After a late night, I slept right through the morning. Stopped off at the grocery store for some breakfast food and ate it on the hostel couch. The Gold Cup had just ended, but the South American tourney, Copa America, had just started in Argentina. I watched two matches before realizing I had pretty much just wasted away an entire day. But hey, I was enjoying myself, even though yes, you can watch TV any time in the States. But you can't watch soccer, which is always better with Spanish-speaking announcers.
Tried heading out with Sophie and Yvonne to the beach, but the bike rental place only had two left, so I let them head out. Instead, I caught up on all the blog posts I missed while in Corcovado and had my laundry done.
We had been invited to a barbecue that one of the hostel workers was hosting at his house. We all took at taxi boat over to his waterfront house, where I pretty much stood at the edge of the ocean and watched the sun go down. At the party we had a few cervezas, talked about how awesome it was that these guys get to live in a place as beautiful as this, and nearly starved to death. Panama time is a little behind schedule sometimes. But the meat and potatoes were fantastic, the wait- worth it. Definitely a cool thing to be invited to a local's own house.
Eventually the night drew to a close and we took a taxi boat back to the main island. Tomorrow we'll head back across the border to Puerto Viejo. Only a few more days left to go down here, seems like it's gone by so fast. I can't believe that a few days into the trip I was considering cutting it short; now I wish I could double my time here. There's definitely a lot to learn from traveling abroad, especially on your own. I'm thankful for being here, and for the experiences I've had. But there's still a couple more days ahead. Time to make the most of it.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Le Tour de Bocas
At 10:30 I set out with the Aussies on a $15 boat tour that would take us to four different attractions around Bocas Del Toro. We piled into a boat and went to Dolphin Bay, where sure enough, there were dolphins around. Our driver took the boat around in circles and they would jump up and play in the wake, it was pretty cool. Next, we went to a snorkeling spot at a shallow reef. I'd never been snorkeling or gone on a dive before, and after choking on saltwater a couple times, I rigged up my mask just right and swam around, looking at all the fish and different coral features.
I went looking for where the fish liked to hang out, but they were all pretty spread out. There was one spot, though, that had a few bigger parrot and angel fish:
Aside from the couple of near drownings, I liked snorkeling, and was glad to have a waterproof camera to capture everything below the surface. The next time I come to Central America, a dive cert will definitely be in hand.
After lunch on the landing of a restaurant, we got back in the boat and jetted over to Red Frog Beach, a great place for a swim and a nap. We had some fun body surfing before heading back to the boat. By now the sky to the east had gotten dark and the clockwork afternoon rain was getting close. There was one more spot for snorkeling to get to, but the water had gotten choppy and we didn't want to get stuck in the storm, so we headed in.
That night I was dying to have a burger for some reason, so I pigged out at a restaurant, ordering a fat BBQ burger, un cerveza, and a chocolate brownie à la mode. Yes, I did just shove three different languages into that sentence.
That night we went to the Aqua Lounge, a cool party bar with big holes in the deck where all the drunk kiddos like to jump in. There was a four foot gap between the deck and the surface of the water, so it was hilarious watching them try to wiggle themselves up and out of it. They had a couple swing sets too where you could fly out into the bay. We had a couple drinks and danced a little before heading back on a packed taxi boat. A great day in Panama.
I went looking for where the fish liked to hang out, but they were all pretty spread out. There was one spot, though, that had a few bigger parrot and angel fish:
Aside from the couple of near drownings, I liked snorkeling, and was glad to have a waterproof camera to capture everything below the surface. The next time I come to Central America, a dive cert will definitely be in hand.
After lunch on the landing of a restaurant, we got back in the boat and jetted over to Red Frog Beach, a great place for a swim and a nap. We had some fun body surfing before heading back to the boat. By now the sky to the east had gotten dark and the clockwork afternoon rain was getting close. There was one more spot for snorkeling to get to, but the water had gotten choppy and we didn't want to get stuck in the storm, so we headed in.
That night I was dying to have a burger for some reason, so I pigged out at a restaurant, ordering a fat BBQ burger, un cerveza, and a chocolate brownie à la mode. Yes, I did just shove three different languages into that sentence.
That night we went to the Aqua Lounge, a cool party bar with big holes in the deck where all the drunk kiddos like to jump in. There was a four foot gap between the deck and the surface of the water, so it was hilarious watching them try to wiggle themselves up and out of it. They had a couple swing sets too where you could fly out into the bay. We had a couple drinks and danced a little before heading back on a packed taxi boat. A great day in Panama.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Panama
The bus company still had my bag when I arrived in a taxi. I was relieved to have it back, but relief turned to anger when I did a quick run through of the contents. My nice sunglasses had been in their carrying bag, but now only the bag remained. Also missing was a fancy Camelback water bottle. The guy made a couple calls to see if anyone had seen it, so I demanded a free bottle of water and returned to the taxi. I soon went back to relief; it was pretty fortunate that only sunglasses were missing, and I had all my clothes and camping gear back.
The cab dropped me off at a line of people waiting for the bus to Panama. I didn't originally plan to go there, but throughout my trip I'd heard that Bocas Del Toro was amazing. I had the time, so I figured I might as well get the extra stamp in my passport.
I mostly slept on the way down, charter buses have a knack for knocking me out. When it stopped midway somewhere for lunch, I got a little worried that I'd miss another bus, so I ate my lunch as quickly as possible and waited next to the bus for the doors to open again. A few other buses pulled in, and what do you know, the three Norwegian girls from Santa Teresa hopped off. We talked for a little bit, but as soon as my bus was loading I got my ass on it.
At the border you went to a few different offices on each side to get your passport taken care of. In between was a super sketchy old bridge. Railroad tracks went down the center with nothing but the railroad ties below them, at times definitely spaced out enough for a small child to fall through. And yet they still drive buses and 18-wheelers across it.
Once across the border, I piled into a van with other tourists to go to Almirante, the town where you catch a taxi boat to Bocas. I sat next to a crazy old guy who talked my ear off in his drunken stupor. He would stop talking now and then to take a swig from his brown-bagged cane liquor. "I don't want you to think I'm an alcoholic," he said, "this is purely medicinal. When you're my age you can do these things." A fine nugget of wisdom.
The taxi boat took us on a ride through the islands of Bocas Del Toro before arriving on the main island, Colon. All the buildings along the coast are built out over the water, brightly colored and surrounded by boats. This was a place where a car was useless compared to a dinghy.
I checked into Gran Kahuna hostel where I met the people from my room, Sam from Utah and Yvonne, Sophie and Harry from Australia. Sam and I went to a thai place that had mediocre food for fancy prices, but the beer was good and we sat overlooking the ocean. I went to bed a little early to get ready for our trip the next day.
The cab dropped me off at a line of people waiting for the bus to Panama. I didn't originally plan to go there, but throughout my trip I'd heard that Bocas Del Toro was amazing. I had the time, so I figured I might as well get the extra stamp in my passport.
I mostly slept on the way down, charter buses have a knack for knocking me out. When it stopped midway somewhere for lunch, I got a little worried that I'd miss another bus, so I ate my lunch as quickly as possible and waited next to the bus for the doors to open again. A few other buses pulled in, and what do you know, the three Norwegian girls from Santa Teresa hopped off. We talked for a little bit, but as soon as my bus was loading I got my ass on it.
At the border you went to a few different offices on each side to get your passport taken care of. In between was a super sketchy old bridge. Railroad tracks went down the center with nothing but the railroad ties below them, at times definitely spaced out enough for a small child to fall through. And yet they still drive buses and 18-wheelers across it.
Once across the border, I piled into a van with other tourists to go to Almirante, the town where you catch a taxi boat to Bocas. I sat next to a crazy old guy who talked my ear off in his drunken stupor. He would stop talking now and then to take a swig from his brown-bagged cane liquor. "I don't want you to think I'm an alcoholic," he said, "this is purely medicinal. When you're my age you can do these things." A fine nugget of wisdom.
The taxi boat took us on a ride through the islands of Bocas Del Toro before arriving on the main island, Colon. All the buildings along the coast are built out over the water, brightly colored and surrounded by boats. This was a place where a car was useless compared to a dinghy.
I checked into Gran Kahuna hostel where I met the people from my room, Sam from Utah and Yvonne, Sophie and Harry from Australia. Sam and I went to a thai place that had mediocre food for fancy prices, but the beer was good and we sat overlooking the ocean. I went to bed a little early to get ready for our trip the next day.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Bus Trouble
I woke up and got breakfast at the soda next door. Gosh I really love a good banana milkshake. I hit the ATM and picked up my laptop from the info office where I had dropped it off prior to Corcovado. I made it to the bus stop, and got a little worried when it didn't show. A block away I saw a bus passing by, and waved it down. Luckily the ticket guy saw me and heard me shout "San Jose" at him. I read and slept for a bit before it stopped at some po-dunk town called El Brujo for people to get lunch. 20 minutes, the driver had said.
I watched my bus over my shoulder as I ate to make sure I wouldn't miss it. Only while I wasn't looking, an identical bus pulled in front of it, which I was now watching. I didn't notice when my bus pulled away, and I thought it odd when this impostor bus didn't have any one on it, not even the driver, when the 20 minutes was up.
Eventually people started piling on and I followed suit. When I looked towards the back of the bus where my bag was supposed to be stowed overhead, I flipped. First I had thought someone had taken it, but I realized that all the seats were not the same color as they had been before. Wrong bus. And mine was gone, my bag still on it.
I got the gas station attendant to call the operator for me to get the number of the bus company, and I used a pay phone to call them. "Se habla Inglés?" I asked them, but to no avail. So in Spanish, I told them I had missed my bus, gave them a description of my bag and told them to hold it there till I could get there. They closed at 5:30, so I wouldn't be able to get it until the next day.
Next I had to find another bus to San Jose. The first three were all going to different places, and I just wanted to get there as soon as possible. So I did what any stranded gringo in a foreign country would do. I hitchhiked.
Or at least, tried to. My little sign that read "San Jose" got me one taker, but he was only going to a town about an hour out. No go.
After an hour of standing around in the sun, I finally caught the next bus and paid another $8 to get to San Jose. I hoped my bag would still be there when I got there. It wasn't a complete disaster, I still had my day bag with my laptop, mp3 and passport with me. It could've been a lot worse.
We pulled into the valley at about 7pm during a thunderstorm. The thunder didn't simply roll through for a long time like I was used to in the States. Here, it dropped on you like bombs, even if the lightning had flashed nearly a minute before. The little kids sitting behind me squealed with delight every time.
Eventually I reached the hostel and went to sleep, fuzzy contacts still in, same clothes still on, bag hugged tight like a teddy bear. I wasn't about to let this one go too.
I watched my bus over my shoulder as I ate to make sure I wouldn't miss it. Only while I wasn't looking, an identical bus pulled in front of it, which I was now watching. I didn't notice when my bus pulled away, and I thought it odd when this impostor bus didn't have any one on it, not even the driver, when the 20 minutes was up.
Eventually people started piling on and I followed suit. When I looked towards the back of the bus where my bag was supposed to be stowed overhead, I flipped. First I had thought someone had taken it, but I realized that all the seats were not the same color as they had been before. Wrong bus. And mine was gone, my bag still on it.
I got the gas station attendant to call the operator for me to get the number of the bus company, and I used a pay phone to call them. "Se habla Inglés?" I asked them, but to no avail. So in Spanish, I told them I had missed my bus, gave them a description of my bag and told them to hold it there till I could get there. They closed at 5:30, so I wouldn't be able to get it until the next day.
Next I had to find another bus to San Jose. The first three were all going to different places, and I just wanted to get there as soon as possible. So I did what any stranded gringo in a foreign country would do. I hitchhiked.
Or at least, tried to. My little sign that read "San Jose" got me one taker, but he was only going to a town about an hour out. No go.
After an hour of standing around in the sun, I finally caught the next bus and paid another $8 to get to San Jose. I hoped my bag would still be there when I got there. It wasn't a complete disaster, I still had my day bag with my laptop, mp3 and passport with me. It could've been a lot worse.
We pulled into the valley at about 7pm during a thunderstorm. The thunder didn't simply roll through for a long time like I was used to in the States. Here, it dropped on you like bombs, even if the lightning had flashed nearly a minute before. The little kids sitting behind me squealed with delight every time.
Eventually I reached the hostel and went to sleep, fuzzy contacts still in, same clothes still on, bag hugged tight like a teddy bear. I wasn't about to let this one go too.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Corcovado Day 5: Civilization
It was funny how I thought yesterday would've been a great morning to hike out with the sun shining. Today I woke up to rain. Pouring rain. But as luck would have it, it cleared out just as I had finished packing and I started hiking the 20km back to civilization.
Nito was leading David's group back, and I had planned to catch up to them at some point after leaving 30 mins behind. It didn't take long, I reached them at the Rio Claro as the French photographer they had in tow had been busy taking photos of ants.
Soon after the river crossing, we heard monkeys going absolutely bananas in the trees. Sorry for that pun. Nito said there was likely a puma around, and we could tell he was itching to go after it. We were just as eager to see a big cat as he was, so we ditched our packs on the trail and headed into the woods. But pumas are very good at hiding, and our search came up empty. We pressed on.
Nito had been hearing poison arrow frogs making their cricket-like chirping sounds, and finally found one right along the trail. The little guy was small, but apparently can pack a big death punch, if ingested.
I had gotten into that "look down at the trail and keep walking" mode, but luckily Nito snapped me out of it and pointed out another animal on my list, an anteater.
He was a bit smaller and furrier than I had imagined, and was posing nicely for pictures up in a tree. A huge group of coati was also moving through, nearly ten of them in all.
High above in the trees we could see a group of scarlet macaws crying out to one another.
Not a bad spot for wildlife viewing.
Eventually the trail dumped us onto the beach and up to the section you needed to cross at low tide to avoid getting pinned at the cliffs by the pounding ocean. It was about an hour to high tide, which made getting across a little more exciting compared to the hike in. We timed our runs through the water to avoid getting splattered by waves. Some of us were better at playing chicken than others. At the Rio Madrigal we stopped for an extended rest and a bite to eat. It was a really nice spot where I was able to sit with my feet massaged in the rapids while looking over the Pacific.
Eventually we made it to La Leona, and then hiked the last stretch of beach to Carate and the colectivo stop. What had taken me 4.5 hours to do the first time had taken us 8 hours today. I wasn't complaining, I wouldn't have anything else to do other than sit and wait for my ride. Beth bought us all Cokes, definitely a great refresher after the long hike. It could only have been better had it been Dr. Pepper.
I said goodbye to the group and took the colectivo back to Puerto Jimenez. There I checked into a nice little hostel run by a little woman who should be everyone's favorite Costa Rican grandma.
And then there was the shower.
It was glorious; hot water, soap, everything I had been missing for the past four days. My hair finally lost the nitty-gritty-ness and came out like a Westminster show dog. Best shower ever.
I had dinner at a soda, where the lady working was watching me scarf everything down and was generous enough to keep bringing out little side dishes. Back in my room I met a few European girls who were about to head into Corcovado, so I shared my wisdom before drifting off to sleep. In a real bed, no less.
Nito was leading David's group back, and I had planned to catch up to them at some point after leaving 30 mins behind. It didn't take long, I reached them at the Rio Claro as the French photographer they had in tow had been busy taking photos of ants.
Soon after the river crossing, we heard monkeys going absolutely bananas in the trees. Sorry for that pun. Nito said there was likely a puma around, and we could tell he was itching to go after it. We were just as eager to see a big cat as he was, so we ditched our packs on the trail and headed into the woods. But pumas are very good at hiding, and our search came up empty. We pressed on.
Nito had been hearing poison arrow frogs making their cricket-like chirping sounds, and finally found one right along the trail. The little guy was small, but apparently can pack a big death punch, if ingested.
I had gotten into that "look down at the trail and keep walking" mode, but luckily Nito snapped me out of it and pointed out another animal on my list, an anteater.
He was a bit smaller and furrier than I had imagined, and was posing nicely for pictures up in a tree. A huge group of coati was also moving through, nearly ten of them in all.
High above in the trees we could see a group of scarlet macaws crying out to one another.
Not a bad spot for wildlife viewing.
Eventually the trail dumped us onto the beach and up to the section you needed to cross at low tide to avoid getting pinned at the cliffs by the pounding ocean. It was about an hour to high tide, which made getting across a little more exciting compared to the hike in. We timed our runs through the water to avoid getting splattered by waves. Some of us were better at playing chicken than others. At the Rio Madrigal we stopped for an extended rest and a bite to eat. It was a really nice spot where I was able to sit with my feet massaged in the rapids while looking over the Pacific.
Eventually we made it to La Leona, and then hiked the last stretch of beach to Carate and the colectivo stop. What had taken me 4.5 hours to do the first time had taken us 8 hours today. I wasn't complaining, I wouldn't have anything else to do other than sit and wait for my ride. Beth bought us all Cokes, definitely a great refresher after the long hike. It could only have been better had it been Dr. Pepper.
I said goodbye to the group and took the colectivo back to Puerto Jimenez. There I checked into a nice little hostel run by a little woman who should be everyone's favorite Costa Rican grandma.
And then there was the shower.
It was glorious; hot water, soap, everything I had been missing for the past four days. My hair finally lost the nitty-gritty-ness and came out like a Westminster show dog. Best shower ever.
I had dinner at a soda, where the lady working was watching me scarf everything down and was generous enough to keep bringing out little side dishes. Back in my room I met a few European girls who were about to head into Corcovado, so I shared my wisdom before drifting off to sleep. In a real bed, no less.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Corcovado Day 4: Can´t Leave Just Yet
This was the morning I was supposed to be heading out, but I had decided to stay one more day. Part of it was that someone had hiked in with the same camera as me, meaning I could charge up and finally take pictures again. Alejandro and I headed out towards the last section of trail I hadn't hiked yet, the Ollas-Corcovado loop. It was a glorious morning. As we hiked the sunlight poured through the trees in shafts of light.
I spotted a snake as we moved past a tree and it was joined by another. A salmon-bellied snake, I guess. We hiked onwards and uphill, climbing a hidden ridge in the jungle. At the top we stopped beneath a group of monkeys, both capuchin and howlers. As we hiked on Alejandro and I talked about how complex everything in nature was, and we agreed that it could only have been something created, not by chance.
The trail curved back towards the Rio Claro, and we reached the same beautiful spot from the day before and waded in the water. Shortly after we spotted a toucan passing through, pausing briefly on a branch before taking off again. I was pretty glad to see it, something else on my list to cross off. There was also a big crested guan, sort of like a turkey, up in a tree above.
Eventually we finished the 6.5km loop and were back at camp. David had just returned with his group, guided by Nito, who had found a fer-de-lance. Another creature on my list. We headed back into the forest after lunch to see it. They had marked out the spot in front of a tree where it was resting with arrows made from leaves and sticks, even going so far as to write "snake" in the path. And sure enough, there it was at the base of a tree.
The most poisonous snake around, the fer-de-lance. He was a big guy for his species, nearly five feet long. He stayed coiled up and at rest as we got close to snap our pictures. We poked it with a long stick, but it seemed content to keep napping.
Back at camp, I made the decision to go out towards the Rio Claro one last time to try and get a picture of the tapir. Sure enough, 15 minutes in I spotted one off the trail. It was different from the two I had seen the day before, another male out to eat falling fruits from a tree.
The tapir was nearly an extinct species, but here in Corcovado, they seem to be thriving. The lighting wasn't great, but I got my pictures and headed back. I took a trail towards the beach and walked that back towards Sirena. The sun was starting to go down, and I got one last look at the glorious ocean crashing onto the shores of Corcovado.
Rain started to fall once I'd reached the airstrip. Good timing.
I was glad to have stayed an extra day, especially without being harassed to pay, but didn't totally think the food situation through. I thought I had one last cup of ramen left, but I'd eaten it for lunch the day before. I had left a pack of the nasty Tang horchata, two granola bars, a clif bar, and some fruit snacks. Most of it I saved for the hike out the next day, and Alejandro pitched in with a can of tuna. The guys with the giant cameras were also eating some giant gourmet meals and were more than happy for me to finish off their guacamole.
I went to bed and rested well, falling asleep to the roar of the rain and the jungle one last time.
I spotted a snake as we moved past a tree and it was joined by another. A salmon-bellied snake, I guess. We hiked onwards and uphill, climbing a hidden ridge in the jungle. At the top we stopped beneath a group of monkeys, both capuchin and howlers. As we hiked on Alejandro and I talked about how complex everything in nature was, and we agreed that it could only have been something created, not by chance.
The trail curved back towards the Rio Claro, and we reached the same beautiful spot from the day before and waded in the water. Shortly after we spotted a toucan passing through, pausing briefly on a branch before taking off again. I was pretty glad to see it, something else on my list to cross off. There was also a big crested guan, sort of like a turkey, up in a tree above.
Eventually we finished the 6.5km loop and were back at camp. David had just returned with his group, guided by Nito, who had found a fer-de-lance. Another creature on my list. We headed back into the forest after lunch to see it. They had marked out the spot in front of a tree where it was resting with arrows made from leaves and sticks, even going so far as to write "snake" in the path. And sure enough, there it was at the base of a tree.
The most poisonous snake around, the fer-de-lance. He was a big guy for his species, nearly five feet long. He stayed coiled up and at rest as we got close to snap our pictures. We poked it with a long stick, but it seemed content to keep napping.
Back at camp, I made the decision to go out towards the Rio Claro one last time to try and get a picture of the tapir. Sure enough, 15 minutes in I spotted one off the trail. It was different from the two I had seen the day before, another male out to eat falling fruits from a tree.
The tapir was nearly an extinct species, but here in Corcovado, they seem to be thriving. The lighting wasn't great, but I got my pictures and headed back. I took a trail towards the beach and walked that back towards Sirena. The sun was starting to go down, and I got one last look at the glorious ocean crashing onto the shores of Corcovado.
Rain started to fall once I'd reached the airstrip. Good timing.
I was glad to have stayed an extra day, especially without being harassed to pay, but didn't totally think the food situation through. I thought I had one last cup of ramen left, but I'd eaten it for lunch the day before. I had left a pack of the nasty Tang horchata, two granola bars, a clif bar, and some fruit snacks. Most of it I saved for the hike out the next day, and Alejandro pitched in with a can of tuna. The guys with the giant cameras were also eating some giant gourmet meals and were more than happy for me to finish off their guacamole.
I went to bed and rested well, falling asleep to the roar of the rain and the jungle one last time.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Corcovado Day 3: The Trails of Sirena
I woke up easily again early in the morning, something I wish I could get used to. I set out after breakfast to hike the network of trails around Sirena.
I took a loop connected by the Ollas, Espaveles, Guanacaste and Sirena trails, about 4km in all. All were mostly muddy and had stream crossings now and then; all those funny rubber boots people were wearing made a lot more sense now, but I got by fine with my amphibious runners. Along the way the light poured through the trees like something out of a LOTR movie. I didn´t see much wildlife at first, a few giant spiders, a couple monkeys and small lizards sunning themselves in the trail. Eventually I came to a river crossing and almost stepped right onto the brightest green iguana I´d ever seen. He was staking his claim, unmoving as I stepped around him. Pretty bummed I didn´t have a working camera for it.
The rest of the trail was pretty uneventful, but the giant trees with roots like walls and the interconnectedness of the rainforest made for a great sight in itself. I decided that James Cameron must've done a hell of a lot of research for Avatar here.
After a lunch break I set out for the other side of Sirena, which ended up being an uphill climb along a ridge through the rainforest. I was glad for the challenge, but didn´t see much in terms of wildlife. The trail descended down and back towards the Rio Claro, where it opened up to an amazing spot where the water was clear and blue, two herons wading in the center.
Squirrel monkeys came crashing through the trees on the other side, completing my viewing of all four indigenous monkey species. Eventually the trail spilled back into the area I´d walked into Sirena from, where I saw two curacao birds, big black and turkey-like with curly mohawk crests. At a river crossing I saw for a split-second a Jesus Christ lizard, who performed his miracle of walking on water- fast. All the lizards here seem to have a habit of jumping into the biggest pile of leaves possible and making heaps of noise, making you jump and think you´re about to have your thighs gnawed on by a puma.
Back at camp, I met Alejandro, a biology student from San Jose out to study and photograph animals. The day before he and others had gone out just before dusk to the Rio Claro and saw a tapir swimming in the river before disappearing into the trees. We headed out that way again to see if he´d return. There were a few guys out there with giant cameras like they worked for Nat Geo or something. We waited for a while but the tapir still hadn´t shown up, and Alejandro headed back to catch dinner at the station´s cafeteria. Minutes later he came running back, yelling, "The tapir!" I ran with him halfway to Sirena where I saw it. It was so much bigger than I thought, hippo size and shape but with a tiny stump tail and a floppy snout like an elephant. They're an endangered species, seeing it was a mystical experience. A family of coati showed up too, a mom followed by four little ones that followed her up into a tree. Later, a second tapir came from the other side of the trail, the male with scars on his side that Alejandro had seen the day before at the river. I watched the two of them as they came together, until they got spooked and ran off into the trees. I started running too; it was nearly dark and I didn't have a light.
Back at camp, I met up with David, the guy who gave me directions in Puerto Jimenez. He made it to Corcovado after all; his uncle surprised him with a free trip. After dinner we talked about going out for a night hike. It was strictly forbidden, but many had already done it, including some of the guides. The problem was getting across the airstrip and onto the trail without being caught by the rangers who had a clear view from their house. We headed out on a trail out the back, the one I had done earlier that day that went uphill for 2km. But after about 15 mins we decided it wasn't worth going up the sketchiest trail illegally at night, and planned to go out on the airstrip once the rangers had gone to sleep. Only we wanted to go to sleep too, which won out over our nighttime puma hunt. Still, it was cool to see the forest with only a light to guide your way, while hundreds of eyes are likely focused back on you.
I took a loop connected by the Ollas, Espaveles, Guanacaste and Sirena trails, about 4km in all. All were mostly muddy and had stream crossings now and then; all those funny rubber boots people were wearing made a lot more sense now, but I got by fine with my amphibious runners. Along the way the light poured through the trees like something out of a LOTR movie. I didn´t see much wildlife at first, a few giant spiders, a couple monkeys and small lizards sunning themselves in the trail. Eventually I came to a river crossing and almost stepped right onto the brightest green iguana I´d ever seen. He was staking his claim, unmoving as I stepped around him. Pretty bummed I didn´t have a working camera for it.
The rest of the trail was pretty uneventful, but the giant trees with roots like walls and the interconnectedness of the rainforest made for a great sight in itself. I decided that James Cameron must've done a hell of a lot of research for Avatar here.
After a lunch break I set out for the other side of Sirena, which ended up being an uphill climb along a ridge through the rainforest. I was glad for the challenge, but didn´t see much in terms of wildlife. The trail descended down and back towards the Rio Claro, where it opened up to an amazing spot where the water was clear and blue, two herons wading in the center.
Squirrel monkeys came crashing through the trees on the other side, completing my viewing of all four indigenous monkey species. Eventually the trail spilled back into the area I´d walked into Sirena from, where I saw two curacao birds, big black and turkey-like with curly mohawk crests. At a river crossing I saw for a split-second a Jesus Christ lizard, who performed his miracle of walking on water- fast. All the lizards here seem to have a habit of jumping into the biggest pile of leaves possible and making heaps of noise, making you jump and think you´re about to have your thighs gnawed on by a puma.
Back at camp, I met Alejandro, a biology student from San Jose out to study and photograph animals. The day before he and others had gone out just before dusk to the Rio Claro and saw a tapir swimming in the river before disappearing into the trees. We headed out that way again to see if he´d return. There were a few guys out there with giant cameras like they worked for Nat Geo or something. We waited for a while but the tapir still hadn´t shown up, and Alejandro headed back to catch dinner at the station´s cafeteria. Minutes later he came running back, yelling, "The tapir!" I ran with him halfway to Sirena where I saw it. It was so much bigger than I thought, hippo size and shape but with a tiny stump tail and a floppy snout like an elephant. They're an endangered species, seeing it was a mystical experience. A family of coati showed up too, a mom followed by four little ones that followed her up into a tree. Later, a second tapir came from the other side of the trail, the male with scars on his side that Alejandro had seen the day before at the river. I watched the two of them as they came together, until they got spooked and ran off into the trees. I started running too; it was nearly dark and I didn't have a light.
Back at camp, I met up with David, the guy who gave me directions in Puerto Jimenez. He made it to Corcovado after all; his uncle surprised him with a free trip. After dinner we talked about going out for a night hike. It was strictly forbidden, but many had already done it, including some of the guides. The problem was getting across the airstrip and onto the trail without being caught by the rangers who had a clear view from their house. We headed out on a trail out the back, the one I had done earlier that day that went uphill for 2km. But after about 15 mins we decided it wasn't worth going up the sketchiest trail illegally at night, and planned to go out on the airstrip once the rangers had gone to sleep. Only we wanted to go to sleep too, which won out over our nighttime puma hunt. Still, it was cool to see the forest with only a light to guide your way, while hundreds of eyes are likely focused back on you.
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