CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK

LOWLANDS RAIN FOREST

Although Costa Rican economics relies on tourism, tourism affects the long-term biodiversity of the land and the animals. In the fragile ecosystem of rainforests animals need lots of land to live and sharing it with humans, no matter how minimal, impacts their world. Costa Rica has over a quarter of the country set aside to protect the land and the animals in reserves and national parks and the largest is Corcovado National Park on the remote Osa Peninsula. At 164 square miles Corcovado is one of the largest Primary lowland tropical forests in the world, meaning it has been left alone to grow with little or no disturbance and that there’s plenty of moisture and rainfall and warmth throughout the year. Trees here are tall, the ecosystem is complex and the timber and the land is valuable, but Costa Rica realizes this and the importance of protecting this invaluable and biodiverse resource. Since 1975 when Corcovado National Park was formed to protect the area from illegal gold mining and logging, Costa Rica has taken steps to lessen the impact humans have on the forest and the varied and abundant wildlife found there by severely limiting entry to a small number of daily slots.

  

When we boarded the M/S Panorama on Saturday almost immediately we were asked whether we were interested in the Monday excursion to Corcovado, in order to reserve our space. It’s a 6-hour shore excursion and costs $130 a person, but there was no hesitation with us as Corcovado is perhaps the greatest place to see such beauty and an amazing diversity of exotic, rare and endangered wild animals and birds.

Corcovado is on a remote, isolated and fairly inaccessible corner of Costa Rica on the Osa Peninsula and part of the diversity of the animals there include all four species of monkeys found in Costa Rica; Howler, Capuchin, Squirrel and Spider monkeys, big cats, like jaguars, pumas and ocelots, anteaters, tapirs, coatis and peccaries, and of course, sloths. There are 16 different hummingbirds and hundreds of species of birds in Corcovado including the largest number of scarlet macaws anywhere in Central America as well as the beautiful Resplendent Quetzal, a bird we had seen many paintings of throughout our travels in Costa Rica with its overly long tail floating behind it as it flies. Also, the massive Harpy Eagle makes its home in the upper canopy of the lowland tropical rainforest of Corcovado. Easily the largest raptor the Harpy is larger than the Bald Eagle, standing at over three feet tall, it looks like someone wearing a bird costume and the powerful, strong Harpy has a wingspan that can exceed 7 FEET LONG. Yes, that’s right, they have a wingspan longer than most humans are tall.

RESPLENDENT QUETZEL

Throw in some frogs like poison dart, glass (whose skin is transparent) and the red-eyed tree frog, salamanders, sea turtles on the beach and Bull Sharks and Crocodiles rifling through the estuaries like Rios Claro and Sirena you have yourself one ecotourist destination that is incomparable to anywhere else in the world.

HARPY EAGLE

Here's a check list of Corcovado animals and plants you'll find if you visit.

CORCOVADO CHECK LIST.

Pura Vida... thanks for reading!




© 2020 by Greg Dunaj

TRAVELS IN COSTA RICA

DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES

A long long time ago the earth was clean and one could freely leave the house without wearing a mask or slathered in hand sanitizer. Yes, my devoted cadre of readers it is hard to believe, but Team Vacations From Home used to actually leave their home to explore both around the corner and around the world.

 

LAKE WINDEMERE, UK

They were heady glorious times when our lungs would breathe the rarified air of Windemere, or Wildwood, or Washington, D.C. and it would not bring on a cough. We ventured forth with no fear, even from lost baggage because we carried travel insurance. There was a time we would actually go INTO a store, or sit in a café to linger over God’s ambrosia, and when we walked the dog, it was because she HAD TO GO OUT.

Oh, we were brave souls then, but that was so very long ago. When I look back on that time now, I realize how foolhardy we were, how cavalier we were as if we were immortal, immune to all the slings and arrows that nature could, and would eventually throw at us.

Let me tell you a tale of daring from your now prudent traveling tandem, Team VFH. It is a tale from the annals of the very distant past. It is a tale of odd creatures and strange people and distant shores. This will not be for squeamish. You may want to hug your pillow a little tighter or slurp your Quarantini (a martini you drink alone) to steel your nerves as I relate this tale of bravery and boldness  Before I continue though, I must caution you please please please after reading this saga of daring-do, or brash naivety don’t attempt to replicate it because you know that whole sheltering in place is still going on. Wait for the hi sign that the coast is clear.

COME SAIL AWAY

Long long ago, back in February of 2020 when the virus was just beginning to cause havoc in China, Team VFH boarded the M/S Panorama with Variety Cruises, in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica for a week long cruise along the Pacific coast to Panama City, Panama. When we boarded the proud sailing ship, we were asked to fill out medical history forms which also asked if we were in China the past two weeks and if needed given our health and the Captain’s discretion, would we agree to be quarantined in our cabins. It was not a pleasant start to the trip.

Who knew the conflagration would quickly spread worldwide and effectively shutter the globe just after we returned home? Perhaps we should have heeded the imminent threat when there were just 16 souls brave enough to board the proud Panorama, a ship that could sail comfortably with 50? Perhaps we were blinded by the chance to explore the wilds of Costa Rica, the adventurers’ spirit quickening our heartbeats and Cacique Guaro deadening our inhibitions?

With the warm setting sun comforting us with promises of a new glorious day awaiting the Panorama and her intrepid mariners, we sailed that evening for Quepos. By morning we were anchored near the busy Marina Pez Vela. Quepos is a hotspot for big-game sport fishing, both deep and in-shore and there were plenty of Americans in the sleek, clean marina, but Quepos is also the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park. We had no time to dawdle at any of the tony shops or restaurants at the marina, and after breakfast we took one of the Panorama’s inflatable zodiac motor launches to the marina and there boarded a van to take us to the park.

Now, Quepos is a small town, but had a lot of shops bars and restaurants and we would have loved to explore it. The winding road to M. Antonio NP swelled with commerce as well. Everything looked touristed but inviting. Every curve brought another bar or restaurant into view that had we been on our own we might never have made the actual park.

EL AVION, COSTA RICA

COME FLY WITH ME

One place of note was El Avion. It was pointed out by the tour guide as we flitted past. El Avion has a C-123 cargo plane as part of its structure. This plane was a part of the Oliver North Iran-Contra scandal from the 1980’s and now has more success boasting fantastic sunset views. We passed it twice on the way to the park and back. We just waved.  

HISTORY OF THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR

EL AVION

ZOMBIE MOTHS, TWO-TOED SLOTHS AND TOUCANS

M. Antonio is the most popular park in Costa Rica with both tourists and Ticos alike and our four-hour excursion was to walk through the dense rainforest with a knowledgeable naturalist guide pointing out the extraordinary animal life found there like sloths and monkeys and a great variety of tropical birds and different species of flora and fauna before getting a quick 20-minute swim at one of the 4 beaches at Manuel Antonio. It was a tight schedule for our $85 per person trip, not including the tip to the guide.

 

ZOMBIE MOTH

After our bags were checked to make sure we weren’t carrying any food, for fear animals would become reliant on humans feeding them our informative and enthusiastic guide pointed out things and animals we would never have seen without him. First was a “zombie” moth that had been attacked by a parasitic cordyceps fungi that effectively liquifies its host and then uses the body to lure other insects to their deaths.

After this creepy start though it was all fun and games with white-faced monkeys prancing about and sloths ignoring us and preening Toucans looking pretty before a refreshing swim at one of the beaches. The guide had us listening to and imitated certain bird calls. He first heard the Toucan and then trained his telescope on the beautiful bird for us to see. Throughout the tour he patiently answered all of our questions. Without him we would have seen nothing.

 

TOUCAN AT M. ANTONIO NP, CR

The tour included a very refreshing individual fruit platter and the opportunity to purchase gifts.  .

BEERS AND ZIPLINING

Perhaps the nicest part of Janet being my traveling companion is that we aren’t joined at the hip and we are able to go our own ways at times. When I expressed an aversion to ziplining and flirting with death, Janet was fine going on her own. We had the van drop her off at Iguana Tours in Quepos for her adventure while I went back to the Panorama for a quick lunch and then a quick turnaround to Quepos for a walk about.

EL JARDIN QUEPOS, COSTA RICA

 IQUANA TOURS

I bought a pachitas of Cacique and some Imperial Beers in a local market and then a couple of cigars in a shop and then had a beer at the Restaurante el Jardin del Mar. I was able to get on el Jardin’s wifi and sent some emails and did some writing while sipping my Imperial. 

Afterwards, with the sun fierce and my cigar guiding me along the empty streets looking for shade, I eventually made the marina again where I enjoyed the view while waiting for Janet’s return. She was excited with her ziplining and described it as safe and exhilarating. I was happy she went alone. I probably would have dashed my head against a tree. Her tour, with the photographs capturing her time cost around $100.

Back on the Panorama we showered and dressed for dinner and then the crew had arranged entertainment by a traditional Costa Rican band and dancers in native dress. The colorful dresses of the girls swirled as they danced gleefully. It made me feel we were fortunate to be here in this far away land, despite the growing concerns around the world over this virus. It was quite an adventurous day and we lived to tell about it.

Pura Vida... thanks for reading!

© 2020 by Greg Dunaj

COSTA RICA MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK

TAKING NATURE SERIOUSLY

Costa Rica is blessed with an incredible biodiversity of plants, insects, birds, animals like monkeys and sloths and tapirs and wild cats like jaguars and ocelots, and reptiles and amphibians like poison dart frogs! Only the size of West Virginia, this Central American country is home to around 5% of all species on this planet. There are 900 species of birds and 250 species of mammals that live in Costa Rica. There are hundreds of thousands of insect species and between butterflies and moths there are around 2,000 different species. With all these critters and the 5 active volcanoes, the 12 different microclimates that go from the Pacific to the Caribbean oceans and with all the whitewater rivers, to waterfalls, to tropical jungles to rainforests and cloud forests, Costa Rica is an ecotourist’s paradise destination.

 

white-faced monkey

It is overwhelming to this traveler because there is so much to see and do there, and we really didn’t give it a chance. Throughout our trip as more of this splendid area of the world revealed itself to us, Janet and I lamented we did not plan the trip well. We saw and did a lot in Costa Rica and later in Panama, but we simply didn’t have enough time and much of our excursions were scatter dash. And, now we won’t be able to return for a while. All National Parks of Costa Rica are closed due to the Covid-19 virus until April 12 and as of March 18 their border is closed so only citizens, residents and foreign diplomats are allowed entry and others who entered just previously are to self-quarantine for at least 14 days.

Not only is the health of her citizens important to Costa Rica, but the country takes strident steps to protect the biodiversity health of the animals and plants. Even before this pandemic began to spread Costa Rican National Parks maintained strict rules towards sustaining the harmony of the wildlife.  Manuel Antonio National Park is the most visited park in Costa Rica and is popular with tourists and Ticos alike, but not just because it has exotic animals living free, but also has four beautiful beaches. To maintain a harmonious sustainability of the biodiversity in the park the number of visitors is limited daily and all bags are searched for food. We did see a number of coolers being brought in, presumably for drinks at one of the beaches, but no food was allowed into the park. It was explained to us that this would prevent animals getting fed by humans thereby maintaining a more natural approach to living. If they did come to rely on humans for food and that source is suddenly stopped, as is the current case with this global pandemic, their survival would be threatened in suddenly having to fend for food. Costa Rica's serious approach to the sustainability of the biodiversity of their country is well thought out. . 

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK COSTA RICA

MANUEL ATONIO NP, CR

Such is not the case elsewhere in the world. Large populations of wild animals are routinely fed by tourists in several Asian countries and now that everything has been closed and people are quarantined the animals are having to search for food on their own. In some cases, it is mayhem with monkeys fighting for orts in Thailand city plazas or deer leaving the confines of the 1,200-acre Nara park in Japan to seek food. Normally the deer would never leave the park and it was acceptable and popular for tourists to come to the park to feed them. Now that their food source has dwindled due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid19 outbreak the deer are roaming city streets dodging traffic wandering into subway stations and eating potted plants. 

Costa Rica appreciates the beauty she is blessed with and strives to maintain harmony with nature.  

For more details on this particular issue here is a NY Times article:

BRAWLING MONKEYS NYTIMES 

GLOBAL SHUT DOWN

YOU AIN’T GOING NOWHERE….

People usually spend more time planning for a vacation than they do their retirement. With this Coronavirus raging this is a good thing. DO NOT look at your portfolio! With the market in a freefall, it's better you just sit in your little caves and dream of destinations you can no longer afford. If you’re wondering where you MIGHT be able to go, here’s two good resources. One is a NY Times article about global restrictions. The other is the United States Department of State Global Travel Advisories.

NY TIMES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ARTICLE

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE GLOBAL TRAVEL ADVISORY

Yeah, it looks bleak, but we as citizens of this vast beautiful world are doing the right thing by helping quell the spread of this virus by social distancing and washing our hands, etc., and eventually, we will benefit from these efforts. It may take some time, but we’re on the right path. By sheltering at home and not contracting, or spreading, the virus we are not overwhelming the health care system and this will help them combat this rapidly spreading menace to our world. The government and the medical professionals should be commended for their efforts in this extremely fluid and volatile crisis.  

Remember it’s a big world out there, and we must prevail if we’re going to see it. There will be a cure found and the markets will come back, so you, dear friends, have to remain healthy and you will just have to keep reading this stupid blog when you run out of Candy Crush lives.

I’ll get back to writing about Team VFH recent trip to Costa Rica and Panama after this.

Stay squeaky clean!

SHAMELESS

Here’s your opportunity to support Vacations From Home with a new special edition item that is both stylish and informative and yes, shameless. With COVID19 Pandamic raging you must remember it’s important to launder your hands often, and wearing this new t-shirt or tank top will tell the world that you are well-traveled, informed and clean.

Perhaps others, seeing you in this shirt, hopefully from around 6 feet away, will be inspired to wash their hands as well.

So, go to this special listing at the Vacations From Store and make several purchases. They are available in your favorite colors and styles. 

Please remember that even after this crisis abates and we can all get out and see the world again, 

"Cleanliness is a good thing" ©2020 by Vacations From Home

SPECIAL EDITION VACATIONS FROM HOME PSA SHIRTS 

SMALL SHIP SAILING

SELF QUARANTINING  

With Covid19 causing such a panic throughout the world we here at Vacations From Home are happy to be home, safe and symptoms free. We certainly enjoy flitting about the world, but currently we are doing what we all need to be doing, which is keeping your distance from others, drinking lots of fluids, washing your hands frequently and lastly avoid touching your face.

CONVID19

Like modern day Decameron hostages awaiting the Black Plague we have been minimizing our visits to the outside world.

Well, that’s a bit extreme, but we here at VFH central command feel fortunate. Having just returned from a sailing adventure from Costa Rica to Panama, we feel good, not sick. We’re in pretty good shape, and that prognosis is nothing to sneeze at. But, imagine our horror with all the recent news about those massive cruise ships, which are effectively floating petri dishes being quarantined, with some getting sick and some dying. This is serious shit.

 

M/S Panorama

SERENDIPITY AND CHANCE

Considering all the grief going on in the world now, we were quite lucky. We traveled on another small ship along the Pacific coast of Central America and we largely had the ship to ourselves. The M/S Panorama is with Variety Cruises, a Greek company. The Panorama winters here off the coasts of these two beautiful countries before eventually heading home to Greece for the summer sailing season. With a passenger capacity of 49 and a crew of 18 we were able to book our trip when there were only 16 passengers.  Yes, there were more crew than there were passengers! Although the week prior to our trip the Panorama carried 49 passengers and the week afterwards there was evidently a whole mess of birdwatchers coming in from Sweden, our week in paradise was empty. 

We booked passage on the Panorama last minute, i.e. just two months in advance, and we did it through Unforgettable Cruises, whom we sailed with in Croatia last July. And, we got it at half price. Variety Cruises was running out of time and approached Unforgettable to find passengers. Remember, when a ship sails with empty berths it is money lost forever.

M/S Panorama dining room

SIZE MATTERS

Now, the best part of a small ship is the level of attention given to the ship and to her passengers. Obviously, our trip was a unique situation, but a small ship is still safer to maintain with smaller areas on board to apply enhanced sanitation and disinfection procedures. Smaller passenger lists mean a more precautionary measure of hygiene on tour groups. This is on top of the intimate feel of smaller ships getting into ports where those petri dish behemoths can never. It is a more relaxed and intimate journey.

Before we were allowed to board the Panorama, we were given a questionnaire about our travels and if we had been to China, etc. within a certain time frame. I don’t believe we would have been allowed on the ship if we were just flying in from Wuhan, and I understand that on top of that the Variety people are now giving all embarking crew and passengers non-touch temperature screenings before they can board. On a massive cruise ship this is a logistical nightmare, but for the Variety Cruise people it was just another step in their rigorous standards of safety and cleanliness.

COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES

Since we traveled on two different small cruise lines within a year, I want to take this time to show the differences between our experiences, each unique.

We were spoiled by the level of opulence on the M/V Infinity with Unforgettable Cruises. Marbled bathroom floors and a very spacious stateroom though it was on the lower floor. We had the same room on the Panorama, at the bow of the ship, and it was a bit cramped and not marbled, but this is after all a sailing ship not a yacht. The room was still comfortable even if Janet and I had to breathe in unison to fit.

 

TAPIR, CR

On the Infinity there was free internet and there were Edison electrical outlets. The Panorama only had 220-volt European style plugs and no internet was available. We bought a Foval International Travel adapter with appropriate plugs for our computers and iphones (which I begrudgingly began using recently as a very nice camera).

On board meals on both cruises were excellent. We had a lot of fish in both places. Lunches on the Infinity were sit down affairs, while the Panorama served a buffet lunch.  Janet and I will continually go back and forth about which meals were the best, ALTHOUGH, in Croatia we were offered a beer or wine with our lunch and dinner. That wasn’t the case with the Panorama, but the crew didn’t mind if you made the meal a BYOB. 

COFFEE IN CROATIA

In Croatia we would dock nightly on a new island early enough to explore it, and would often sail the next morning. This way we got to admire the rugged coasts and to take a daily swim off the back of the Infinity in the clearest water I have ever seen. There was a lot of lounging on the Infinity, while the Panorama traveled mostly at night and our shore excursions were all in a group tour, there were no running off to find a coffee or a grappa as was the case in Croatia.

But, the excursions in Costa Rica and Panama were without comparison. One day we had white-faced capuchin monkeys jumping on my shoulder, another we had to make way for a tapir and her offspring and another we tried looking for a 12-foot crocodile named Tito to no avail, but we did get to swim with massive whale sharks. The two destinations were so completely different and yet both equally enjoyable.

 VARIETY CRUISES

UNFORGETTABLE CRUISES

THE SCIENCE OF SOAP
Getting back to this Convid19 virus. Let's be clear, don't panic, don't drink bleach. Wash your hands often using soap and water. You'll be fine, but you might ask why is soap so important?

Here is a great article about this very thing and I suggest you read it. It has to do with the fat in soap breaking down the fatty layer that binds the virus together. Without that fatty layer the virus falls apart. Yeah, it sounds boring, but it will save your life and heck you ain't going anywhere right now, so you might as well read it.

THE SCIENCE OF SOAP

juvenile whale shark

© 2020 by Greg Dunaj

PURA VIDA

TALKING LIKE A TICO

If you want to learn Spanish quickly just remember this phrase, “PURA VIDA”. It will get you far, at least in Costa Rica as ‘Pura Vida” is the acceptable and proper response to practically anything you hear in this beautiful and lush country. From “Como Estas?” (How are you?) to “Disculpe, estoy tarde” (Sorry I’m late), uttering “Pura Vida” along with a smile will have you speaking like a “Tico” (Costa Rican) in no time.

 

MAGNET

“Pura Vida” means literally Pure Life, yet it’s more than a ubiquitous phrase, but a prevailing lifestyle throughout Costa Rica. With an excellent peaceful quality of life and a lovely country it’s easy to see why Ticos have a laid-back and friendly attitude to everything. In Costa Rica it is an easy choice to say, and live, a Pure Life.

KEYCHAIN

And, a lot of people say it.

Our driver from the airport to the resort took back roads to show us some beautiful country and he waved to dozens of people and said “Pura Vida” each time. Our first impressions were that Ticos are friendly people and throughout our stay in Costa Rica, from the tour guides, to the hotel staff, to a saleswoman in a busy touristy Santa Elena shop, we were met with smiles and Pura Vida.. Even the customs officer barely hid a smile as he stamped our passport. 

NO PROBLEM, THAT’S LIFE, JUST BREATHE

“Pura Vida” is heard everywhere, and stamped pretty much on everything souvenir worthy, but this approach to life doesn’t have to end at the border. Yes, living in Costa Rica with an excellent quality of life and beautiful landscapes makes living a laid-back philosophy easy, but here at home we must all remember to slow down, relax, smell the coffee, don’t sweat the small stuff and remember what truly is important in this life. That is Pura Vida.

MAS CERVEZA

Of course, it’s hard to order a beer if you only know how to say “Pura Vida.” The main beer in the Costa Rica is not named Pura Vida, but Imperial. So, learn to say “Mas Cerveza”, or if you’d rather drink the local moonshine order a Cacique Guaro, a distilled hard liquor made from sugar cane juice and very popular in Costa Rica. Effectively it’s a white rum, or a slightly sweet vodka, which works great for mixed drinks….and shots. At the Fiesta Resort, we were drinking Cacique with Fresca, Lime and salt… and shots. People mix Cacique with Pineapple, Coconut or other juices .... or do shots. .

Here's a quick list of Cacique recipes that'll have you drinking like a Tico.  

COSTA RICA CACIQUE DRINK RECIPES

Now distilled by Fabrica National de Licores for quality control, Cacique is abundant, cheap and strong, Cacique Guaro red is 60 proof and the black-labeled Superior Chief weighs in at 70 proof. Cacique means “Chief” and this distilled liquor is now popular throughout Latin America, but it originated in Costa Rica. Found in every remote corner of the country in every little bar, hotel and restaurant and lining local grocery store shelves, Cacique comes in liter and 750 ml glass bottles and 365 ml pachitas, little plastic bottles for those who require inspiration while traveling.

CACIQUE

NO MAS AGUARDIENTE  

INSPIRATION

Hope these Spanish lessons work for you fair reader, but please remember to imbibe wisely. Too much Aguardiente or Burning Water can lead you astray. If you’ve had too much to drink and you say, “Quiero Cacique!” and a half-naked chief wearing an elaborate headdress comes out to greet you, you may have wandered into one of those kinds of bars. Pura Vida, I say. Who am I to judge? Whatever floats your dugout canoe!

PURA VIDA!

We didn't get a chance to drink any craft beer while in Costa Rica, but here is a short list of brewers found there. 

COSTA RICA CRAFT BEERS 

Buy you a drink?

PURA VIDA

Thanks for reading. My pachitas is nearly empty and to buy Cacique I’ll have to return to Costa Rica. So far it has been impossible to find stateside…. So buy something at the store… or my books… or send me a donation.

© 2020 by Greg Dunaj

MONTEVERDE

I’M WALKING ON SUNSHINE

Before sailing on the M/S Panorama for a week-long excursion along the Pacific coasts of Costa Rica and Panama, we checked into the all-inclusive family style Fiesta resort for a few days. We wanted one day of relaxing at the pool, we had just escaped the wintry climate of Philadelphia after all, and then we planned a day of exploring the natural splendor of Costa Rica.

THE PIER AT FIESTA RESORT, COSTA RICA

One full day at the resort was enough. Schools in Costa Rica had started up, but there were plenty of ninas cavorting in the pool. The adults caroused and sang loudly at the swim up bar. We noticed that there was a fierce competition of gaining the bartenders’ attention right at the opening bell and then later when the liquor kicked in for these thirsty patrons, there was a lull throughout the resort for a well-earned siesta. Later, as the day waned crowds gathered on a pier to revel in the passing of another day. A bar was there, open only for the sunsets and helped to dampen sobriety levels.

SKYWALKER

Janet wanted to go ziplining and I wanted to walk in the clouds. Both activities are popular in Costa Rica where the eco-tourism trade also includes hiking at volcanoes and whitewater rafting and birdwatching as well as two oceans to loll by, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

 

KNUCKLEHEAD

Although I wanted to cater to my maniacal wife’s wish to “zip” between trees, I wanted none of this. Turns out that later in the week one of the tours offered by the Panorama Cruise people was ziplining, so although the Monteverde ziplining course is one of the original courses in Costa Rica, this was not her only opportunity to cheat death. So, we approached the Arenas Travel people located in the hotel lobby and set up a day of rainforests and hills in Costa Rica. First it was a “SKY WALK” along the hanging bridges in Monteverde and then a 3-for-1 four of coffee, cocoa and sugar cane harvesting with the Don Juan plantations. 

ARENAS TRAVEL COSTA RICA

LIVING FENCES

LIVING FENCES AND CASHEWS

If you have limited time in Costa Rica, we here at VFH Central strongly suggest going on a tour. They may be expensive, ours cost $320, but you do get your money’s worth. The tour company tailored the day to our interests, replacing the ziplining for the coffee tour.

The trip to Monteverde took 8 hours and included transportation and a guide and lunch in Santa Elena. The guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He stopped often to point out interesting facts about Costa Rica, like to be considered a town four things were necessary, a church, a school, a soccer field and a bar, missing one of these elements it’s just a cluster of buildings. He pointed out the “living fences” where farmers plant branches of the “Naked Indian” or Gumbo-Limbo tree which root quickly and with barbed wire form a fence. He stopped to show us monkeys or fetched a red cashew fruit from a tree and had us eat it.

CASHEW FRUIT

He was also our guide at the Sky Walk which is a combination of trails and suspension bridges that had us at times above many tree tops. At first the wobbly bridges were disconcerting but we were able to see the rainforest from all perspectives from above and below. We looked down on Howler monkeys rustling the trees and colorful humming birds flitting between the trees. He used his tripod and telescope of the monkeys to take a picture for us which turned out to be common practice for all the guides in Costa Rica.

Now it was decidedly cooler at the Sky Walk and when the wind kicked up it was much cooler than oceanside. Because this was a rainforest there is also a chance of getting wet. Many people in other tour groups were dressed for bear, wearing heavy jackets and some were encased in plastic and carrying hiking poles, but it was never that bad. Once on the trail, the winds abated and we were fortunate to not get rained on. Janet and I wore shorts and brought light sweatshirts which was adequate. The trail too was at times somewhat rough, but wearing sneakers was okay. 

MONKEY SEE

You could drive yourself to the Sky Walk park and hire a naturalist guide there if you choose. At Don Juan’s Coffee Plantation our guide handed us off to the staff there while he took another couple to the ziplining. We had to wait for our tour, which gave us enough time savor several cups of free coffee.

SKYWALKER

MONTEVERDE

The area where the skywalk, ziplining and the Cloud Forest Reserve is called Monteverde, today the main center of eco-tourism in Costa Rica with upwards of 250,000 yearly visitors.

Though the area had been populated throughout history Monteverde was founded and developed by Quakers in 1950. Fleeing the United States and the Korean War they were lured to Costa Rica because that country had abolished its standing army the year before and the President of Costa Rica was inviting foreigners to come in and help develop the country.

The 44 Quakers eventually settled in Monteverde and cleared land and started a dairy and cheese making business, but as time went on realized the importance of preserving the land and forests. They made strident efforts to protect the bio-diversity of Costa Rica through donations and eventually created the Monteverde Reserve. The cheese making facility is still open and some of the original Quakers still live in the area, but our tour was limited in scope and we could not linger. It would have taken days. Janet and I have lamented that we didn’t give enough time to exploring Monteverde.

If you’re interested in reading about the history of the Quakers in Monteverde here is a good website.

  

HISTORY OF MONTEVERDE

Thanks for reading.

© 2020 by Greg Dunaj