Blogs from Uvita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean

This day was another beach day – in order for Lauren and Daniel to have their surfing lessons at last at noon. It wasn’t very sunny in the morning but it was still lovely and warm and the ocean is amazingly warm. No one lost glasses or hats or goggles today, but the waves sure were high! We had stopped beforehand at the supermarket and for lunch we had a very typical Costa Rican sandwich of white bread, cheese, and a spread of refried beans. To me it tasted a bit like braunsweiger. It hit the spot. The kids did really well in their 2 hour lesson, which took place in the last 3’ of water. Just like yesterday, the shelf of the beach went on forever, very sandy, and we never felt a drop off. ... read more

Sunday the 29th We were awake VERY early – it’s 2 hours “behind” – and we were able to get in over an hour’s worth of birding before a lovely Costa Rican breakfast of “gallo pinto,” namely the spotted rooster: eggs, black beans mixed in rich, with a flour tortilla. And really good coffee. The driver Gerardo picked us up at 9:30 and we bid goodbye to Villa San Ignacio for a 4+ hour drive s.w. to the Pacific Coast. We learned that there are barely any roads except for single, and lots of hills, and scary driving, and yet we saw lots of bikers!! We stopped at a super muddy river where crocodiles abound, Tarcoles River, got to visit el bano, and bought some snacks. We are finding the various plantain snacks very tasty, esp ... read more

Today is not going according to plan. I had such a sore throat in the night I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been feeling ill for 4 days now, so I take another covid test. This time it’s positive. Well that explains the sore throat! We have flights booked for the day after tomorrow. I guess that’s not going to happen! I check the isolation rules for Costa Rica; 7-10 days from the date of testing positive. No chance to backdate to the date of first symptoms. It’s going to be a long week… The old man has a whale watching tour booked this morning, so he departs early, leaving me alone with a bottle of warm soda water. He has asked for breakfast to be brought to the room, which finally arrives some considerable time later. The ... read more

Geo: 9.15232, -83.7565After a very restful evening felt more like taking the hike all the way up to the Mirador. Last year we got the the Mirador during low tide and were able to see the complete Whale's Tail! This year the tide is not running in our favor but because we are starting out early, a great deal of it should be showing.As we were walking down the road, heard a woodpecker but were never able to find it in the trees as well as the toucans calling in the distance. This year seems we are not going to see as many toucans as we have in years past.Once we got to the bamboo forest, the road was pretty much in the shade and was cool and pleasant to walk as you were steadily climbing ... read more

Tuesday Took an early (6am) walk today through the big bamboo forest. It's up the road in the opposite direction from Uvita. Very bumpy, rocky roads, definitely four-wheel drive territory. A pedestrian bridge crossed a river just before the forest. Construction was ongoing on an replacement auto bridge. Now the four-wheel drives have to drive through the river. The forest was definitely awesome, especially in the early morning sun. It went on and on. Didn't realize that the bamboo sheds its outer bark. On the road back we noticed a pair of bright yellow birds up in a nest atop a utility pole. We were taking photos and they were definitely mad at us. Many cats and dogs in this area. The dogs are very territorial, barking fiercely at us but stopping at the edge of ... read more