Manuel Antonio

Wednesday -- Laura and I put a few days worth of clothes into our packs and were ready to head four hours south of Coco to Manuel Antonio. We got picked up by an air conditioned van that shuttles tourists and backpackers around the island for pretty cheap. On our way down I asked the driver if he would stop at Rio Tarcoles for a moment so we could check out the crocodiles. And I was glad he obliged! Rio Tarcoles is one of the most crocodile infested rivers in the world, and there were several right below the bridge we were on! It was pretty cool, especially seeing them outside of a zoo. I hope no one's ever fallen in!

We slowly made our way down the coast, the roads getting bumpier and sketchier and the bridges even worse! I think I would have lost it if I would have been driving a rental car. I couldn't believe some of the bridges did their job. I looked down and tried to focus on something else while crossing them which everyone knows doesn't work. But I made it so enough of that. We finally pulled in Hostel Vista Serena where we were staying the next couple of nights. The hostel was lovely, which is always a relief for me if I've pre-booked. There were hammocks strewn out over the back patio with a view of the Pacific Ocean. We checked into our 4 person (2 bunk) dorm, threw our stuff in the lockers and headed into town to grab some early dinner. After a couple miles on the main road we found a little soda and grabbed some local Costa Rican cuisine (seafood and rice). Afterward we picked up a couple groceries + beer to save money and cook for ourselves in the hostel kitchen the next day.

We arrived back to the hostel to check the internet, read, and generally chill out. However our fellow hostel goers kept filtering in and were extremely nice and in a partying mood. A relaxing night of a book and a couple beers (for me, Laura was not drinking) turned into a game of King's Cup with about 15 other people! We were mostly Americans and so of course we had to teach the Brit some American drinking games! It was great fun though, and one of the hostel managers chilled with us. The night crept into the wee hours of the morning thankful to the stocked fridge full of beer available for purchase, and the guava some travelers had contributed.

The next morning we awoke ready to head to Manuel Antonio National Park, a place known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails. Laura and I caught the bus up the road and headed the 10 miles or so to the park entrance. Finding the entrance once off the bus was a little difficult but we managed to find it after joining a couple of other travelers. We entered the park and immediately staked out a tour group. We received this advice from Jimbo in Coco and he was definitely right: the tour guides can spot so many things so if you stay a little bit behind them you can see the stuff for free! We saw sloths, spiders, crabs, insects, snakes, lizards, monkeys, raccoons, flowers, etc. It was unbelievable.

After walking around a while we headed to one of the four beaches in the park, Manuel Antonio. It was absolutely breathtaking. I've never seen anything like it. We found a spot and settled in, ready for the sun and some swimming. Soon enough we realized that if you didn't pay attention to your stuff some cheeky bastards would come and try to steal something! Damn raccoons. And then the monkeys. The monkeys were cuter though. There were spider monkeys everywhere! It was really cool, I even saw a baby one. The sun started to edge towards the horizon after a long and amazing day and we headed out of the park and towards the bus stop. We got some hawker food from one of the many stands, caught the bus and arrived back at the hostel. Some of the group from the previous night had moved on to other parts of the country but those that were left hung out for cocktails and beer once more. It was more of a mellow night, which was probably a good thing!

The next morning Laura and I arose early to catch our shuttle back to Playas del Coco. I felt worn out and anxious to get back to the condo. Four hours later with nothing eventful to report (those awful bridges weren't any easier) and we were back in el Coco. We only had one day left so we hung out by the pool and took it easy. We went out for one last seaside meal at night, then bought a few souvenirs. Of course we couldn't leave without saying goodbye to Jimbo so off we went for a couple cocktails. We ended up hanging out with a couple expats (Laura left early) and I didn't get to back until late. Unfortunately our flight was at 7 a.m. and we missed it! We both messed up on that one as Laura didn't realize it was morning even though she awoke to daylight and I didn't wake up to my alarm. Shit. Luckily the agent at Liberia Airport was nice and booked us on the next flight albeit it was six hours later. The Liberia Airport was not exactly modern either! It was all outdoor except for a few shops and so there was really nothing to do except deal with the humidity and check out westerners. But as everyone knows time passes and after a miserable morning we were headed back to the states. I eventually made it back to Salt Lake around midnight but Laura didn't get on a flight until the next day which I felt awful about. It was a lesson to be learned -- don't miss your flight!

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