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.
 |
| 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.
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.
Thanks
for reading.
© 2020 by Greg Dunaj
No comments:
Post a Comment