Crocs, Carara and Manuel Antonio

March 25

CR Croc

Carlos picked us up at 6:30 this morning and off we went to Carara National Park near the Pacific side of Costa Rica. Along the way we stopped at the Tarcoles River where crocodiles hang out. They looked at if they had just eaten a large meal and were resting in order to digest it.

White Ibis

Next we went to the park and hiked for about two hours. Throughout the hike we heard the macaws as they are quite loud with their squawking. We never saw them in the trees as the canopy is quite dense. However Carlos and I did see four fly by swiftly with their magnificent coloration and long tail feathers flying in the wind. There are about 450 scarlet macaws living in and around the park. They are truly spectacular birds. We didn’t see much in the way of wildlife. Ron got some pix of iguanas, some birds and saw a raccoon but again the jungle was too dense to get a photo.

Iguana

Bee's nest

Great Tinamou

typical jungle growth

Whiptail Lizard

White Tipped Dove

Rufus Naped Wren

Blue Crowned Mot Mot

Back in the car and we headed to a place for zip lining and I opted out again as my vertigo is still with me although much milder than initially. I am not sure I would zip line even without vertigo. We spent a little over two hours in this facility. I rode a gondola through the jungle with a guide pointing out various plants, leaf cutter ants, etc. I took one bad photo of a monkey brush plant. The monkeys use this fruit(?) to comb their hair and rid themselves of parasites. I never cease to be amazed at the intelligence of monkeys and apes. While I was waiting on Ron I took some pix of birds, more iguanas and the common basilisk aka the Jesus lizard because of its ability to walk on water. HA!!

Common Basilisa Lizard

 

Carlos took us to a wonderful restaurant on the Jaco beach where we sat outside in the shade with a lovely ocean breeze cooling us. Ron and I ordered fish tacos and could barely finish them as the servings were large and delicious. The small cove had lots of boats and a few people swimming in the beautiful turquoise waters and lying on the white sand beach.

Great Kiskadee

Because we had a lot of time left in the day we decided to go further south to Manuel Antonio Beach. The coastal drive was gorgeous. Costa Rica has white, brown and black sand beaches and we got to see them all. Carlos first drove us through the town of Jaco then it took another 90 minutes to get to M Antonio. It was a very cute town with lots of eateries and hotels and guesthouses. There is a national park here but it was closed for the day as we didn’t arrive until after 4:00. We did see a sloth on a fence as we were driving through town. If you have never seen one they are amazingly slow moving creatures. They look as through their movements are in slow motion.

This is a popular town for tourists. I wish we had planned ahead and stayed overnight but alas we didn’t. One of the drawbacks of being ‘tourists on speed’ is you can’t do it all in a day but by golly we sure like to pack it in in terms seeing what we can in a day!  We walked on the beach briefly and headed home. We arrived at 6:30 making it a 12 hour day. Needless to say we were tired but I am sure Carlos was all the more exhausted. We scrambled some eggs and made toast and headed to bed at 9:45 and were asleep within minutes.

March 26

I told Ron I wanted a down day after our marathon yesterday. We stayed home other than a trip to an art gallery to see the work of a painter Victoria had told us about. The doors were locked so no culture for us today. We continued on to the grocery store and picked up some items for another house dinner. Victoria is making a lentil spinach soup and it is Anca and Michael’s last night before heading back to PA. We have made a great connection with them and enjoy learning a bit about Romania. Neither of us has traveled there.

Ron and I spent the afternoon watching a DVD on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt that was based on a biography of them. Although the acting was rough in places the overall story was intriguing. I didn’t know that much about them and enjoyed it with all the splendor and costumes of the era.

Our house dinner was delicious and the interaction delightful. I really appreciate Victoria’s ability to brings guests together and have meaningful interaction. Ron and I retired to our room after 10:00 and watched the second disc of the Roosevelt’s then went to bed at 1:45 AM!!

Volcanoes and Jaguars and Butterflies, Oh My!

March 21

We got up early and Carlos picked us up at 7:00. Off to Poas Volcano National Park, a mere 28 miles from downtown San Jose. The park is 8,895 ft above sea level and the scenery is spectacular. 

Caribbean view

Pacific view

We could see the Caribbean and Pacific from up top. The upper slopes of Poas are often covered in clouds which give rise to cloud forests. 

We passed large coffee fincas (farms), strawberry farms, and tiny villages along the way. We were quite lucky as we got there early and it was crystal clear, no clouds. According to Carlos, many tourists never get to see the volcano because of the cloud cover. We could only stay at the overlook of the crater for 20 minutes due to the sulfur fumes. Warning signs were posted everywhere.  The crater is 4,300 ft across and 984 ft deep. Volcanic gases bubble up through the lake which heats the lake to 136-199 degrees Fahrenheit. Poas emits between 40 and 500 tons of CO2 each day and other ejected gases generate acid rain and acid fog that have left parts of the northwest slope barren like a lunar landscape. Otherwise there is rich vegetation everywhere.

After leaving the crater we hiked to an older crater, Laguna Botos. Here the lake and surrounding area looked completely different. The lake was clear and the water is cold according to Carlos. Did I mention that Carlos is a forest ranger? With the recession, his job was cut from full-time to a contract position two days a week. When there was a large earthquake a few years ago, Carlos stayed in this area for five days helping recover bodies, dead and alive, working around the clock. The community was so thankful for his efforts he is always given free treats at the concessions at the park.

Poas is an active volcano. In 1910 an eruption produced an ash cloud 5 miles high and deposited 640,000 tons of ash over the Central Valley. The last major eruption was in 1953 and the eruption produced an ash cloud 4.3 miles high. Minor eruptions are far more common. In 2009 an eruption launched a mixture of ash and water 1,800 ft into the air.

We hiked back to the car.  We to La Paz where we stopped for photos as the scenery is too grand to pass up. Coffee farms, strawberry farms and the Central Valley with the morning sun were too much to resist.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a private enterprise but according to Carlos they work hand in hand with the government, ensuring that flora and fauna are well managed according to sound sustainable practices. The entrance fee is $40 per person. After being there I could see why. They have done an excellent job with the infrastructure and the gardens. It was so tastefully executed. All paths are made with pavers to avoid getting into slippery muddy trails. There are railings everywhere that look like quaint wood railings yet they are made of cast concrete.

Crested guan

Crested mandibled toucan

First we went on trail across a small creek and the vegetation was incredibly dense and green, the result of the daily clouds that roll in. 

Parrot

Scarlet macaw

Blue Morpho

We returned to the center where there is a wildlife refuge filled with over 100 Costa Rican species, including frogs, snakes, monkeys, sloths, toucans, hummingbirds, butterflies, and wild cats (jaguars, pumas, ocelots).I loved the butterfly enclosure. Thousands were flying around and would land on Carlos, Ron and me. I was also enthralled with the hummingbird section which was not an enclosed space.

White faced capuchin
or
Hasidic Monkey

White ruffed manakin

Violet sabrewing (humming bird)

Puma

Ocelots

Jaguar

Green poison dart frog

Red eyed leaf frog

Strawberry poison dart frog

We went into a traditional house from the past which showed how a typical family would have lived. We were treated to a sugar cane tea, quesco (homemade cheese) and cornbread made with coconut milk. Outside the house was a man with the famous highly decorated ox carts from this region. 

We started our 2.2 mile waterfall hike and loved it. Five waterfalls and the trail was close to the river the entire time. I love the sound of rushing water. By the end of the walk we had been on our feet for hours and I was ready to drop. Fortunately there was shuttle bus to take us back to the center where we had a classic buffet lunch. 

We came home after lunch arriving at 3:00 and rested. At 7:00 we decided to go out for dinner as neither of us had the energy to make a simple supper. We had soup and salad at a bar in Avenida Escazu. Our Caesar salad had too much anchovy so I asked Ron to join me afterwards for a sorbet at the gelato shop nearby to kill the anchovy aftertaste. Oh yum!

Some of the flora we saw along the way: