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.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Corcovado Day 2: 17km To La Sirena
I woke up to the rain still coming down gently. I was surprised how easily I was able to get up to the 4am alarm. After packing up and stocking the water bottles, I set off. Two steps into the hike, I ran into a coati, likely the ¨raccoon¨ from the night before.
It was still dark out as I hiked along the beach silently in the rain. The sun started to come up and light up the clouds when I ran into another coati digging for crabs on the beach. I would run into two more along the way, as well as macaws, pelicans, and capuchin monkeys.
I was told the 17km (10.6mi) hike would take 6 or more hours to complete. The trail was hard to find, so for the most part I stayed on the beach, which was slower and more draining to walk in the sand. Looking at the sub-par map wasn´t much help, and I didn´t ever really know particularly where I was. I beat the tides coming in so I wasn´t pinned against the cliffs getting pounded by waves, found a trail through the trees that I could move quickly on, and eventually reached the Rio Claro, the bull shark and crocodile infested stream dumping into the ocean.
It was maybe 50 yards across and looked deeper than it was. The water only came up to knee height and I didn´t get chomped by anything.
The rest of the trail to Sirena was a breeze, winding through the forest and obstacle-free albeit for a fallen tree at one point. I was getting pretty tired when two big pigs strolled across the trail in front of me, the peccary. Ten minutes later the trail poured out into a field of green grass, freshly mowed. It was the airstrip, and at the end of it was La Sirena station. I had made it in just under 4.5 hours.
What followed next was a (cold) shower and a fat nap. I found out that there was WiFi and phone access and got a little upset that I hadn´t brought my laptop in. But I spent most of the day relaxing on the porch, feet propped up on the railing, listening to music and munching on chips. Then the spider monkeys came.
A whole clan had strolled right up into the trees next to the porch, flying around through the trees and eating leaves. Mothers toted the little ones on their backs, until mom performed a couple stunts that one baby monkey had had enough of, so he jumped ship and was climbing out on his own. He was so funny looking, really small and lanky, arms and legs twice the size of the rest of his body. I got a few good pictures before frustration set in; dead batteries.
Night came around, and again the forest was screaming with the sounds of a thousand creatures. After a dinner and discovering that Tang Horchata is never a good buy, I crawled into my tent and drifted off to sleep.
It was still dark out as I hiked along the beach silently in the rain. The sun started to come up and light up the clouds when I ran into another coati digging for crabs on the beach. I would run into two more along the way, as well as macaws, pelicans, and capuchin monkeys.
I was told the 17km (10.6mi) hike would take 6 or more hours to complete. The trail was hard to find, so for the most part I stayed on the beach, which was slower and more draining to walk in the sand. Looking at the sub-par map wasn´t much help, and I didn´t ever really know particularly where I was. I beat the tides coming in so I wasn´t pinned against the cliffs getting pounded by waves, found a trail through the trees that I could move quickly on, and eventually reached the Rio Claro, the bull shark and crocodile infested stream dumping into the ocean.
It was maybe 50 yards across and looked deeper than it was. The water only came up to knee height and I didn´t get chomped by anything.
The rest of the trail to Sirena was a breeze, winding through the forest and obstacle-free albeit for a fallen tree at one point. I was getting pretty tired when two big pigs strolled across the trail in front of me, the peccary. Ten minutes later the trail poured out into a field of green grass, freshly mowed. It was the airstrip, and at the end of it was La Sirena station. I had made it in just under 4.5 hours.
What followed next was a (cold) shower and a fat nap. I found out that there was WiFi and phone access and got a little upset that I hadn´t brought my laptop in. But I spent most of the day relaxing on the porch, feet propped up on the railing, listening to music and munching on chips. Then the spider monkeys came.
A whole clan had strolled right up into the trees next to the porch, flying around through the trees and eating leaves. Mothers toted the little ones on their backs, until mom performed a couple stunts that one baby monkey had had enough of, so he jumped ship and was climbing out on his own. He was so funny looking, really small and lanky, arms and legs twice the size of the rest of his body. I got a few good pictures before frustration set in; dead batteries.
Night came around, and again the forest was screaming with the sounds of a thousand creatures. After a dinner and discovering that Tang Horchata is never a good buy, I crawled into my tent and drifted off to sleep.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Corcovado Day 1: The Hike In
Hugh and I woke up really early and got to the bus stop by 4:15. The bus driver didn't come out until 5am, but not a big deal. We slept on the bus for quite a bit until the driver stopped in Chacarita, where I'd catch a transfer to Puerto Jimenez. The ride was about 4 hours and curved around the Pacific gulf onto the Osa Peninsula, home of Parque Nacional Corcovado. I hadn't yet gotten my permit to enter the park, and had no idea where to go once I got off the bus in Jimenez. So I walked up to the first white guy carrying a backpack and got some direction. His name was David as well, he had been doing some research of a nearly extinct species of bird in a preserve, but hadn't yet made it to Corcovado. He had a friend who worked at an info center in town, and he led me there. Tina was an Oklahoma peace corps volunteer who'd gotten stuck working the desk at the info center for a while, but she helped me get everything in order.
Obtaining the permit involved a lot of running (literally) back and forth across town. It was nearly 12:00 and I needed to get everything done before I caught the 1:30 bus to Carate, the last town before hitting Corcovado. I went to the Minaet, sort of their national park office, and got my permit for 4 days in the park. Then I ran across town to a different spot to pay, then back to the Minaet to verify it. I had about 30 minutes left to drop off my laptop and other things at the info center, get lunch and buy food for the trip. All went well and I made it in time for the bus in.
Only it wasn't really a bus. They call it the "Colectivo," and it's really a tarp-covered truck with benches in the back.
I piled in with a handful of other foreigners, likely researchers and volunteers. The ride was 100% potholed dirt roads, intersected now and then by river crossings that the Colectivo busted across with ease. About 2 hours later, I was in Carate, about to start my trek in through the rain that was coming down steadily.
It was so exhilarating to be taking strides alone on the endless wilderness beach in the middle of a storm. I couldn't help but start beaming, thinking to myself, "now this is adventure."
A lone macaw was perched high above in a tree, face tucked in beneath his wing to hide from the rain. I hiked along as the thunder echoed the sounds of the crashing waves and crossed a couple rivers to get to the station at La Leona. There I met with the ranger, Martin, who stamped my permit and upon hearing I was from the states told me about the big game that night. I'd completely forgotten, it was the Gold Cup final between the US and Mexico. I told him I was really disappointed to miss it, but he invited me to come back at seven to watch it with him on his small, completely off-color TV.
Setting up camp under the patio roof was a cinch, and I made a couple cups of Ramen for dinner. Seven rolled around and I met Martin and his two friends inside to watch the game. It started off well for the Yanks, going up 2-0, but stupid mistakes led to a flurry of Mexican goals, and they took the match 2-4. One of the guys made dulces for us, which I thought would be something like hot cocoa. I was informed it was just agua y dulce, which tasted like maple syrup. It knocked me out as if it were Mike Tyson in a title fight.
I didn't sleep very long, though. I heard some rustling from outside my tent, where my pack was sitting on a bench. Raccoons, I thought. I flipped on a light and saw a small animal scampering off, while my pack lay on the ground and a fresh hole had been chewed in the ziplock bag containing my food. It was sort of dumb of me to leave it out in the first place. I pulled the pack inside and closed up the tent. That's when I checked the bag and found ants swarming all over the trash pocket. Swell. They weren't after the food, which I kept inside. The pack went back out and I had an ant squishing party for a bit before trying to sleep again. The animal came back, and without my contacts in I couldn't really tell what it was, but I yelled at it and flashed my light angrily and he didn't return.
I slept through the rest of the night really well. The sounds of the jungle were roaring back at the relentless waves as the rain came down steadily. It was a fantastic symphony of noise, and my tent was pitched right in the middle of it. I would wake up at 4am to start my hike to Sirena, the next station, 17km away.
Obtaining the permit involved a lot of running (literally) back and forth across town. It was nearly 12:00 and I needed to get everything done before I caught the 1:30 bus to Carate, the last town before hitting Corcovado. I went to the Minaet, sort of their national park office, and got my permit for 4 days in the park. Then I ran across town to a different spot to pay, then back to the Minaet to verify it. I had about 30 minutes left to drop off my laptop and other things at the info center, get lunch and buy food for the trip. All went well and I made it in time for the bus in.
Only it wasn't really a bus. They call it the "Colectivo," and it's really a tarp-covered truck with benches in the back.
I piled in with a handful of other foreigners, likely researchers and volunteers. The ride was 100% potholed dirt roads, intersected now and then by river crossings that the Colectivo busted across with ease. About 2 hours later, I was in Carate, about to start my trek in through the rain that was coming down steadily.
It was so exhilarating to be taking strides alone on the endless wilderness beach in the middle of a storm. I couldn't help but start beaming, thinking to myself, "now this is adventure."
A lone macaw was perched high above in a tree, face tucked in beneath his wing to hide from the rain. I hiked along as the thunder echoed the sounds of the crashing waves and crossed a couple rivers to get to the station at La Leona. There I met with the ranger, Martin, who stamped my permit and upon hearing I was from the states told me about the big game that night. I'd completely forgotten, it was the Gold Cup final between the US and Mexico. I told him I was really disappointed to miss it, but he invited me to come back at seven to watch it with him on his small, completely off-color TV.
Setting up camp under the patio roof was a cinch, and I made a couple cups of Ramen for dinner. Seven rolled around and I met Martin and his two friends inside to watch the game. It started off well for the Yanks, going up 2-0, but stupid mistakes led to a flurry of Mexican goals, and they took the match 2-4. One of the guys made dulces for us, which I thought would be something like hot cocoa. I was informed it was just agua y dulce, which tasted like maple syrup. It knocked me out as if it were Mike Tyson in a title fight.
I didn't sleep very long, though. I heard some rustling from outside my tent, where my pack was sitting on a bench. Raccoons, I thought. I flipped on a light and saw a small animal scampering off, while my pack lay on the ground and a fresh hole had been chewed in the ziplock bag containing my food. It was sort of dumb of me to leave it out in the first place. I pulled the pack inside and closed up the tent. That's when I checked the bag and found ants swarming all over the trash pocket. Swell. They weren't after the food, which I kept inside. The pack went back out and I had an ant squishing party for a bit before trying to sleep again. The animal came back, and without my contacts in I couldn't really tell what it was, but I yelled at it and flashed my light angrily and he didn't return.
I slept through the rest of the night really well. The sounds of the jungle were roaring back at the relentless waves as the rain came down steadily. It was a fantastic symphony of noise, and my tent was pitched right in the middle of it. I would wake up at 4am to start my hike to Sirena, the next station, 17km away.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Catarata En Uvita
Got up this morning for a surf, but didn't get out quite early enough for the good stuff. Hugh was up a bit before me and said he had the ride of his life. Sleep fails me again. Afterwards we snagged some breakfast at a local soda, which was gigantic, delicious, and only $4. Our hostel has a basketball court so we played h-o-r-s-e for a bit. We met up with a guy from Manuel Antonio, and later 3 other guys we knew and all split a cab to Uvita, the next town, to go hike to a waterfall. I had read somewhere that it was free, so I was sorta disappointed to see signs there that said you must pay 500 colones admission, blah blah blah. There was no one at the ticket booth, so we booked it inside anyways. The hike down was really short, but the waterfall had good size and the water was cool. It was raining, which made hopping in no problem. We swam in and tested the depth to see if it was worth a jump from the top. Hugh was satisfied and went first, no problem. Everyone else followed him up for his second jump while I stayed to take pictures. Hugh jumped again, but the other guys all chickened out. I wasn't going to miss out on my opportunity though:
It was pretty slippery on top, but I found a solid place to jump. Not as big as the cliffs at Havasupai, but still fun and really refreshing nonetheless. We headed back into town afterwards and hired another cab back to Dominical. Dinner was spent back at the soda again; how could we not? The sandwiches were delicious, huge, and cheap. Not to mention their banana milkshakes sent from heaven. I think if I could bring one souvenir back to the States, it'd be this soda.
Back at the hostel I started urgently planning out my trip to Corcovado National Park, the place that National Geographic calls "the most biologically intense place on the planet." I'll be taking a bus at 4:30 AM to Golfito, a ferry to Puerto Jimenez and maybe a bus to Carate, where I'll likely drop off my computer and shed some other belongings before heading in to the mangled jungles of Corcovado. I'll be incommunicado while I'm there, likely from June 25-30. You'll get your updates soon after, unless a jaguar or river croc has other ideas. Talk to you all soon.
It was pretty slippery on top, but I found a solid place to jump. Not as big as the cliffs at Havasupai, but still fun and really refreshing nonetheless. We headed back into town afterwards and hired another cab back to Dominical. Dinner was spent back at the soda again; how could we not? The sandwiches were delicious, huge, and cheap. Not to mention their banana milkshakes sent from heaven. I think if I could bring one souvenir back to the States, it'd be this soda.
Back at the hostel I started urgently planning out my trip to Corcovado National Park, the place that National Geographic calls "the most biologically intense place on the planet." I'll be taking a bus at 4:30 AM to Golfito, a ferry to Puerto Jimenez and maybe a bus to Carate, where I'll likely drop off my computer and shed some other belongings before heading in to the mangled jungles of Corcovado. I'll be incommunicado while I'm there, likely from June 25-30. You'll get your updates soon after, unless a jaguar or river croc has other ideas. Talk to you all soon.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Rain in Dominical
The thunder in Costa Rica has got to be three times as loud as anywhere else. It died down a bit when I went to sleep, so I was out like a celebrity popping Ambien. In the morning I got on a bus back to Quepos, where the bus station is and hooked back up with Hugh, the Aussie. We rode the hour long bus to Dominical and checked into a hostel. For lunch we had some amazing sandwiches at a place up the road, didn't feel real upset about paying the $10 for lunch. Tried to go surfing right away, but the waves were all washed out so we'll get out tomorrow morning instead. The guy we rented from is a transplant from California and had a bunch of little German shepherd pups running around, they were a riot.
Anyways, we ended up going for a walk chasing down crabs on the beach, but a storm rolled through and we got caught in the rain. It was really refreshing though, and not freezing cold like back home. Eventually we made it back to the hostel and played dominoes to pass the time. We went back into town for dinner and I had my first ice cream down here. Boy did I miss it, I've got to stop depriving myself of the sweet stuff. Going to get up early tomorrow for a surf session, hopefully we wake up at a reasonable time.
Anyways, we ended up going for a walk chasing down crabs on the beach, but a storm rolled through and we got caught in the rain. It was really refreshing though, and not freezing cold like back home. Eventually we made it back to the hostel and played dominoes to pass the time. We went back into town for dinner and I had my first ice cream down here. Boy did I miss it, I've got to stop depriving myself of the sweet stuff. Going to get up early tomorrow for a surf session, hopefully we wake up at a reasonable time.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Manuel Antonio
And so the story of my life continues: slept right through the alarm clock again. I was going to get up early to have a better chance of seeing wildlife in the Manuel Antonio National Park, but my usual self took care of that silly idea. Breakfast was great, pancakes, eggs, rice and beans with fruit and coffee, all for about $3. I got to talk with Estella on Skype again before she went to sleep halfway around the world.
I ended up getting to the park at about noon and thought it a bit weird they had no maps to give. That worried me not because I'm afraid of getting lost and eaten by monkeys, but because the trail leading in was more of a driveway, and was crowded with tourists led by their guides. They paid a ton of money to see all the same stuff, but with super cool telescopes. Good for them. It was looking even more like the park was going to be a bust when I got to a beach stretch totally crowded with families and screaming kids. But I moved past onto a trail that looped around a peninsula. That's where things started getting good. First I came across a basilisk:
No, it's not a big scary Harry Potter snake, but it's one of the cooler lizards out there. Moving on I heard some rustling to the left and chased after an agouti, those goofy little rodents of unusual size. Shortly after that was where I met the monkeys. They were the same capuchins I had seen in Montezuma, but they were up close and personal. These guys were fearless, only caring about the jackpot of berries they'd found and not at all about the American and Israeli hikers who had shown up to the party. And that's when the coolest thing happened:
I got to hand feed a wild monkey. It was totally comfortable taking the berries right out of my hand. I could feel the strength in his little hands as he snatched up his free snack. That's an experience that's too cool for words.
I hiked back towards where the beach trail began and got some great pictures of a big iguana.
He was a great model- love to work with him again. The trail split off and went up and deeper into the forest. The first path I took was blocked off with caution tape. Nothing that's ever stopped me before. It was a great walk through the trees, where I spotted another agouti and a red-headed woodpecker. It led to a spot that headed down towards the ocean, and once I had scrambled down a couple ropes I was completely alone in a beautiful rocky cove on the Pacific.
Back up on the trail, I pressed on until the path disappeared into the brush, forcing me to turn back. The second trail from the main fork was all uphill, but I walked under several groups of capuchin monkeys who were jumping around in the treetops. At the end of the trail was a viewing station overlooking another ocean bay. A sloth was enjoying the view too, moving sloooowly as he ate leaves. This was a different kind from the speedy sloth I'd seen on my way to Monteverde. This guy blended in with the tree trunks and moved with the reckless abandon of a dead snail. His camouflage was so good that pictures were inconclusive.
On the walk back I met a group of guys who were traveling together, some from the States and an Aussie from Perth. We all went to dinner, chatted and had some cervezas while watching USA beat Panama in the Gold Cup (where they'll be playing Mexico in the final on Sat). It's raining a lot now, glad it decided to move in tonight. In the morning I'll be heading to Dominical, traveling with the Aussie to do some more surfing. The rain should make sleeping a breeze. That and dreaming about my new monkey friends. Pura vida.
I ended up getting to the park at about noon and thought it a bit weird they had no maps to give. That worried me not because I'm afraid of getting lost and eaten by monkeys, but because the trail leading in was more of a driveway, and was crowded with tourists led by their guides. They paid a ton of money to see all the same stuff, but with super cool telescopes. Good for them. It was looking even more like the park was going to be a bust when I got to a beach stretch totally crowded with families and screaming kids. But I moved past onto a trail that looped around a peninsula. That's where things started getting good. First I came across a basilisk:
No, it's not a big scary Harry Potter snake, but it's one of the cooler lizards out there. Moving on I heard some rustling to the left and chased after an agouti, those goofy little rodents of unusual size. Shortly after that was where I met the monkeys. They were the same capuchins I had seen in Montezuma, but they were up close and personal. These guys were fearless, only caring about the jackpot of berries they'd found and not at all about the American and Israeli hikers who had shown up to the party. And that's when the coolest thing happened:
I got to hand feed a wild monkey. It was totally comfortable taking the berries right out of my hand. I could feel the strength in his little hands as he snatched up his free snack. That's an experience that's too cool for words.
I hiked back towards where the beach trail began and got some great pictures of a big iguana.
He was a great model- love to work with him again. The trail split off and went up and deeper into the forest. The first path I took was blocked off with caution tape. Nothing that's ever stopped me before. It was a great walk through the trees, where I spotted another agouti and a red-headed woodpecker. It led to a spot that headed down towards the ocean, and once I had scrambled down a couple ropes I was completely alone in a beautiful rocky cove on the Pacific.
Back up on the trail, I pressed on until the path disappeared into the brush, forcing me to turn back. The second trail from the main fork was all uphill, but I walked under several groups of capuchin monkeys who were jumping around in the treetops. At the end of the trail was a viewing station overlooking another ocean bay. A sloth was enjoying the view too, moving sloooowly as he ate leaves. This was a different kind from the speedy sloth I'd seen on my way to Monteverde. This guy blended in with the tree trunks and moved with the reckless abandon of a dead snail. His camouflage was so good that pictures were inconclusive.
On the walk back I met a group of guys who were traveling together, some from the States and an Aussie from Perth. We all went to dinner, chatted and had some cervezas while watching USA beat Panama in the Gold Cup (where they'll be playing Mexico in the final on Sat). It's raining a lot now, glad it decided to move in tonight. In the morning I'll be heading to Dominical, traveling with the Aussie to do some more surfing. The rain should make sleeping a breeze. That and dreaming about my new monkey friends. Pura vida.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Boats, Buses and Beaches
Packed up my things at Casa Morfo this morning to head out for Manuel Antonio. The car for the shuttle boat to Jaco left at 9:15, and I started the 30 minute walk into town from the hills at 8:55. I made it just in time after sprinting down the hills with my pack, once again drenched in sweat. Good thing the car had A/C.
The 1 hour speed boat ride to Jaco was completely refreshing. Cruising across the Pacific at high speeds enjoying the breeze was so much better than sitting on a hot bus for 5 hours, even if it did cost me. At one point the motor shut off suddenly in the middle of the ocean. Crap, I thought, we're screwed. False alarm though, just a hunk of driftwood in the propeller. We pressed on to a small harbor outside Jaco. The water was that beautiful turquoise blue you usually only see in Corona commercials. That with the green hillsides and partly clouded skies made for a great view.
Once in Jaco I stopped off at the chain bakery down here for a snack before taking the bus to Quepos, 15 minutes outside of Manuel Antonio. One transfer later and I was busy hostel shopping in town. I ended up being far from the place I had checked out online near the national park, so I was going to hoof it 5km up the road before a cabbie wanted my business. I haggled him down and hopped in. The hostel I'm at is National Park Backpackers, and as the name might suggest it's basically backed up right against the jungle. The noise here at night from the bugs, bats and birds is fantastic.
I met a new friend from Utah here and we went into town, which is right on the beach. The waves were gigantic and tubular from a big swell that had come through, and all the locals were out to take advantage. It's always great how they can make surfing look so easy, when in reality it's very difficult and brutal sport.
Dinner was spent at a restaurant down the road, I had a decent chicken curry. Tomorrow morning I'll be in the forest again, hopefully to see hundreds of animals. We'll see about that. For now I'll settle for sitting poolside, watching the lightning show from a big storm north of here.
The 1 hour speed boat ride to Jaco was completely refreshing. Cruising across the Pacific at high speeds enjoying the breeze was so much better than sitting on a hot bus for 5 hours, even if it did cost me. At one point the motor shut off suddenly in the middle of the ocean. Crap, I thought, we're screwed. False alarm though, just a hunk of driftwood in the propeller. We pressed on to a small harbor outside Jaco. The water was that beautiful turquoise blue you usually only see in Corona commercials. That with the green hillsides and partly clouded skies made for a great view.
Once in Jaco I stopped off at the chain bakery down here for a snack before taking the bus to Quepos, 15 minutes outside of Manuel Antonio. One transfer later and I was busy hostel shopping in town. I ended up being far from the place I had checked out online near the national park, so I was going to hoof it 5km up the road before a cabbie wanted my business. I haggled him down and hopped in. The hostel I'm at is National Park Backpackers, and as the name might suggest it's basically backed up right against the jungle. The noise here at night from the bugs, bats and birds is fantastic.
I met a new friend from Utah here and we went into town, which is right on the beach. The waves were gigantic and tubular from a big swell that had come through, and all the locals were out to take advantage. It's always great how they can make surfing look so easy, when in reality it's very difficult and brutal sport.
Dinner was spent at a restaurant down the road, I had a decent chicken curry. Tomorrow morning I'll be in the forest again, hopefully to see hundreds of animals. We'll see about that. For now I'll settle for sitting poolside, watching the lightning show from a big storm north of here.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Montezuma
Coffee in Costa Rica is phenomenal, doesn't really matter where you get it. Drink it black, with milk, doesn't matter. The fact remains: it's downright delicious. Two cups and a few pancakes into the day, I headed out with the gang into town to catch some rays on the beach. Saw some wildlife on the way down, plenty of iguanas sunning on warm spots along the road, and a weird overgrown guinea pig thing that scurried by (later found out it's called an agouti?)
At the beach we walked along the rocky shore, spotting crabs and dodging ocean sprays that crashed against the rocks. You could spend hours just watching the tide rise and the waves pummel the shore like your own personal daytime fireworks show.
We walked back and passed through the town (which is about the size as any mediocre Phoenix intersection) to get to the other beach area that's good for a swim. Some city girls couldn't quite make it out into the water since the waves were breaking close to shore and they would get knocked over pretty easily. We just timed it right like anyone else would and had a nice dip before heading back up to the house. Spotted another animal up in the trees, a white-faced monkey. They're the little guys you see in the movies all the time, and just as cute and cuddly in real life.
It was about 4pm, just enough time for me to go on a run down the hill to Montezuma Falls, though the front desk figured it was too late. It felt really good to be running again, especially through the forest where you can work up an unbelievable sweat. It's times like that where I really feel alive. I took a couple pictures of the upper falls before running uphill to try and find the larger ones. At a fork in the trail I went right, uphill for about 5 minutes before spotting a building and a sign that said "waterfall trail." Great. Running back downhill wasn't bad though, and I headed the other direction at the fork. Soon it ended where a log and other foliage fell across. Naturally, I bushwhack'd it and kept going. Next obstacle: fallen log bridge over gully. I could've crawled down the bridge, which now formed more of a ladder, but I decided to up the ante and do it the Frank Kraljic way: monkey-bar it across the intact handrail. Finally the path curled down and I found the main section of the falls with about 30 mins of daylight to spare. The top section was pretty small, and the second looked like it would be more impressive with heavier rains, but had a pool where you could jump in:
It was about 4pm, just enough time for me to go on a run down the hill to Montezuma Falls, though the front desk figured it was too late. It felt really good to be running again, especially through the forest where you can work up an unbelievable sweat. It's times like that where I really feel alive. I took a couple pictures of the upper falls before running uphill to try and find the larger ones. At a fork in the trail I went right, uphill for about 5 minutes before spotting a building and a sign that said "waterfall trail." Great. Running back downhill wasn't bad though, and I headed the other direction at the fork. Soon it ended where a log and other foliage fell across. Naturally, I bushwhack'd it and kept going. Next obstacle: fallen log bridge over gully. I could've crawled down the bridge, which now formed more of a ladder, but I decided to up the ante and do it the Frank Kraljic way: monkey-bar it across the intact handrail. Finally the path curled down and I found the main section of the falls with about 30 mins of daylight to spare. The top section was pretty small, and the second looked like it would be more impressive with heavier rains, but had a pool where you could jump in:
Getting the pics required a scramble across a slippery cliff but I made it ok. The worst that could've happened was a fall into the muddy water. Back up on the trail, I moved on to try and see the third section of the falls, the big'un. I ended up running up stairs to where a couple Ticos were standing on a zip line platform. These things really are everywhere. I joked with them for a bit and asked how much further to the main falls, to which they said it was too late to go, and that I would die trying to make it down the slope, cutthroat motion included. I called their bluff and moved on for a couple minutes until I got smart and noticed it really was getting dark. Racing against time, I sprinted it back and made it back with plenty of daylight to spare, drenched in sweat and feeling great because of it. There really is no better place to get your sweat on than in the jungle.
Tomorrow I'll be taking a tour boat trip to Jaco (pronounced ha-ko) before taking a bus to Manuel Antonio. The girl from the plane ride over said it was her favorite town in Costa Rica, and there's a park for hiking around too so my expectations are high. Sucks that the boat is going to cost me $38, but the only alternative is to travel 10 hours on a series of buses and ferries for a total of around $20. Worth the extra dough to save me the hassles of missing a connection, plus 8 hours of my life.
Time for bed, buenos noches.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Casa Morfo
This morning I checked out of the hostel and got on a bus to Cobano, where I got a cab to Brian and Kristin's rental house in Montezuma. It's called Casa Morfo, and it's aptly named. Little yellow butterflies flutter all over the shrubs around the house, along with a few hummingbirds. It's a really nice little house with a spa-sized pool and a deck. The best part about it is the view, which overlooks the Pacific:
I spent nearly an hour just looking out that direction in awe of how cool it is that I'm here. Sometimes I think about cutting the trip short and heading home sooner than planned, but then times like these come along and I realize what a great opportunity I have being here.
Another awesome thing about the house: washing machine. I've been putting off doing my laundry for a while, and my clothes bag started to smell a little like death. I nearly had to suck it up and wash my undies in the sink. Not anymore. Thanks, Casa Morfo.
We headed into town just before sundown and went grocery shopping. Montezuma is really small, but it has a nice feel to it, not run down or sketchy. It started to rain a bit so we called a cab to take us back up into the hills to make dinner. I was the chef tonight, on the menu was pad thai. It was pretty good for having only what ingredients I could find at the corner market in town. We played cards afterwards and I taught Kristin how to play poker, using frosted flakes as chips. Tomorrow I guess we'll hike around a bit, but for the most part I think this will be the lazy part of the trip. It's too nice here at the house to do anything but sit in the pool and enjoy the view.
Luz de Vida
Interesting fact of the day: when you go surfing and get water in your ears, it doesn't really come out. But hours later, saltwater starts pouring out your nose all over your shirt and your ears feel great. It's awesome and disgusting all at once.
I got to experience this again today after my late morning surf session with Mark and Carla, friends from Saskatchewan. Today the waves were pretty small but easy to catch and ride all the way into shore. The sun was finally out on the beach which made it a really nice morning. I slathered on sunblock, but I think the walk back in the sun did me in and I got a little roasty. I went to the store and bought some stuff for a big lunch, as seen here:
I was going to take a nap but I stepped out on the balcony for a bit and saw some monkeys in the trees feasting on fruit.
They're howlers, the "you're trying to sleep but I'm not gonna let you 'cause I feel like screaming like a tyrannosaurus" monkey. They don't look very big but holy cow can they yell. Seeing them crawl from branch to branch was cool, they really use that tail as a 5th arm, curling it around a branch from one tree while crawling up a branch from another.
I went over to the hostel where all my amigos are staying and watched some soccer from the gold cup before heading out to dinner with Arbie and the Norwegian girls. I had an amazing cinnamon mocha frappe that was better than any Starbucks drink I've ever consumed. We hung out at the hostel for a while before heading to the full moon party, the Fiesta Luz de Vida. It was sorta lame because there wasn't a full moon, and not much of a party either. I did talk with Nina from Norway for a while and learned about some sweet customs they have. When we graduate high school in the States, we usually go to one grad party after another eating finger foods for the better part of two weeks. Norwegian students buy a bus, trick it out and drive it around partying till the night before finals. Just a little different.
It was good hanging out with friends again, looks like tomorrow we'll all be heading separate ways once more, but it only makes more room for the new ones to come in. Montezuma, here I come.
I got to experience this again today after my late morning surf session with Mark and Carla, friends from Saskatchewan. Today the waves were pretty small but easy to catch and ride all the way into shore. The sun was finally out on the beach which made it a really nice morning. I slathered on sunblock, but I think the walk back in the sun did me in and I got a little roasty. I went to the store and bought some stuff for a big lunch, as seen here:
I was going to take a nap but I stepped out on the balcony for a bit and saw some monkeys in the trees feasting on fruit.
They're howlers, the "you're trying to sleep but I'm not gonna let you 'cause I feel like screaming like a tyrannosaurus" monkey. They don't look very big but holy cow can they yell. Seeing them crawl from branch to branch was cool, they really use that tail as a 5th arm, curling it around a branch from one tree while crawling up a branch from another.
I went over to the hostel where all my amigos are staying and watched some soccer from the gold cup before heading out to dinner with Arbie and the Norwegian girls. I had an amazing cinnamon mocha frappe that was better than any Starbucks drink I've ever consumed. We hung out at the hostel for a while before heading to the full moon party, the Fiesta Luz de Vida. It was sorta lame because there wasn't a full moon, and not much of a party either. I did talk with Nina from Norway for a while and learned about some sweet customs they have. When we graduate high school in the States, we usually go to one grad party after another eating finger foods for the better part of two weeks. Norwegian students buy a bus, trick it out and drive it around partying till the night before finals. Just a little different.
It was good hanging out with friends again, looks like tomorrow we'll all be heading separate ways once more, but it only makes more room for the new ones to come in. Montezuma, here I come.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Hangin In Santa Teresa
Woke up at 5:30 to go surfing with the guys. Did not get out of bed. I'm probably the world champ of sleeping in by now. I did get some things done this morning, I went to the store and bought some cereal, milk and grilled cheese fixins for lunch. Last night it was rainy on the walk back and I borrowed Brian's jacket, so I headed back their way to return it. They were sitting outside a café sippin on smoothies and I waited with them for a while before sending them off on their bus to Montezuma. I met up with Arbie, my buddy from D.C. who I'd met at the hostel in La Fortuna and made plans to go surfing later. We found a nice section of beach to catch some easy stuff and I got used to the shorter board I had picked, a 7'2". It ended up being a really fun board, got in about 7-8 good rides before sundown. For dinner we split a pizza at the restaurant at Arbie's hostel, where they cook everything on a barbecue. I ended up meeting some friends of his from Canada and Norway and spent the rest of the evening either winning or losing terribly at various card games.
It was funny how we all seemed to know the same games, but had different names and rules for them. Our versions ended up being a melting pot of everything. It's really great how you end up in situations like this while traveling. You always seem to meet really friendly people from all around the world who are totally open to spending time with you. No one really knows anyone, and sometimes you'll be 4 hours into a conversation and still won't know each other's names, and are too afraid to ask, even though your name has slipped their mind too. But you all act as if you've been best friends for a long time, and go on with your game of Uno in the middle of Costa Rica. It's strange to think about, but refreshing to experience. You never quite get to have it back home.
Tomorrow morning I'll head out to surf again, likely to be joined by my new friends from Saskatchewan. What were their names again...?
It was funny how we all seemed to know the same games, but had different names and rules for them. Our versions ended up being a melting pot of everything. It's really great how you end up in situations like this while traveling. You always seem to meet really friendly people from all around the world who are totally open to spending time with you. No one really knows anyone, and sometimes you'll be 4 hours into a conversation and still won't know each other's names, and are too afraid to ask, even though your name has slipped their mind too. But you all act as if you've been best friends for a long time, and go on with your game of Uno in the middle of Costa Rica. It's strange to think about, but refreshing to experience. You never quite get to have it back home.
Tomorrow morning I'll head out to surf again, likely to be joined by my new friends from Saskatchewan. What were their names again...?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Lazy Day
I woke up at 4am with some nasty stomach trouble, mostly felt like heartburn. It was raining so getting back to sleep was no problem. Tried to get up at 8 to surf, but didn't wake till 10. Two cups of coffee later, I was out. I headed the opposite direction from yesterday to where the beach was supposed to be better for beginners and longboarding. Turns out things aren't always what you hear. Getting out was a struggle with all the beach break waves coming one after another, and they rose to about 5ft. A handful of shortboarders who actually knew what they were doing were riding with ease, carving lefts and rights, busting big airs, and spinning 360s. It was definitely cool to watch. Me on the other hand, I rode maybe 2 good waves and spent the rest of the morning watching the show and resting. Back at Casa Zen I made a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and wolfed them down, hoping food might make my stomach better. I moved my stuff to a new place, Wavetrotters, where the owner Miguel is really laid back. He's got boards to rent and I'm currently his only guest, sweet deal. We went to dinner at a pasta place that was fantastic, pesto penne never tasted so good. It started to rain on our walk back, so I waited it out a little at Zen and made plans with some guys to surf a spot near Montezuma. They have a car and are planning to meet at 5:30 tomorrow morning. I'm going to try and get up for it. Wish me luck
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Surfing, Day One
Got up this morning and talked with Estella on Skype, which was really nice. Then I packed up and moved out of the mosquito city that my hostel turned out to be and moved in up the road. Made some grilled cheese sandwiches with Brian before we headed out to surf. The tide was way high, made our 10 min walk to the sand break a little tougher. Low tide was supposed to mean better conditions and boy did it made a huge difference. High tide felt like getting hit by a train. We tried going out but it was just way too washed out, so we did what any 20-year-old would do on the beach: built sand castles. Mine was really legit, with underground tunnels and everything that went under Brian's dumb castle and sank it. But a little black lab puppy came romping down the beach and though my tunnels were the best thing ever, and ended up totally annihilating everything. He was hilarious. Today I was riding a 7'7" board, made catching waves really easy. I got up maybe 10-12 times and was catching nearly everything towards end of the day. It was a good, exhausting day in the ocean.
I'm finding it pretty ironic that I've seen more wildlife here than on the $15 hike into the cloud forest, where all the animals were supposed to be. In the past 2 days I've seen (and definitely heard) howler monkeys, iguanas, crabs, and the extremely rare Costa Rican street dog. Oh, and apparently Santa Teresa at dusk is the hermit crab capital of the world. Thousands of them littered the beach on the walk back.
Went to another soda place for dinner, had arroz con mariscos. The seafood may not have been such a great idea for my stomach but I took some tummy meds just in case (thanks Christa). Some friends told us to come hang out at the Iguana Bar up the road, but we went in the entirely wrong direction and pretty much walked out of town without finding the place. A quick check online back at the room led us to it, but only after that wasted 20min of walking. There was a live band playing reggae-rock which was pretty cool. Going out again tomorrow morning for more surfing, hopefully I get better and better with each ride.
I'm finding it pretty ironic that I've seen more wildlife here than on the $15 hike into the cloud forest, where all the animals were supposed to be. In the past 2 days I've seen (and definitely heard) howler monkeys, iguanas, crabs, and the extremely rare Costa Rican street dog. Oh, and apparently Santa Teresa at dusk is the hermit crab capital of the world. Thousands of them littered the beach on the walk back.
Went to another soda place for dinner, had arroz con mariscos. The seafood may not have been such a great idea for my stomach but I took some tummy meds just in case (thanks Christa). Some friends told us to come hang out at the Iguana Bar up the road, but we went in the entirely wrong direction and pretty much walked out of town without finding the place. A quick check online back at the room led us to it, but only after that wasted 20min of walking. There was a live band playing reggae-rock which was pretty cool. Going out again tomorrow morning for more surfing, hopefully I get better and better with each ride.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Travel Day to Santa Teresa
Another early start today, had to catch the 6AM bus out of Monteverde. The ride out was really beautiful, at least the 10 mins I wasn't asleep for. We got off in Puntareñas, a port city on the Pacific between mainland Costa Rica and the Nicoya peninsula. The ferry ride across was really nice with the sea breeze. Pelicans diving for fish made for good entertainment.
Then we took a bus to Cobano, which was really hot and completely filled with people to the point where school girls were sitting on each other's laps. In Cobano we stopped off for frozen lemonade at a café before getting on another hot bus to Santa Teresa. The town is stretched along a single street and is about a mile long. I got settled in to my hostel and went for a walk to find Brian and Kristin at their place, Casa Zen. That place is off the hook, it's Asian themed and is pretty new, a really nice cabana to lounge in, hammocks, sushi restaurant, yoga classes, the works. Estella, you would love it. It started raining so we decided to just hang tight till it let up and made some rum 'n cokes. Then we walked down the road and checked out a different hostel that's nicer than my place in that it has glass in its windows to keep out bugs. The guy there was super nice, I'll be moving that way in the morning. We walked a little further and turned off to go see the beach. The waves were huge because of the storm swell, the views were ominous with the thunder rolling around us.
The water was unbelieveably warm, I would guess 85 degrees. Hard to imagine this is the same freezing ocean we have in California. For dinner we went to a burger joint with our new Canadian friend we met on the beach. Walking home in the drizzle was refreshing. Tomorrow is surf day #1. Can't wait to get in that giant hot tub of an ocean and ride.
Then we took a bus to Cobano, which was really hot and completely filled with people to the point where school girls were sitting on each other's laps. In Cobano we stopped off for frozen lemonade at a café before getting on another hot bus to Santa Teresa. The town is stretched along a single street and is about a mile long. I got settled in to my hostel and went for a walk to find Brian and Kristin at their place, Casa Zen. That place is off the hook, it's Asian themed and is pretty new, a really nice cabana to lounge in, hammocks, sushi restaurant, yoga classes, the works. Estella, you would love it. It started raining so we decided to just hang tight till it let up and made some rum 'n cokes. Then we walked down the road and checked out a different hostel that's nicer than my place in that it has glass in its windows to keep out bugs. The guy there was super nice, I'll be moving that way in the morning. We walked a little further and turned off to go see the beach. The waves were huge because of the storm swell, the views were ominous with the thunder rolling around us.
The water was unbelieveably warm, I would guess 85 degrees. Hard to imagine this is the same freezing ocean we have in California. For dinner we went to a burger joint with our new Canadian friend we met on the beach. Walking home in the drizzle was refreshing. Tomorrow is surf day #1. Can't wait to get in that giant hot tub of an ocean and ride.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Cloud Forest
Got up early today and had a coffee before the bus ride to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. It was sunny in town, but up in the canopy it was rainy and misty. We were most definitely in the clouds. The hike we took was about 4km in total, winding through the trees. You could hear the sound of rain, but it was only the mist collecting in the canopy and dripping down to the ground below. We walked along in silence for most of the hike and watched for wildlife, hoping to catch a glimpse of monkeys, toucans, or the elusive quetzal.
The first thing we saw was a fat caterpillar that was black and orange. It curled up into a ball when we stood around it; not much of a defense mechanism. Later we arrived to a scenic overlook to find...clouds. The view was blocked with a thick mist that sometimes gave you a peek of the trees below, only to be covered up again by more clouds. A bit further up was another place to see out where the mist was clearer. I snapped a couple pictures and was about to turn away when I noticed this guy:
It's a black guan, I guess they're a threatened species. He was chilling on his tree for a bit, checking us out while we stared back. Eventually he got more bored with us than we did with him and he took off. That was the last of the wildlife we would see. The forest was really eerie to walk through, it was like something out of a movie, most likely Jurassic Park. Some of the trees were gigantic and had huge canopies at their tops, where it seemed like a whole city of monkeys could live. And again, everything was green upon green upon green. The rainforest really is a special place, and so different from the forests we have back home.
Back in town I checked at the hostel to see if my shoes had gotten here from La Fortuna, they said to go to a different hotel with the same name up the hill. Sure enough, they made it back to me. Total miracle! I took a nap and picked up bus tickets for tomorrow's trip out to the beach. I'll be heading to Santa Teresa with Brian and Kristin via a bus to Puntareñas, a ferry across the Pacific to the Nicoya Peninsula, and two more bus rides before arriving after our 6 hour journey. Can't wait to get out in that warm ocean. The surf reports are looking good, and Santa Teresa is one of the best places to go.
Time for bed, buenos noches.
The first thing we saw was a fat caterpillar that was black and orange. It curled up into a ball when we stood around it; not much of a defense mechanism. Later we arrived to a scenic overlook to find...clouds. The view was blocked with a thick mist that sometimes gave you a peek of the trees below, only to be covered up again by more clouds. A bit further up was another place to see out where the mist was clearer. I snapped a couple pictures and was about to turn away when I noticed this guy:
It's a black guan, I guess they're a threatened species. He was chilling on his tree for a bit, checking us out while we stared back. Eventually he got more bored with us than we did with him and he took off. That was the last of the wildlife we would see. The forest was really eerie to walk through, it was like something out of a movie, most likely Jurassic Park. Some of the trees were gigantic and had huge canopies at their tops, where it seemed like a whole city of monkeys could live. And again, everything was green upon green upon green. The rainforest really is a special place, and so different from the forests we have back home.
Back in town I checked at the hostel to see if my shoes had gotten here from La Fortuna, they said to go to a different hotel with the same name up the hill. Sure enough, they made it back to me. Total miracle! I took a nap and picked up bus tickets for tomorrow's trip out to the beach. I'll be heading to Santa Teresa with Brian and Kristin via a bus to Puntareñas, a ferry across the Pacific to the Nicoya Peninsula, and two more bus rides before arriving after our 6 hour journey. Can't wait to get out in that warm ocean. The surf reports are looking good, and Santa Teresa is one of the best places to go.
Time for bed, buenos noches.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Monteverde - Zip Lines and Coffee
I believe my last post started off by saying that waking up is hard. I'd just like to reiterate that. 7:30 was when the shuttle to Extremo Zip Lines would arrive. I woke up for my alarm at 6:40, dozed off till 7:15 and scrambled to get my clothes on. I made the bus just fine and found friends from the hot springs inside. We went to pick up others in town, who turned out to be my friends from the Cerro Chato hike. After a short ride we arrived and threw on our harnesses and did the whole orientation bit. They ran out of the shoulder harnesses for the "superman" line at the end where you ride face down overlooking the canyon below, so they told me to snag one at the end. No problem. The first couple of lines were a warm-up, until you climbed higher up spiral stairs to the edge of the canyon. This was one you needed to double up on to get across, so I made very good friends with a German guy as I wrapped my legs around his waist and we took off. You're up high. Really high. The views were green, green and more green. You could spot coffee plantations below and tiny cows grazing. Very, very cool. The next few lines were short but took you through the forest. It was awesome seeing the trees rush by. The lines zig-zagged back across the canyon a couple more times (making good friends with partners again) before a rappel led you to the Tarzan swing. They hook you up to a rope, push you off the platform, and let you scream. It was about a 100ft long pendulum between the trees. When the time came to catch me, like I had seen them do with many others, it got a little exciting as I slipped through their catch pad and ended up dangling over the edge for a bit by my foot. They reeled me in OK and I went on my way. A couple short rides later led you to the 1km long Superman cable. I still didn't have the right harness for it, and I was told I'd have to wait for 20 mins. Luckily, a woman had the wrong size harness which was passed on to me. The guy strapped it on me and had me hooked up to the line first, and I pushed off. The ride was totally exhilarating, I had no words to describe it. I'm pretty sure I had a big open-mouthed grin on my face the whole way. It lasted for about a minute, and you don't really realize how fast you're moving until you fly back into the trees, which come up fast. Your pulley hits the brake device as you go from 50-0mph and are left dangling at the end, completely dumbfounded that you've just flown. What a rush.
Took a nap after my flight over the canyon and ate lunch at a hole-in-the wall café. Here they call them "sodas" and they serve "casados," typical Costa Rican food (rice and beans with your choice of meat and something on the side). I had casados con pollo, and I'm not feeling sick, so it went well. I was supposed to meet at a friend's hotel next door to the soda for the Don Juan Coffee Tour, but waited around and they didn't show. I figured I must've just missed them so I ran back into town to my hostel where they were standing on the street looking for me. Got it in the nick of time again! That makes the score so far David 3, Too Late 0. The plantation was small, only 2 acres of cultivated coffee, but it was really beautiful.
The guide was good, we learned the whole coffee process and one real important thing you guys back in the States probably still have wrong: light roast coffee has more flavor properties and caffeine, while dark roast has less flavor properties (but yes, a stronger, more robust flavor) and less caffeine. He preferred the blend of the two so you get it all. We got to meet Don Juan himself, a 70-something year old man who carries a big knife and is followed wherever he goes by a little dog, Tequila.
After the tour there were some snacks, chocolate covered coffee beans and coffee sampling. For me, the light roast is just too acidic, reminds me of instant coffee. I'll stick with the cheaper, more "burnt" dark roast, way smoother. I bought two 500g bags of the good stuff, so let the bidding begin.
Back in town we went to the local bar and dance hall, Bar Amigos. We snagged a couple cervezas and watched Costa Rica's futbol team get smoked by Mexico 4-1. In the corner of the bar was one TV with the Mavs-Heat game on, which was pretty great even if we were the only 3 people in the place actually watching. Congrats to the Mavs, who also brought their talents to South Beach. The DJ started blasting music and people began dancing, and later a live band came on.
They were fantastic, and are still performing. I can hear it all nice and clear from the thin walls in my room. I got to sleep just fine last night with the bass bumpin' so tonight shouldn't be any different. Heading off into the jungle tomorrow to hike around and see some wildlife. Really hoping my shoes somehow show up here, only time will tell.
Time for bed. Buenos noches, amigos.
Took a nap after my flight over the canyon and ate lunch at a hole-in-the wall café. Here they call them "sodas" and they serve "casados," typical Costa Rican food (rice and beans with your choice of meat and something on the side). I had casados con pollo, and I'm not feeling sick, so it went well. I was supposed to meet at a friend's hotel next door to the soda for the Don Juan Coffee Tour, but waited around and they didn't show. I figured I must've just missed them so I ran back into town to my hostel where they were standing on the street looking for me. Got it in the nick of time again! That makes the score so far David 3, Too Late 0. The plantation was small, only 2 acres of cultivated coffee, but it was really beautiful.
The guide was good, we learned the whole coffee process and one real important thing you guys back in the States probably still have wrong: light roast coffee has more flavor properties and caffeine, while dark roast has less flavor properties (but yes, a stronger, more robust flavor) and less caffeine. He preferred the blend of the two so you get it all. We got to meet Don Juan himself, a 70-something year old man who carries a big knife and is followed wherever he goes by a little dog, Tequila.
After the tour there were some snacks, chocolate covered coffee beans and coffee sampling. For me, the light roast is just too acidic, reminds me of instant coffee. I'll stick with the cheaper, more "burnt" dark roast, way smoother. I bought two 500g bags of the good stuff, so let the bidding begin.
Back in town we went to the local bar and dance hall, Bar Amigos. We snagged a couple cervezas and watched Costa Rica's futbol team get smoked by Mexico 4-1. In the corner of the bar was one TV with the Mavs-Heat game on, which was pretty great even if we were the only 3 people in the place actually watching. Congrats to the Mavs, who also brought their talents to South Beach. The DJ started blasting music and people began dancing, and later a live band came on.
They were fantastic, and are still performing. I can hear it all nice and clear from the thin walls in my room. I got to sleep just fine last night with the bass bumpin' so tonight shouldn't be any different. Heading off into the jungle tomorrow to hike around and see some wildlife. Really hoping my shoes somehow show up here, only time will tell.
Time for bed. Buenos noches, amigos.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Jeep-Boat-Jeep
Waking up early is hard. I got up at 7 so I could catch my ride to Monteverde at 8:30, but remembered I could catch the 2:30 instead. Done deal. After sleeping in I got off my lazy ass and headed into town in search of breakfast. And I found the pancakes of my dreams at the Rainforest Café (not the same as the ones in the States- far from it). Banana pancakes with caramelized fruit and syrup that must have been made from some fancy pure cane sugar. Back at the hostel I met up with Nick and we met a couple from Denver who happened to be heading my same direction, Brian and Kristin. Nick headed back home an hour before our shuttle came. It took us to Lake Arenal, the reservoir that uses hydroelectricity to power much of Costa Rica.
Right before boarding, I noticed I was still in my flip flops. Which meant I wasn't wearing my shoes. Which meant they were still at the hostel in La Fortuna. Luckily, I speak enough Spanish to get the point across and I told the shuttle driver where they were and where I was going so they could drop them off the next day. We'll see how that goes.
The boat took about an hour, and we hopped on our other bus when we were back on shore. What followed was a breathtaking ride through the countryside through the greenest hills and farm country I've ever seen.
The road was bumpy and the going was a little slow, but it made it that much more enjoyable. Along the way our driver suddenly stopped and pointed out a sloth sloth crawling along the power lines. Awesome wildlife sighting #1. In Monteverde I got dropped off in front of my hostel, $8 a night and I'm going to end up with a private room (so far so good). Had to deal with a pushy travel booking guy but got my zip line tour set for tomorrow. Went with Brian and Kristin to a seafood place and watched the USA-Panama game in the Gold Cup, but we lost 1-2. And here I am, sitting in a street-front window typing away and a couple guys from the Cerro Chato hike walk by, turns out they booked the same zip line time tomorrow. Gotta love this place. Pura Vida.
Right before boarding, I noticed I was still in my flip flops. Which meant I wasn't wearing my shoes. Which meant they were still at the hostel in La Fortuna. Luckily, I speak enough Spanish to get the point across and I told the shuttle driver where they were and where I was going so they could drop them off the next day. We'll see how that goes.
The boat took about an hour, and we hopped on our other bus when we were back on shore. What followed was a breathtaking ride through the countryside through the greenest hills and farm country I've ever seen.
The road was bumpy and the going was a little slow, but it made it that much more enjoyable. Along the way our driver suddenly stopped and pointed out a sloth sloth crawling along the power lines. Awesome wildlife sighting #1. In Monteverde I got dropped off in front of my hostel, $8 a night and I'm going to end up with a private room (so far so good). Had to deal with a pushy travel booking guy but got my zip line tour set for tomorrow. Went with Brian and Kristin to a seafood place and watched the USA-Panama game in the Gold Cup, but we lost 1-2. And here I am, sitting in a street-front window typing away and a couple guys from the Cerro Chato hike walk by, turns out they booked the same zip line time tomorrow. Gotta love this place. Pura Vida.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Cerro Chato, La Fortuna Falls, Baldi Hot Springs
Dear Diary,
Today I began my day by swimming in a volcano.
Wait, what?
I almost can't believe it either. After an omelette breakfast I caught a cab with friends Nick (L.A.) and Nicole (Chicago) to the base of dormant Cerro Chato Volcano, just SW of Volcán Arenal. The hike up was as humid as humanly possible and as steep and long as Camelback back home in Phoenix. I can probably safely say I've never sweat so much in my life. But at the end of the 3km uphill hike through the forest, we were greeted by this:
Cerro Chato Lagoon. Possibly the most refreshing swim I've ever had. The lake has cool, crystalline green waters and an unbelievable view of Volcán Arenal. We kept telling ourselves, "Hey...is this real life? We're swimming in a volcano right now."
After the hike down Nick and I trekked down to La Fortuna Falls, nearly as stunning:
The hike down was a cinch compared to Cerro Chato. The pool at the bottom was cold and way refreshing, and the water tasted like the R-O stuff we have at home, but sweeter and better. You could see fish swimming around in the clear blue water as you swam around. The falls had a ton of power; the sound of it should be recorded and sold till it goes platinum.
Hiking and swimming all day was a great change of pace for me. This was really what I came to Costa Rica for. But it was also draining and we were starving. Enter Luis the street meat guy:
All the locals were crowding around to get their chicken and pork kabobs from this guy, so you know it's good. The meat was ridiculously tender and slathered in his special picante sauce. Perfection.
Later we got a group together to go to Baldi Hot Springs, where there's water slides, swim-up bars, and an all-you-can-eat buffet. I'll let you guess which one I was most excited about. First we hit the slides, where the guy up top actually encouraged us to go down backwards, head-first. God bless this place. One of them was pitch black, tossed you around from wall to wall at 30 mph and actually got you airborne towards the end before dumping you out into the hot springs pool below. Hitting that water was like getting punched in the face. It was way too enjoyable.
The food was pretty good, and I maxxed out my stomach's capacity pretty quick. The best part? Coffee. Definitely going to have to drink more of the super-roasty Costa Rican joe. We hopped from spring to spring, scalded our toes trying out the 113 degree pool, and enjoyed a round of cervezas from Brian (San Diego) before heading back to the hostel. Thinking back on the day still makes me wonder if it really happened. Judging by how tired I am, it probably did. Tomorrow I'll likely be heading to Monteverde to do the Extremo zip-line canopy tour. But things can always change when you've got a month to see everything. And there's always that 50% chance of myself oversleeping and missing the bus. But really, it's all good.
Pura vida.
Today I began my day by swimming in a volcano.
Wait, what?
I almost can't believe it either. After an omelette breakfast I caught a cab with friends Nick (L.A.) and Nicole (Chicago) to the base of dormant Cerro Chato Volcano, just SW of Volcán Arenal. The hike up was as humid as humanly possible and as steep and long as Camelback back home in Phoenix. I can probably safely say I've never sweat so much in my life. But at the end of the 3km uphill hike through the forest, we were greeted by this:
Cerro Chato Lagoon. Possibly the most refreshing swim I've ever had. The lake has cool, crystalline green waters and an unbelievable view of Volcán Arenal. We kept telling ourselves, "Hey...is this real life? We're swimming in a volcano right now."
After the hike down Nick and I trekked down to La Fortuna Falls, nearly as stunning:
The hike down was a cinch compared to Cerro Chato. The pool at the bottom was cold and way refreshing, and the water tasted like the R-O stuff we have at home, but sweeter and better. You could see fish swimming around in the clear blue water as you swam around. The falls had a ton of power; the sound of it should be recorded and sold till it goes platinum.
Hiking and swimming all day was a great change of pace for me. This was really what I came to Costa Rica for. But it was also draining and we were starving. Enter Luis the street meat guy:
All the locals were crowding around to get their chicken and pork kabobs from this guy, so you know it's good. The meat was ridiculously tender and slathered in his special picante sauce. Perfection.
Later we got a group together to go to Baldi Hot Springs, where there's water slides, swim-up bars, and an all-you-can-eat buffet. I'll let you guess which one I was most excited about. First we hit the slides, where the guy up top actually encouraged us to go down backwards, head-first. God bless this place. One of them was pitch black, tossed you around from wall to wall at 30 mph and actually got you airborne towards the end before dumping you out into the hot springs pool below. Hitting that water was like getting punched in the face. It was way too enjoyable.
The food was pretty good, and I maxxed out my stomach's capacity pretty quick. The best part? Coffee. Definitely going to have to drink more of the super-roasty Costa Rican joe. We hopped from spring to spring, scalded our toes trying out the 113 degree pool, and enjoyed a round of cervezas from Brian (San Diego) before heading back to the hostel. Thinking back on the day still makes me wonder if it really happened. Judging by how tired I am, it probably did. Tomorrow I'll likely be heading to Monteverde to do the Extremo zip-line canopy tour. But things can always change when you've got a month to see everything. And there's always that 50% chance of myself oversleeping and missing the bus. But really, it's all good.
Pura vida.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
La Fortuna
Spent the night in San Jose having a couple cervezas with friends from South Carolina, the UK, Denmark, and one really interesting guy who insists he's only from Earth. Overslept a little and nearly didn't make it in time to catch the bus to La Fortuna, but I shared a taxi with two nice Swiss girls who were leaving already. We took the bus up with a stop in San Carlos at a bus stop/mall place where I had lunch, avoiding the Chinese restaurant at all costs, before arriving and taking a short hike uphill to the hostel.
And this place is unbelievably nice. Nice rooms with private bath in each dorm, restaurant, swim-up wet bar-it's nice. And only $14 a night. Went to the market to buy a towel, which I neglected to pack, and went for a dip. Met some cool people and we all went as a group to dinner at a nice cabana-type place in town that had awesome mango drinks. Tomorrow a few of us are going to split a cab to the park at the base of the volcano to hike to a now-dormant volcán with a lake, as well as La Fortuna Falls for a swim. Time to relax poolside and get some rest for tomorrow.
And this place is unbelievably nice. Nice rooms with private bath in each dorm, restaurant, swim-up wet bar-it's nice. And only $14 a night. Went to the market to buy a towel, which I neglected to pack, and went for a dip. Met some cool people and we all went as a group to dinner at a nice cabana-type place in town that had awesome mango drinks. Tomorrow a few of us are going to split a cab to the park at the base of the volcano to hike to a now-dormant volcán with a lake, as well as La Fortuna Falls for a swim. Time to relax poolside and get some rest for tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
San Jose
When U2 sang "Where The Streets Have No Names," I'm pretty sure they were talking about San Jose. Made it here no problem, and got some good advice from a college girl I sat next to on the plane. Got a taxi ride from my driver Alex and taught him English on the way to the hostel. Paid my $13 for the night and took a nap.
San Jose isn't as big as I thought, the feel of it reminds me of a lot of the smaller towns in China. Looks sorta like the sketchy parts of big cities but it's safe and you see the policía everywhere. There are parks here and there where people like to hang out, lots of couples smooching on benches and such. There's no way I would want to drive here, it seems like all the 4-way stops have unwritten rules. A lot of the time 2 taxis would stop and sit there like it's a red light while cars coming the other way hit the gas and fly past the "Alto" sign. Makes crossing the street a little more interesting.
Went for lunch down the street from the hostel at a place a roommate recommended. I had rice and beans, steak fajitas and fried plantain with a drink for 1.800 colónes, or $3 and change. Probably not going to stay in San Jose much longer, really there's only shopping and gambling at cheap casinos downtown; not really my thing. Tomorrow I'll probably take a bus to el Volcán Arenal. Hopefully it blows up while I'm around.
Went for lunch down the street from the hostel at a place a roommate recommended. I had rice and beans, steak fajitas and fried plantain with a drink for 1.800 colónes, or $3 and change. Probably not going to stay in San Jose much longer, really there's only shopping and gambling at cheap casinos downtown; not really my thing. Tomorrow I'll probably take a bus to el Volcán Arenal. Hopefully it blows up while I'm around.
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