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Published: March 1st 2011
One of the sloths
Manuel Antonio National ParkLast entry we finished up in Quepos at the rodeo/bull fight. But the main reason for going to quepos is to see Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. This is one of Costa Rica's smallest national parks and we only saw a very small part of it I think. But we paid for a guide who had a telescope and he pointed out so many interesting animals and plants as we walked. Through the telescope we got a great view and great photos of spiders, a toucan, sloths (Yay! I really wanted to see them) Iguanas, insects, frogs and snakes. We also had lunch on a beach where a heap of campuchin monkeys put on a show and tried to steal packs of chips etc from tourists. There were also racoons who were not shy either. Manuel Antonio is a great place to visit if you want to see wildlife easily and be guaranteed to see heaps of animals.
We then headed off with our Canadian Friends (John and Amanda) to Uvita, which is a beach town that made a good break in our journey south. We found some more waterfalls to swim underneath, and these ones you could actually slide down
Campuchin Monkey
With stolen biscuit safely, so John (2) and I (Jon 1) had a good go at that for a morning and then went to the beach for a bit of surfing. We both know why surfers wear Rashies now. So, after we reattached our nipples, we took our boards back to the rental shop and went out for dinner with the girls.
After 5 days travelling with John and Amanda we siad goodbye and went to Bahia Drake, which is a remote part of Costa Rica. It took a bus, taxi and boat to get there and when you arrive, you notice an even more casual side to this country. We went Diving (Jon) and Snorkellin (Leanne) one day and had a great time seeing some awesome sea life. I had my best ever manta ray experience. In one dive I saw three and each time they came within about 5 metres. I love manta rays; they remind me of an aquatic version of the star ship Enterprise. Both in shape and the way they slowly move and other things get out of there way. I also saw plenty of interesting sharks and fish, including garden eels, which live in holes with
half of their bodies sticking out until a group of divers come by and they gradually retract into their holes until only their eyes are looking up at you. On the boat back from Isla Caño we stumbled upon two humpbacks splashing around in the water. This was the second such unexpected whale experience in Costa Rica. Again it was a mother and her very young calf. The young one was about 3 weeks old and provided most of the entertainment. Mum holds her breath longer and we only saw her surface occasionally. The calf liked to waves its fins at us and make a splash.
The next day we got dropped off at a beach that had more good snorkeling and was very secluded. We took lunch and only saw 4 other people on the beach before walking back to town. The walk was a little more than Leanne had bargained for and she was very tired by the time we got back. So no more long hikes for Leanne. We will have to plan our days carefully from here on. But on this long hike we saw a third type of monkey. We came across a group
Baby Humpback
With its mother, they put on a show near Isla Caño of spider monkeys who came out for an afternoon feed just before we got back to Bahia Drake.
We then back tracked our way to San Jose to catch our flights to Mexico. We stopped at Dominical, where I had another surf and Leanne watched her husband get wiped out by big waves and a surfboard in the mouth. No biggy. I got back on the horse, because I don´t know when I´ll be able to surf next.
My mother in law, Marge, always says things happen for a reason and our next experience was one such situation. We went via Panama to get to Mexico and had just 50 minutes between flights to connect. We didn´t make it due to a late flight and our own stupidity (not realising there was a time change when we got to Panama). So we missed our flight. That meant we had 6 hours to check out another country. Luckily the canal is only half an hour from the airport. So we went for a while to watch the ships go through the locks. That was an interesting process and something we would have planned if we thought of it ourselves.
Isolated beach
Long walk back to Bahia Drake We also saw the old town and I got the feeling that I was in little America. The currency is US Dollars, the foreshore is littered with high rise buildings and the buses are retired yellow American school buses. A lot have been given an wicked paint job and look better than new.
A few notes on Costa Rica:
Razor wire and barred windows Most places we stayed in had security like I'd expect in South Africa. Night guards were common and we were constanlty being warned about theft too.
Americans earning their bad rep as annoying tourists Not all but some were annoyingly dumb to talk too and at times they showed their ignorance of the rest of the world. One guy asked up if we have Euros in Australia. Do thay still think Austria and Australia are the same place? (Two exceptions are Randy and Gail who we had a good time with in Samara; no offence to you guys.)
Food in Costa Rica Most meals consist of rice and fried beans. That is not such a bad thing, because you can have different accompaniments with that. The national dish is called ´Casado´, which means married man. So this is what a married man has for lunch or dinner; Rice, Beans, Salad, maybe some fried banana and a choice of meat (eg, Casado con pollo). There are also heaps of mexican options like burittos and quesadillas. Probably the best food in Costa Rica is the Mango and Pinapple. So sweet and juicy. The fruit shakes are awesome too.
Beer in Costa Rica Don´t bother!
Spanish lessons Lets say I am improving slowly but surely. Some times it seems much easier than others. Once I stopped a passing car to ask (in spanish) if there was a taxi waiting at the end of the road. The driver asked (with an american accent) if I would like to try again in english. Appantlyly the only word he understood in spanish was 'taxi'.
Leanne's feet Swollen and sore. Especially after very long walks. Must be careful from now on. We were given sound advice from tome ladies in Panama. Rest and elevation are the key. Drink lots of water. (see I do understand some spanish!)
¨
Blushing M
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Michelle
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Loving your blogs guys!! Keep em coming! When are you back?