Costa Rica. Day 8. High humidity.

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Day 8. High humidity.
Bottled water and sun block in hand, we load up the bus and head south to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica’s better known beaches. The drive over is an adventure in itself. Roads are narrow and pockmarked. As we drive over one-lane bridges, the wooden beds bounce and shudder.
As some tour members settle on the beach, a few of us take off for a hike thru the forest. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. Not a whisper of rain. Instead, within a few feet of beginning the hike, we are soaked. Drenched in sweat. And it just gets worse. By the time we get to the top, sweat pools on my arms. We are wetter than if it had been raining. Still we trudge on through fabulous scenery. At least we’re heading down now. It’s a beautiful walk. Towards the bottom we spot a coatimundi, its long snout snooping in the forest floor. Once on the beach, after watching little crabs scamper over the rocks, we scamper over the rocks ourselves, managing to get pretty soaked in the process. The beautiful aqua-colored water is warm, but we don’t have time to linger. It’s back on the bus and back to Jaco.
That afternoon Kirk and I stroll “downtown,” which consists of a hodgepodge of little shops stretching over a six-block section. I buy a dress, largely because I brought few clothes with me and I’m tired of wearing the same thing each day. It’s a purple dress embroidered at the bottom; it hangs loosely from my shoulders.
I have a lovely evening. After dancing briefly at the hotel, I stroll about 300 yards to the beach to watch the sunset with my pal Kirk, who manages to find another coconut to throw in the ocean. I catch the action on film. Just as the sun goes down. We walk back with friends, Damian and Sandy, as bats swoop around us. Time to get dressed for dinner, and I now have a dress to wear. It looks—nice.

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Photos

Manuel Antonio National Park
One of Costa Rica's better known beaches

High humidity
I was soaking wet by the time I reached the top of our hike.

Bridge crossing
Driving in costa Rica can at times be harrowing.