We crossed the border from Panama into Costa Rica at Sixoala and took a stunning bus ride to the Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo. The scenery in Costa Rica is startling - the jungle is dense and pushes right up against the roads and houses as if it could reclaim the infrastructure whenever it chose. Green leaved tentacles slap the bus as you pass along roads winding past small settlements and miles and miles of pristine green studded with brightly coloured flowers, seeds and berries. It really feels like there is just water and life everywhere - as if you could simply drop one apple core and a tree would spring to life before your eyes. We found a little place called Coconut Grove that offered an 'apartment' with its own bathroom, kitchen and 'dining room' at a good low-season price and we checked in for a week... Seven days lay ahead without packing a bag or boarding a bus, bliss.