When I realized I would have a bit of extra time in Central America in-between the two truck trips, I immediately thought of returning to Costa Rica. I had spent a week here back in 2006 but felt there was so much more to experience - especially the wildlife. With that in mind I booked an organized two week trip where the tour leader was a trained biologist. Our first port of call was the Tortuga National Park. Despite the name, the park actually consisted of two major rivers and the surrounding waterways leading into the Caribbean Sea.
Now, I had arrived at the start of rainy season. In fact the rains were almost a month late and the transport boat we were arriving on had to be pushed up the river by the captain as the water was so low. But just as we arrived at our destination, the heavens opened, and rainy season well and truly began. The locals were over the moon whereas we were all hoping it would blow open. The next morning the rain had stopped thankfully, enabling us to take a guide in small row boats upstream into the waterways. We saw so many birds, iguanas and lizards and because none of the boats on the river had engines, there was no noise to scare the animals away. I couldn't believe how close we got to some of the birds.
From the coastal region, we travelled to the more mountainous central region and it was here we came across our first of many sloths. We were very fortunate that this sloth was hanging about in a tree at the side of the road at eye-level. In fact no other sloth would be as easier to see as this one. There are two types of sloth – the two-toed and the three-toed varieties. This is a two-toed sloth. The next day we met up with a renowned frog specialist and he was able to show us these amazing tiny creatures. The red-eyed tree frog is, along with the sloth, a national symbol of Costa Rica. These tiny glass frogs are only the size of your fingernail!
In the mountains, we stayed at a tiny farming community called Janilama. We had a great time here being shown around before partying. I was staying in the house of Elena, a lovely lady who showed us how to make soap. I now have my own soap made by my own fair {and clean} hands!
Costa Rica has over one hundred volcanoes and climbing at least one is a must. I spent a grueling morning climbing up the side of Arenal Volcano in order to get to the lava field. Apparently on the other side, there is an easy flattish concrete path for the tourists to walk up but where would be the fun in that! We went straight up the vertical side which was covered in forest and the ground was wet mud and tree roots!
The volcano had a deadly eruption in 1968 when three whole villages were destroyed and 87 people died. We later met a boat captain who had survived because his family ran towards the volcano as opposed to away from it. It was the toxic cloud that killed everyone and the fumes were traveling away from the volcano at great speed. After an eruption, the earth is very fertile and that afternoon we walked around the grounds of the monitoring station, now a classy hotel. It was beautiful and we actually saw a sliver of sun as it set over the caldera. To round off a strenuous day, we were taken to a local river, where because of the volcano, the waters are naturally warm. We clambered down the road side and banking in our bikinis to sit in the wonderfully warm river with the locals. I even had a volcanic mud mask whilst drinking moonshine. It was a fabulous end to the day, made even better by knowing that other members of our tour group were paying close to $100 to do the same in a spa!
One of the highlights of Costa Rica is the cloud forest. Because of where it sits in the mountains exactly where the Carribbean and Pacific weather meet, it is nearly always in cloud and torrential rain. The morning we visited it was bright sunshine and as we had not experienced bright sunshine before, we thought our luck was in. However, just 5 minutes drive up the road and we entered the microclimate. The rain was unbelievable.Our guide was great with a super duper telescope but it does take the fun out of it slightly when the rain is so heavy you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Managed to get a photo of a quetzal tail hanging out of its nest. I suspect that is the closest I'm going to get to seeing this almost mythical bird. I did manage to see some hummingbirds though.
Whilst wondering around town, I came across this impressive tree. These trees are amazing because not only are the trunks hollow but they grow in this lattice design which means you can climb up the inside of them!
Our final destination was Manuel Antonio Park. I was really excited to be here because when I was last here it was a Monday and the park was closed. As we arrived it was clear this was going to be the place to see monkeys. There were white-faced capuchins everywhere, in the car parks, on the roof of our cabin, on the telegraph poles. The park is on the Pacific coast so there are stunning beaches as well ( stunning when the rain stops and the sun comes out). As well as the troupes of capuchins, I also saw agouti, raccoons, lizards, iguanas and howler monkeys. Watching the capuchins preen each other was a highlight. I had just about managed to walk around every trail when the rain started and I got more wet than I have ever been. By the time I made it back, I looked as if I had just stepped out of a swimming pool fully clothed. It took two days for my bag to dry out but it did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm!
Before flying out, I had the chance to do a whistle stop explore of the capital, San Jose. I was impressed with the art exhibition they had around town. It was a sculpture trail.
I will leave you with a few more photos I took both of wildlife (including sloths with baby) and of the flora. I am not a gardener but the plants and flowers here are fantastic.
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