Most Inspirational Moment
Lots of things - Arriving at San Juan, diving straight into the Pacific and watching the sun come down.Sipping beautiful Pina Coladas in the hot springs at la Fortuna. Conquering some of the "rolling" hills in hot, hot Central American sunshine.Cruising around on speedboats with "Captain Jack" in Bocos, seeing dolphins jump out of the water and snorkelling in the clear Caribbean. Drinking lots of rum and dancing to bachata/meringue/reggeaton in Bocos until the early hours of the morning. Flying downhill in Panama at 40mph in the pouring rain, wearing sunglasses and with suncream in my eyes. Paul doing a booze-run so we would have lots of rum and beer when it was Easter. The fruit - immeasurably better than anything you ever get in England, and probably the tastiest I've ever had. And lots, lots, lots more.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Rob was great - very laid back, very accommodating but always managed to get us to where we needed to be without it ever feeling regimented. Paying bills for 17 people could be a nightmare (as we discovered in San Juan) but he had a great system in place so it was completely hassle-free. A very fit rider, but also always up for drinks and dancing in the evenings. Paul (cyclist/mechanic/singer/dancer) and Ronny (driver) were great too. Paul fixed a broken chain in about 2 minutes and kept all the bikes ship shape. They were always up for few rums and a dance too. Could do with learning a bit of English though....
Advice for Potential Travellers
The trip notes say moderate to challenging and they mean it. There are a lot of what Rob described as "rolling" terrain (just plain hills to me) as well as a few steeper climbs. It was very hot too but, if you are reasonably fit, I reckon you'll be fine. If you go out for a group meal on any evenings ask for separate bills at the start.If you go snorkelling in Bocos take note of Rob's advice about how easy it is to get sunburnt. I didn't.....Be prepared to eat more food than you have eaten in your life. Normally a big breakfast, a big lunch and a big dinner. With fruit stops inbetween. With the hills and the heat you need it though.