Crocs and canoes in a mangrove swamp

Glad to descend back to the coast out of the 2000m weather in San Cristobal.

Puerto Arista may sound to you like a port, but the best part of it is the bird rich estuary that backs onto the camping/cabañas.

I stayed at Amazonia Camping Cabañas which is 200m west from the Lonely Planet trailed Jose Camping Cabañas. However, even with some assistance on directions, my taxi driver only managed to find the former. Jose rents the one canoe for exploring the bird sanctuary and also has a functioning restaurant, unlike Amazonia.

I enjoyed my early moring canoe so much I rented the canoe late afternoon as well. The santuary is so peaceful. I had the canoe and the santuary to myself - except for the wildlife of course. When embarking the canoe, best first to check for crocodiles nearby - they do like to bask at the waters edge. Once underway there are many different kinds of birds - unfortunately I am no twicher, though I have retrospectively identified the Neotropic Cormorant, Magnificent Frigatebird and dozens of playful Snowy Egrets. There was also many dragonflys, butterflies, and little reptiles that skate the water. The mangrove trees provided their own visual facination.

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