The long slog home

As always on this trip I was awake early and sat up to enjoy the view. The sky above the ocean was in pastel shades of pink, cream and turquoise, and the egrets were just beginning to stir from their roost in the dead tree at the river's mouth.

We had time for a leisurely breakfast before leaving (that view again!) and for a coffee on our terrace.

But our driver Roland arrived earlier than expected so we had to hurry to pack the final few items!

Perhaps it was just as well he was early however, as we had a long drive ahead of us, and not always on very good roads. A bumpy gravel road led down from Lagarta Lodge to the 'main' road along the coast. This was in theory paved, but in places there were more potholes than tarmac! As we turned inland through the dry coastal mountains of the Nicoya Peninsula, and across the flood plain, the road improved and Roland picked up speed whenever he could, despite the many slower vehicles which he overtook enthusiastically!

When we reached the main north-south artery of the Pan-American Highway we stopped at the same café as on our outward journey a few days earlier. The macaws were still in the trees, the coffee was still good.

But if we thought that being on this main road would make the driving easier and/or faster, we were wrong, as there were extensive roadworks to slow us down periodically. But the scenery was lovely and there was lots to see along the way. I took some photos out of the minibus window throughout the journey, with some limited success. At one point, near Puntarenas, we were back by the sea, but soon turned inland again on the final stretch to the airport.

We arrived at the airport around 3.30, after a drive of about five hours, and still too early to check in. There was nothing to do in the check-in hall so we just stood in the queue until the desks opened. That at least ensured that we were seen promptly and once through security could relax with a beer and a bite to eat. Oh, and with a bit of shopping - Costa Rican chocolates for family and friends!

We boarded just a little late, pushed back and then sat for a while due to what the pilot described as a 'slight technical issue'. We could only assume, when we set off some minutes later, that it had been resolved!

A meal was served soon after take-off, quite possibly the dullest I've had on what are normally OK British Airways flights. I don't know if they are using Covid as an excuse for not dressing a salad, or for calling a Twix bar a dessert, but it seems an odd rationale if so. And if it's a cost-cutting measure then it could well backfire if disappointed customers choose other airlines in the future.

After that I managed to dose for a few hours, but from around 8.30 AM UK time tried to stay awake to reset my body clock a bit. A snack of a sandwich and yoghurt was served a little later, the sandwich as dull as the pasta had been. Was the single slice of tomato in my 'cheese and tomato' roll another instance of economising?!

Approaching Gatwick we were on schedule but had to hold for a bit as the strong winds caused by Storm Eunice meant that they were spacing out landings. When it was our turn the pilot did an excellent job of bringing us down gently, and it was only when we were on the stand, and the plane was swaying from side to side, that we really appreciated the strength of the winds!

As though a five hour drive, three hour airport wait and eleven hour flight weren’t enough, we then faced the challenge of getting home. Our usual option from Gatwick is a train to central London and then the Tube. It takes about 90 minutes maximum. But after we’d taken the shuttle from the North Terminal, where we’d landed, to the South, where the train station is located, we discovered that there were no trains currently running to London because of the storm, which had brought down trees on the line. At first the staff said there might be a train soon, so we waited a while, but it soon became apparent they didn’t know what they were talking about. We considered checking into an airport hotel but they seemed to be taking advantage of the situation as prices were double what we’d paid for our overnight stay before our Seville trip last year. So if we didn’t want to sleep in the airport itself (and we didn’t!), it had to be a cab. That meant trailing back to the North Terminal, registering for a ride with the official taxi service and then waiting around 90 minutes (having already wasted an hour hoping for a train, thinking through the alternatives and going backwards and forwards between terminals).

Finally we got our ride, and with a very friendly and fast (but safe) driver. He told us about how busy he’d been all day, with the storm causing chaos for many travellers. About an hour later we were home at last, and relieved to find that there at least Eunice had not wreaked any havoc!