Costa Rica Tour - Turtles and Rainforest. This was one of The Great Vacations! We made new discoveries and new friends every day. Everyone we met was delightful, and Adventure Life's organization ran without a flaw. Thanks to all involved!
Note: This was the second trip with Adventure Life for me and my wife Wendy--three months earlier we'd gone on a tour of Patagonia, and found the trip so fantastic that we talked our friend Amy Litos into joining us for Costa Rica. The Patagonia trip was a celebration. We didn't travel during 2004 because I was battling colon cancer, getting disemboweled and pumping expensive and highly toxic chemicals into my body. The fact that I'm writing this now indicates that I won.
The flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Costa Rica is short, just over two hours; they're on Central Standard time, so during the DST months, you arrive about the same time you leave. We got in to San Jose early enough to enjoy a walk to the town center, which is filled with charming markets. We had a glass of wine at the Teatro Nacional, a beautiful, elegant building that's the cultural center for the nation.
[Photo 1: Wendy and Amy at the Flower Market]
Hotel Le Bergerac is a jewel…located just outside of the center of town, it's an elegant and comfortable place often used by visiting diplomats. Rooms are spotless, service is friendly, courteous and attentive, and most have a garden just outside where you can sit and enjoy the serene beauty.
[Photo 2: The garden outside our room at Le Bergerac]
And the real treasure is their restaurant, L'Isle de France. It has a wonderful continental menu, and the two dinners we had there were exquisite, from escargot to veal to delicious desserts.
[Photo 3: Dinner at L'Isle de France]
Costa Rica, like much of Central America, doesn't use street numbers, and street names are rarely posted. The hotel's address was La primera entrada a Los Yoses, 50 metros sur…"the first entrance to [the neighborhood] Los Yoses, 50 meters (1/2 block) south," which is the descriptive style they use to identify places. I would despair to rent a car there and try to find anything. Mercifully, Adventure Life's transportation arrangements worked flawlessly.
Pacuare Nature Reserve: Day One
May 29, 2005
After breakfast the next morning, our driver arrived for the long trip to Pacuare Nature Reserve. Marvin, the driver (he, like most of the guides, anglicized his name. Amy speaks excellent Spanish, and I can stumble by even without her, so that wasn't really necessary) was friendly and efficient. He stopped often to let us enjoy and photograph lovely vistas, and pointed out a family of tree sloths; and he seemed to know all the best Sodas for on-the-road lunches.
[Photo 4: The Costa Rican Rain Forest]
[Photo 5: Tree Sloth mother with young]
We drove through an agricultural town with a banana packing facility, down a long road, deeper and deeper until the paved road ended. We followed a dirt road for another few miles until we came to a river. There, we waited until the folks from the Reserve arrived. After about an hour, a long, motorized canoe came in, and we loaded our gear and got on board for the trip.
The Pacuare Nature Reserve is primarily a facility for sea turtle research. They're not really set up for tourists…there are only two rooms for guests, and no electricity. The refrigerator runs on propane, and there are no lights after dark except by battery. The shower is cool, using collected rain water (Wendy and Amy talked me out of dancing naked in the forest after showering singing This is the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius). Nonetheless, the experience at the Reserve was the most unique and fascinating part of the trip.
[Photo 6: Guest quarters at the Pacuare Nature Reserve]
Our guide, Alvaro, was a herpetologist from Spain, and was excellent, even though we did take him away from some of his research activities. We started out with a walk on the beach, where he found and excavated a recently hatched leatherback turtle nest. Nearly a hundred eggs were there, and many didn't hatch, but there was enough evidence of successful births to give hope.
[Photo 7: Turtle research: Alvaro excavates a nest]
Dinner was brought in by two local ladies; beans and rice (alternating with rice and beans--Tico food is not the most imaginative, even if it's always tasty). Then, once it was really dark (there was a new moon that night) we all went on a long walk on the beach.
Did I mention it was dark? Seriously dark. We all had flashlights with red plastic covers so when we encountered a turtle, the light wouldn't disturb her. We were cautioned not to use them in general, because there were poachers in the vicinity and they were armed. (Great…the news that no one had yet been shot was comforting, sort of). I wondered how we'd notice the turtles.
Then I found out. The turtle was huge, seven feet long. These were Leatherback Turtles, the largest of all the sea turtles. She was visible in starlight, even if you couldn't hear her huffing as she crawled up the beach to find just the right spot to lay her nest. She dug a five-foot deep hole, and once she started, nothing we did could distract her. She began to lay her eggs, and Alvaro left us to get a tape measure for the turtle's carapace. I held Amy by the ankles while she shone the red flashlight on the turtle's rear end and counted the eggs (there were 109, thank you for asking).
Over two nights, we encountered five turtles, each at different stages of the process. Gad! How many people can say they've experienced such things? "Adventure" Life, indeed!
Pacuare Nature Reserve: Day Two
May 30, 2005
For the next morning Alvaro took us on a nature walk. Now, this is deep in the Costa Rican jungle at the Caribbean coast, so calling this a "nature walk" doesn't do it justice. Helliconias grew in outlandish variety, each more extravagant than all the others, with other plants even more exotic.
[Photo 8: Helliconia in the forest]
Big Howler Monkeys and Spider Monkeys, both endangered species, filled the trees. The Howler got their name from their call, deep, loud, like a bass drum in a primate; it can be heard for miles.
[Photo 9: Howler monkey]
We found tiny frogs with wild colors. One, the "blue jean" frog with blue hindquarters and bright red front, was poisonous, used by indigenous folk for their arrows.
[Photo 10: Poisonous Blue Jean Frog]
Deep inside was a pond covered in vegetation, filled with beautiful birds. It was like encountering another planet--and we're from subtropical southern Florida!
[Photo 11: A Heron in the Pond]
That afternoon, Alvaro took us up river in the Center's boat, and the scenery was again gorgeous. We saw no crocodiles, and that was probably just as well. He somehow located a bar in the forest where we enjoyed a local beer and chatted with the bartender. The Costa Rican accent is about as pure as one can find among Spanish-speaking countries, and I had little problem following him.
That evening, we again joined the researchers in a beach hunt for Leatherback Turtles laying their eggs--this time we found three, after walking for several miles. We slept soundly that night.
Selva Bananito: Day One
May 31, 2005
After two nights, we left this wonderful spot and its delightful people for the Selva Bananito Lodge.
This was decidedly less rustic, but no less adventurous. The cabins are beautiful and comfortable, and each has only three walls. The fourth opens onto the most glorious view I've ever had in a hotel: a mist-shrouded mountain forest seen across a lush valley.
This lodge also had no electricity or hot water (the water was lukewarm and perfectly comfortable for showering). Mornings were magical…flocks of blue-head Pionus parrots flew past (we've had one for a pet for over thirty years), and the dawn gradually reveals a magnificent mountain view as the birds call out to each other in the morning symphony.
[Photo 12: Our cabin at the Selva Bananito Lodge]
[Photo 13: The view from our cabin]
Marvin, the driver from earlier in the trip, dropped us off in early afternoon. After getting unpacked and oriented, we all went down to a huge tree with cables hanging from the top. Once strapped in, one could pull oneself up nearly to the top--theoretically. Neither Wendy I could get more than a few feet off the ground, though Amy pulled herself all the way to the top, twice!
[Photo 14: Amy at the top of the tree]
Dinners were communal. Most of the guests were newlyweds (and adorable), and took our thirty-years-and-counting marriage as a sign of good luck. The dishes were not especially imaginative, but they were well prepared and satisfying, and sometimes quite delicious. They also had the most amazing array of fruit juices I'd ever encountered: carambola, tomatillo, blackberry, you name it.
[Photo 15: Dinner at the Selva Bananito Lodge]
Selva Bananito: Day Two
Jun 01, 2005
The next day presented a choice of many activities. We chose a hike up a creek bed to a waterfall. Justo was our guide throughout the stay, and he was great--quiet but always helpful and knowledgeable, perfect for our group.
One of the honeymooning couples joined us, and we were all enchanted by the array of wildlife along the creek--frogs, crayfish, spiders, lizards, snakes. The hike was a rough one, too much for Wendy's feet, so we turned back about halfway into it, but our friend Amy made it the whole distance, including rappelling down the powerful waterfall itself. She later pronounced it the most strenuous thing she'd ever done...and she loved every minute. And that includes the encounter with a fer-de-lance, one of the most poisonous snakes in the New World.
[Photo 15: Justo, a honeymooner, and a crayfish]
[Photo 16: The Waterfall at the end of the trek]
We spent the afternoon, joined by Amy, in the hammocks on the deck of our cabin, listening to the birds, reading, sipping wine, and enjoying the serenity and the view.
[Photo 17: After the waterfall: a day seized]
Dinner was again communal and candle-lit. A Chilean Sauvignon blanc wine went well with the roasted chicken (and rice and beans).
Selva Bananito Lodge: Day Two
Jun 02, 2005
The next day was devoted to a jungle walk and zip line. This area was different from the Pacuare Reserve; it was higher in the mountains, cooler, with a different flora and fauna. We encountered a coral snake, hummingbirds, toucans, and more ants than I've ever seen in one place, including parades of Leaf Carrier Ants, engaged in their appointed mission: carrying leaves.
[Photo 18: Leaf Carriers, carrying leaves]
[Photo 19: A Keel-billed Toucan]
Then there was the Zip Line. The way this works is, you go to a high point, a hill of some sort. From the top of the hill, a heavy steel cable connects to a very tall tree. You put on a harness, some heavy gloves, a helmet, and attach yourself to the cable on a pulley. The hill is a bit higher than the tree, so you're heading downhill. You then jump off the hill, and slide along the cable at a screamingly fast rate to the top of the tree, landing with enough force to flatten poor Justo. Justo's job is to keep you from killing both yourself, and him.
He succeeded, in that we all lived, despite the fact that I almost crushed him and Wendy would have broken her head if he hadn't caught her in time.
Then we had to rappel down on ropes to the forest floor, which was about a thousand feet down (actually, we were told it was around 90 feet, but I think they were lying). We again succeeded (no one died), though I lost several style points with my initial ten-foot drop before I stabilized. The experience is now filed under the category "I'm glad I did it once. Never again." Perhaps people like me with serious acrophobia shouldn't do Zip Lines.
[Photo 20: Wendy rappels to safety]
The walk back to the lodge through a creek bed made up for any feigned terror from the Zip Line experience; it was so lovely and peaceful. The forest canopy was thick, and sunlight only came through in spots. The creek was lined with black, volcanic rock, and big, blue Morpho butterflies passed lazily through the sunbeams.
[Photo 21: Returning to the Lodge]
After dinner, we managed to confirm what we had suspected during the last two nights. Adventure Life had generously included a "Bat Supplement" at no extra charge. With the open wall, every night just after sundown, and every morning just before dawn, we had several bats return to roost in our ceiling, or whatever bats do when they sleep. We set the camera on flash and made random shots of the ceiling. Here's one of the better photos.
[Photo 22: The Bat Supplement]
Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare
Jun 03, 2005
We left the lodge the next morning at 7 AM sharp for a day of whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River with Exploradores Outdoors. The Pacuare is one of the favorite rivers for the sport. Its rapids reach Class V, stopping just short of the "certain death" level that some thrill-seekers demand. It was our first time (we've been back twice since), and it was the most fun my wife and I have ever had with our clothes on.
Our guide, who would only answer to "Henry," just made the trip...excellent command of the raft, great direction, and a wonderful sense of humor. We christened our raft crew "Los Viejos," "the Old Ones," since we and the two guys who joined us were the only people over thirty, and we ruled!
We got about 15 minutes of instruction from Henry on how to navigate when passing through the rapids. Imagine that you're in an inflatable raft and you're in a washing machine at high speed, and you get something of the picture. We practiced getting in and out of the water in case we got overturned or otherwise thrown free of the raft.
Then we were off. Every few minutes, we hit rapids, had a thrill ride through them, and a few hundred meters of relatively calm waters in between. We were the only group that never overturned or lost anyone overboard, for which I credit Henry's expert guidance and our seasoned experience (that would be the 15 minutes I referred to above).
[Photo 23: Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River]
Halfway down the river, we all landed, and the staff turned two boats over and spread out a beautiful lunch for us all, served on the boat bottoms.
[Photo 24: Lunch on the Pacuare]
One glorious sight will be in my memory forever: in a calm stretch between rapids, vegetation-covered canyon walls stretched up hundreds of feet on either side. A waterfall cascaded into the river on the right...and to the left, the breeze shook loose some leaves from a tree, all deep yellow. They were hit by the blazing noontime sun, glowing a brilliant gold, and for a moment it was raining gold!
Back at the Exploradores base, we all showered, enjoyed a local beer, and thanked Henry for a great trip before being driven back to Le Bergerac. Dinner at L'Isle de France was superb, and we were sad to leave the next morning.
[Photo 25: Final dinner at L'Isle de France]
Epilogue: Pura Vida!
Jun 04, 2005
Wendy and I have a custom. At the end of any trip, on the way home--not a moment sooner--we ask each other what was our favorite part of the trip. On this one, we really couldn't choose. The hotel and restaurant were superb, the turtle adventure on the beach and the surrounding jungle were inimitable, the beauty and serenity of the Selva Bananito Lodge were a treasure, and whitewater rafting is now a favorite sport.
Costa Rica has adopted a national motto for their tourism, "Pura Vida." It translates "pure life," by which they mean a life lived fully, enjoying all the beauty and fascination with nature and culture that their lovely country has to offer. It is a wonderful country, with magnificent natural resources and a friendly and proud people.
This was one of The Great Vacations! We made new discoveries and new friends every day. Everyone we met was delightful, and Adventure Life's organization ran without a flaw. Thanks to all involved!
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.
David Herr
3 weeks ago
Excellent service, great hotels and well organized excursions with expert guides! Highly recommended!
Shadi Dalili
1 month ago
We keep coming back to Adventure-Life for custom tailored, out of the ordinary, non-touristy trips and they deliver the best every time. The trip planners know how to put together just what we are looking for.
Judith P. NYC
2 months ago
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
2 months ago
We had a great experience- they were very helpful in trip planning and making sure we got to do all the activities and see the places we wanted. There were some things we couldn't do/see due to the time of year being the rainy/low season and they steered us away from those. We had never been to Costa Rica before and it gave us a good overview of this lovely country.
Jody Dice
4 months ago
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.
David Herr
3 weeks ago
Excellent service, great hotels and well organized excursions with expert guides! Highly recommended!
Shadi Dalili
1 month ago
We keep coming back to Adventure-Life for custom tailored, out of the ordinary, non-touristy trips and they deliver the best every time. The trip planners know how to put together just what we are looking for.
Judith P. NYC
2 months ago
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
2 months ago
We had a great experience- they were very helpful in trip planning and making sure we got to do all the activities and see the places we wanted. There were some things we couldn't do/see due to the time of year being the rainy/low season and they steered us away from those. We had never been to Costa Rica before and it gave us a good overview of this lovely country.
Jody Dice
4 months ago
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.
We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Continue browsing the site if you're ok with this. For more info, please see our privacy policy.