Sunday 15th June 2025 Judas to Ingaray
Bingo did his signature pasta, there were no gas bottles, while Bingo was cooking I was tasked with walking the Green Mile down to the shop in the rain, coming down like stair rods again, but as it was for a good cause I suffered for it. Beers involved, never just come back with beers though, loads of chocolate again, thirsty work watching the rugby on catch up.

Lovely breakfast with my little Snickers bar infused with the cereal, porridge is off the agenda at the moment, obviously the Quakers have not sent enough missionaries to convert the locals to eat porridge. Hit the road bang on 5:30, Bingo & Gringo are just like the Japanese rail network, always on time, not a minute early or late, trouble is the Japanese trains know where they are going!

We just head north and hope for the best, have a little inkling where we would like to end up, but nothing set in stone, just see how the day goes, lovely morning sun trying to break through looks stunning as we ease into the ride, mainly flat today, just a few bumps, as we wind the legs up, both feeling fit as a fiddle at the moment, pushing the limits of our bodies, then just a little bit more.

Good early morning session smashed out over 30 miles, then had a little stop at Hacienda Mojica, just a coffee and a soft drink, nice bit of banter with the guys back home who are out on their bikes, as they are seven hours ahead of us enjoying a nice pint, we will get one sooner or later I am sure, enjoying the coffee at the moment. Still no real agenda, just ride, this will be our last full day in Costa Rica so we’re going to enjoy the food while we are here. Make really good progress, just go straight through a little town Bagaces, on a great road, with a massive hard shoulder so making the most of it, ripping up the miles, well we think we are, then a group of road cyclist charge past us with ease, think about giving chase, then my brain kicks in relax mate, so glad it works sometimes. We can see them in the distance slowing down, just a burst of speed to get past us, but fair play they all gave us a smile and a wave.

We pull over just as we enter Liberia, just before midday over 55 miles done already, this Snowdown train is rocking today, nice little bar / restaurant few beers then light lunch, check the maps, see what’s going on, decided on a place about 18 miles up the road El Cocobolo Food & Rest B&B, all fed and watered as we head off. As normal always starts to rain this time of year in the afternoon, nothing hard just sexy rain, with that and the road going down to a single carriageway and no hard shoulder, makes it a bit dodgy, good that the traffic is still pretty light, as we push on.

Soon do the miles with ease as the rain gets increasingly heavier, pull into the B&B, you can hear the Karaoke, down the road, the locals enjoying their Sunday afternoon, we get booked in enjoy a few beers before we have a shower, check out that the restaurant is open till 9, hopefully I will be in bed by then. Bit of luck the guy singing eventually packs up, never been a fan off Julio Iglesias or his son, for that matter, but the guy did do a version of “Begin the Beguine” the old Cole Porter classic, done so much better by “Old Blue Eyes” , another song for tomorrow.

Nice chilled afternoon, washed the kit, next to no chance of drying as its still raining but at least it’s a bit clean.

Then sort out some routes for the next few days, border crossing tomorrow into Nicaragua around lunchtime tomorrow.