After 3 days at sea it is good to see land again and get off the ship.
The tour group I was assigned to was soon on the bus and on its way. After a good hour’s drive or so we arrived at our first stop being the Braulio Carrillo National Park for an aerial tram/cable car ride. There were 8 people assigned to 1 gondola, along with a guide who explained about the different stages of the forest that we went through and pointed out things of interest – aerial plants, parasite plants, birdlife, etc. Every now and then the cable would stop with a few minutes wait, facilitating the entry and exit of people onto the trams. At the top of the cable-way one can get out and go on a zip line tour down the mountain, through the trees. It would have been lovely to do but not this time around. Once almost at the top of the mountain the cable car did a loop around and made its way back down the mountain. The views were spectacular.
Once back on terra firma we went on short walk along a paved path, our guides pointing out different flowers and insects as we went along. We saw a few turtles and crocodiles and different species of frogs and snakes. The frogs and snakes and been confiscated from people trying to smuggle them into the country and, as they could not be released back into the wild, were cared for in facilities such as the one we were at. On the property there was a butterfly house where we could see the various stages – from egg to caterpillar and then the beautiful butterflies. Afterwards we had lunch in the open air but under cover restaurant.
Back on the bus we headed to Crocodile Jungle Safaris where we boarded a pontoon boat on the Tarcoles River for a bit of sight-seeing. We saw a variety of birdlife, crocodiles, plants – including part of the mangrove forest. Foraging near the waters’ edge were cattle and horses. Unfortunately the occasional cow or bull gets taken by a croc, much to the outrage of the owners. As we went along the river a few swifts hitched a ride on the roof of the boat, flying off every now and then and returning. It was quite sweet. There had been an earthquake at some point in time and one could see how the riverbank had been lifted up, revealing different soil layers.
Back on the riverbank we finished the tour off with some refreshments and local fruit. One of the guests quietly pointed out to me an iguana that was heading our way so I managed to get my camera out. Unfortunately I also had a banana to hand so the iguana made straight for me! In the end I had 4 iguanas around me and had to be careful not to get bitten by them due to their enthusiasm for food glorious food. I threw a few remaining bits of my banana to them and put the skin on a nearby chair. The first iguana ended up eyeing the chair, hoping to get at the banana skin. I asked staff if I could let the iguanas have the skin but they advised me to throw it away instead, which I did, much to the iguana’s dismay.
The group was soon heading back to the ship, looking happy. Yes, it had been an enjoyable day.
To see my pictures you can see them on my facebook page by clicking on this link: Excursion: A Taste of Costa Rica
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| Our route now from Costa Rica up to Corinto, Nicaragua |
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