Puerto Viejo

It’s Tuesday the 15th of July and I’m still waiting for the mistakes on the bill of lading to be corrected.  After a pleasant weekend at this sleepy beach town I got up Monday, packed my bags and got ready to catch a bus back to Limon to get the car.  I called Verny, my customs broker, to verify all was on track and was not surprised to learn it was not.

Verny had talked with someone at Hapag Lloyd (not my representative, Miguel) and had been told that the old, incorrect bill of lading had to be delivered to San Jose before they could issue a new one.  The conversation on Friday had never included this piece of information otherwise I would have sent the old b/l to San Jose.  I called Miguel and he advised me to send him an email explaining the situation and authorizing them to issue a new b/l. I was also to destroy the old one. And that he would send the new one to Limon.

According to Miguel the schedule would be to issue the new b/l Monday and put it on the courier’s route on Tuesday leaving San Jose at 10 am. It would arrive in Limon around 4 pm Tuesday too late to get anything done with customs.  So I planned on arriving in Limon early Wednesday to collect the car by 12 noon.

Later Monday I had an urgent email from Verny to call.  He had again been talking with someone other than Miguel and was told I still owe Hapag Lloyd a couple hundred dollars.  I called Miguel and he informed me that indeed I did still owe them the Limon port costs.  Curiously if there had been no mistake on the b/l I would have left Limon Friday without ever paying those additional charges.

Writing this it appears simple. The actual process took two phone cards (I had to walk into town to buy more cards) and innumerable phone calls between Verny, Miguel and me. For some reason Verny never seemed to connect with Miguel and always received different information from the person he liked to talk with at Hapag Lloyd.

Today (Tuesday) I’m waiting for an accounting from Miguel and Verny of the exact costs involved in getting my car and I’ll hopefully receive confirmation that the b/l arrived in Limon.  Either way I’ll head back to Limon early tomorrow morning.  Four days at the beach are likely enough at this point.

I really like Puerto Viejo.  This is my first time on the east coast of Costa Rica.  At least this area does not appear as developed as the west coast.  There are no high rise condo buildings.  The commercial strip is mostly typical tropical construction of shellacked wood and thatched roofs.  There are a few more substantial buildings but nothing over two stories.

I’m staying at the Lizard King Hotel.  It’s $28 a night for a single and is very comfortable.  I don’t have air conditioning, but I really don’t need it. I do have a couple fans, private bath spacious room and wifi.

The restaurants in Puerto Viejo are fantastic.  Last night I ate a El Loco Natural which according to their menu was named one of the top five eats in Costa Rica in the Lonely Planet 2007.  I would agree.  The night before I ate at Chile Rojo a mix of Thai, Middle Eastern and local cuisine. My first night I had sushi at the hotel/restaurant next door.  All the meals have been fantastic.  The over riding theme for the food here is fusion.

I’ve gone to the beach twice in the last three days and weather permitting I expect to go again today.  The main part of town is right alongside the water, but it is rocky and the shoreline literally goes right to the trees.  The open wide beach is about a kilometer and a half east of the main part of town. I have walked each time, once by the jungle path and once by the road.  My first day at the beach was cut short by a rain storm that lasted most of the afternoon.  I walked back in the heavy rain in my swimsuit and arrived as soaked as if I’d jumped in the pool.  Yesterday was a beautiful day at the beach and I finally left the beach as the sun set behind the trees

This is actually a surfing community.  I was surprised that there is decent surfing in the Caribbean.  It is a very good place to learn as the waves are not huge and the grade out to the surf is long.