place. I got rooms offered until 55USD but found one with private bathroom for 8 bucks! :) so stayed gladly two nights there.
The afternoon was sunny then and a guy called "captain Bob" invited me to drive around and go for a cool down in a nearby river. He makes these trips with people if there's high season. So we got a couple of rum-coke and he brought me to this beautiful place on the river with small waterfall and a badass ropeswing!!! :D that I of course tried out twice without hurting myself ;) hehe :) really, really cool!!
and then we checked the lava flow at night of the volcano.. well, just saw some glowing rocks rolling down, but was nice to hang out a bit away from where all the tourist stand, having chairs and privacy. (I was so tired at this point, couldn't keep my eyes open ;) then we went back to the hot river a second time. It was night already and Bob got a flashlight to provide some ambiental light :) he took us to a place maybe 50m up the river, where it was even nicer to hang out and where a cold river joins the warm water flow (so you get a special hot-cold experience bathing at this place! :) there was also a friend of his along and in the end we had another beer at his fancy hotel place before I finally got a good sleep in my big bed ;)

the next morning I started early and went to the Venado Caves.. another hour ride from there, where I planned to play some didgeridoo in a closed space ;)
the guide charged me 15 dollars, but it would not have been possible to enter without one.. was super crazy!! :D haha :) needed the helmet and rubber boots that they provided and we were walking through water, crawling through the smallest imaginable spaces and I figured out that I'm don't have claustrophobia at all (otherwise you find it out in these small passages ;) hehe :) was BADASS cave!! really, really adventurous! at a point you had to go feet first, then pass your left arm and pull yourself through! (going to the limits! ;) and climbing up 7 meters in a place where you don't want to fall. oh my god.. just with the guides instructions I could make it, but reached the place where I was playing 15 minutes in total pitch black on my didge and it sounded AMAZING!! :D was blowing your mind to hear to these vibes! ;) I would have gotten lost a hundred times in this cave and was happy to have a guide.. that's really a cool experience! was in some caves but this one was really good! :D there are biiiiig spiders.. one species is called scorpion-spider and has clamps like a scorpion and the other one is a water spider that eats small fish. Then there were thousands of bats in this cave feeding on the small insects that live in this special eco system. We've seen some fossils.. like a small turtle shell sticking out of a stone. no pictures of that, but hell yes! what an experience!! :)

then I drove through the mountains to a place called Heredia, a bit further to a bar where there was a psy trance party at night. Well.. I don't know how long it lasted.. probably 3 or 4 oclock in the morning. the sound was just aweful!! but the party was good! :) met cool people and had fun! :) in the morning when I walked back home with somebody (I didn't dare to take my bike at this point), I completely blew it by not finding my place again.. we were really close, but I didn't know.. so she left me at a certain point being upset (what I can understand ;) and I walked all the way back, got my bike and found my place in no time (but too late for not going to bed alone :P ;P well.. that's life I guess.
slept from 6am to 12am, got up with a headache and made my way down to the next place where I could change oil. Oilchange and a greasy (yucci) breakfast and with asking many times for the way I managed to get to San Ignacio.. a dot on my map, where I thought might be nice to stay for a night. Well.. not too much going on there, but barely found a small room to stay (overpriced) and eat some dinner before going to bed at 6pm (very short day). Wasn't really in the mood to talk a lot to people and a guy was asking me one million questions.. was happy to sleep later on ;) here at this point I have to mention how friendly Costa Ricans are!! they really give a lot about to be friendly (as Buddhists ;) hehe :) this morning I was talking to a police man while waiting for the people from the Red Cross to show up (they stored my bike for free at their place :)
then came that ride through the mountains where I boiled almost my bike (and my nerves ;) ..was really nice through the mountains, but couldn't enjoy it too much.. had to have my eyes on the road and on the warning lamp for overheating :P hmm.. not too much more from here on. No ideas for Panama, but maybe get to the capital and do the service and then drive back up again if I want to see something more from this country.

hey.. I didn't mention that I learned how to free dive at Cocos Island. That was awesome!!! :D I was really afraid to go down deep without air, because you don't make it up in time again.. but the guys convinced me to try it (I don't like not to try things ;) hehe :) so I relaxed my body, took a few deep, enforced breaths and tried to get to the bottom.. took me three times to touch the ground and pick up a stone. The trick is also not to kick to much, but slow, pushing fin strikes that bring you down, equalizing your ears all the time! I think, it was about 15 meter! :D haha! was really a thrilling experience!!

OK.. here it started to rain slightly and I want to get another 50km further.. so I start before it gets too late ;) cu soon!