Day 8: Puntarenas

We spent the morning in the Costa Rican Rainforest, enjoying the scenery from a gondola on the Pacific Aerial Tram. I’m beginning to think there are different degrees of 100% humidity - it can’t always be the same and yet feel so completely different! After a wonderfully comfortable ride in a fantastically chilled bus we arrive at the Transitional Rain Forest and prepare to board our gondola for the 50 minute round trip thru the secondary forest and then into the canopy. On the return we actually travel above the canopy.

Though there are far more species present here than we will find later in the jungle’s ecosystem, clearly they have more important things to do than perform for us humans. We do find many termite nests - these provide food for the many birds that will be here later in the day when it is cooler (no fools they!).

After our ride, we walk through trails with our guide. She points out all sorts of plants that can, could or are being used medicinally (I’m not certain I understood her Spanish accent) and then take a walk thru the “Serpentarium” (not really my kind of place!) It was evidently feeding time and I think this little fellow has been invited for lunch!

There is an open air restaurant at the Visitor’s Center here and we are fed a typical Costa Rican lunch (rice, beans, watermelon, pineapple, papaya, chicken and sautéed plantains (okay these were much better than anything the kids did as an extra credit project for their Spanish classes!) and then it was back on the bus for a ride to the Guacalillo Estuary and our Jungle Cruise. While on the way we saw some macaws above us in a tree and the bus driver immediately pulled over so we could get a better look.

We drove thru a sleepy little village (at 1 pm it was most likely siesta time…do they still do that?) and finally arrived at what appeared to be a (seriously) small hacienda by the side of the road. This was the starting point for our “cruise” - we proceeded down a rickety path towards the water (and I’m already scanning for predators). The “manager” of the pier is trying to find a stick that he can wedge into the walkway so we’ll be able to use it without falling in (apparently that’s bad for business). Our guide tries it and pronounces it “bueno” - we should now feel free to cross, no more than two at a time though, take our time, but hurry (just the sort of thing you’re hoping to hear as you’re about to jump into a boat over the crocs!).

We board a boat that is awfully reminiscent of Disney’s Jungle Cruise and I expect Gerry to start his shtick any moment but it is apparently too hot for humor just now. And then we were off. It’s absolutely incredible - the variety and amount of wildlife we saw! There were many different herons, egrets, osprey, vultures, kingfishers, eagle, hawks, iguanas (both green and black varieties) and of course crocodiles.




Finally it was time to head back to our ship (which today is the tallest building in Costa Rica!) Heat tends to totally sap the strength right out of you (that plus the fact that we had dinner with three of the most “cruise jaded” couples we’ve ever come across) and so I can’t even manage to stay awake for “Movie Poster Trivia Night” (I think I could have done pretty well here).

Tomorrow: We tender off the boat at 6:20 AM! for San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua (who booked that?)

tw

PS - For those of you hoping we (wouldn't) be bringing you home a little something special from Mexico this year, the Captain has advised us that we will be skipping that port this trip. (Ah...another exciting day at sea for the Weilers!)