Raenette's Adventures

 

 

Virgin Islands  ASA  Sailing School and Maho Bay Tent Camp   February  17 -  March  1  2007

 

 

I flew into St. Thomas, USVI  and got a ferry to Tortola, BVI, then a taxi to Nanny Bay where my  boat was waiting. I meet the four other people who would be on the boat with me and Captain Michael. We settled into our berths and went to a nice restaurant there overlooking the water.

 

Our boat was a 44’ Bavaria. Made in Germany. Just four years old and quite nice. I had my own berth which was comfortable and there were two heads.

 

The next day we all drove into Road Town, the main town on the island, to go to grocery store to provision the boat for the week. All I wanted was peanut butter and Diet Coke but these other people really liked to eat and they bought everything. Oh well, I thought, they are going to have to cook it and they did. I came here to sail.

 

The next morning we left our slip and had an easy sail to the east end of Tortoral were Captain Michael had to file some documents. Along the way we each had a turn at the wheel. After that we sailed to Norman Island which gave us practice tacking and working together. We got a mooring in the bay and went snorkeling. Interesting snorkeling. Because the water was only 78 degrees I wore a full 3mm wetsuit.

 

The next morning we sailed into the middle the Francis Drake Passage, away from other boat traffic to practice the mandatory man-over-board drill. This involved throwing a life jacket over board then sailing the boat in a figure eight back to pick it up. Everyone had to do it successfully. I was nervous but I did it.

 

Then we sailed to Peter Island where we picked up a mooring and went snorkeling again. We had cooked chicken for dinner and had an interesting time feeding the fish off the back of the boat with the left overs.  I had seen some barracuda around the boat while snorkeling. They were very veracious at getting our garbage. 

 

There was no wind the next morning so we motored out and each took a turn at operating the boat under engine power. First we did a figure eight in forward then in reserve. A 44’ boat requires that you be able to handle it under engine power. 

 

The wind picked up and we sailed to Copper Island.  We practiced jibing along the way. We had to anchor as there were no moorings left.  We took the dingy to the island to have a look around. There was not much there. A dirt main road with a few shops and bars. Captain Michael and I walked around what there was of the town. It looked very third world with goats running down the street, but I came here to experience a different culture and I found it.

 

The following morning had rain and squalls and a lot of head wind. Captain Michael decided to motor through this. I put all my rain gear on and huddled   in front of the cabin door.  By about noon the last of the squalls had passed through. We hove to and put up our sails. Then it was beautiful sailing on a close reach. The boat was healed nicely and I was very happy at my usual racing position, legs dangling over the leeward side when I was not taking my turn at helm or assisting  in tacking.

 

No one else seemed to want to leave the cockpit unless they had too, such as  at anchoring. But I had bought a pair of Sperry shoes that suck to the top side and I was very comfortable running around the boat. Perhaps I had more experience from racing the J 105.

 

The next morning after breakfast I decided to position myself next to the wheel. After we hoisted sails Capital Michael let me take the wheel.  We sailed across Sr. Francis Drake Channel to a very narrow channel between Tortoral and Beef Island. I had to tack several times in quick secession. There were other sailboats that were give way and a strong gusty wind was funneling through the channel.  I made one bad mistaken by over steering on a track, which meant that we had to tack again but Captain Michael was there to help me out. I was rather nervous because is was so narrow and there was not much  margin for error, but I made it. And I am glad I had that experience.

 

After we were safely out in open water again Captain Michael had Sylvia take the wheel. I could see that we were going to be on long tacks and the weather was warm so I stretched out on the boat in my bathing suit and enjoyed the scenery and the sun.

 

That evening we picked a mooring at Jost Van Dyke.  There was snorkeling and a shower. Shower was jumping in the water off the back of the boat with Joy dish soap. I got wet in the water then suds down with Joy then jumped backing the water to rise off then climbed back on the boat to rise off with fresh warm water off the back of the boat. (The water was heated by the diesel engine) It worked very well.

 

Later, we all got in the dingy to go to the island for dinner. Nice restaurant. Out doors.  It was warm as usual. But this was my first time really away from the water and I was feeling land sick. I was so used to the continual motion of being on the boat and now we were not moving. It just felt weird.

 

The next morning I went forward to cast us off from the mooring but our lines had gotten hopelessly tangled around the mooring ball. I some how managed to pull the mooring ball up on deck and just had to spend the next ten minutes  untangling the mess. I managed to do it and we got under way.

 

We sailed an easy sail to Peter Island were we moored again.

 

I must say that during our whole trip Captain Michael was teaching us more than just sailing technique. The first day he handed out the first of three written tests we had to take and pass. Each had at least 100 questions. Some were very technical, about charts, bouys, channel markings, charting a course using a compass, the diesel engine  and more. We did not have satellite or a GPS. 

 

Several nights were dedicated to these tests. We all passed and got our ASA 104 certification which was the whole idea of the trip.

 

The next day we sailed and motored back to our slip at Nanny Bay. We arrived about 1:30 because one couple had a flight out that day.

 

I was packed and was ready to go to get the ferry to St. Johns, my next destination.

 

 

St. John’s Island     Maho Bay Tent Camp

 

Maho Bay tent camp was developed about thirty years ago by a very forward looking man. (whose name I have forgotten) It was one of the first “Echo Lodges”. The tents are all built on slits and platforms so they do not damage the undergrowth. They are very comfortable with two rooms, a propane stove and ice chest and a nice porch.

 

It is built into a hill with many stairs. I arrived in the late afternoon in time to  swim in the bay and shower. (The showers were cool) But I had spent so much time on the boat that the stairs seemed to be moving as I walked. This sensation went away the following day, but it was weird for a while.

 

I was very lucky to have gotten one of the best locations. It had a magnificent view of the bay.   I could make my coffee every morning and drink it on the porch watching the sunrise while little yellow birds would always come and visit and often a humming bird.

 

There was a very large, very well run communal dinning area that served breakfast and dinner. And there was often entertainment after dinner. I always when to dinner.  I wasn’t shy.  I would just ask if someone if they would like some company and I met the most interesting people every night.

 

There were many things to do. The first day I took a little Hobie Cat out for a sail. Then I took a kayak over to an island to snorkel. The snorkeling was good. I had pulled the kayak way up on the beach so the tide won’t get it. I was just relaxing when I saw two iguanas. I thought it was interesting. I have seen many iguanas and I am usually chasing them with my camera. But one iguana, a female, started to come toward me. I wasn’t worried until it got within ten feet and opened it’s mouth and ran up to me and bit me on the ankle like some naughty little dog. I picked up my kayak paddle and fended it off.  It didn’t bite me hard but I decided it was time to leave.

 

The next morning I went on a birding hike with a park ranger. St. John is 2/3 national park. We saw some good birds. And a rare crab. We got back in time for breakfast at the dinning hall. 

 

After that I hiked about two miles with my snorkel gear to another bay when I was told the snorkeling was very good. It was a long hot hike. I was told to leave my backpack hanging in a tree because there were marmots. I didn’t know what marmots where, but after the iguana incident I wasn’t taking any chances. It was a very beautiful bay and the snorkeling was good. I saw a marmot in the bushes. It looked like a long squirrel. It didn’t come near me.

 

The next day I went on a two tank SCUBA diving trip. Unfortunately the wind was blowing from wrong direction so visibility was not the best but it was interesting. On the second dive the other people decided to quite early and I still had half a tank of air so the drive master took me on a private expedition. Really a treat to have your private drive master. He showed me interesting things one would not ordinary see like giant stingy ray and weird jelly fish.

 

The next day I decided to take a tour to the other side of the island.  About twenty people got on one of the island’s open air taxies. We were dropped off at Salt Bay near Rams Head, a popular hiking destination. It was another beautiful bay.  I went for a short hike to within sight of Rams Head which was very scenic, but it was hot and I wanted to snorkel.

 

The dive master had told me to snorkel right out to the rocks in the middle of the bay. Most people don’t go that far but I knew I could do it. On the way I saw a sea turtle. I had been wanting to see one all week. I was able to swim right next to it. There were also several large sting rays.

 

The current was strong getting to the rocks, but when I got there it was really something. Unlike the other places. There were many caves and canyons and huge jumbled up rocks and coral. Lots of fish too. I did several deep free drives.

 

That night, after dinner, a woman announced that she was the “Star Lady” and was going to lead us on a star gazing expedition of the beach.    I went along. It was interesting. For one thing, we were so far south that we could see stars I wouldn’t see in Michigan. I had been warned about the “No-See-Ums” bugs but I failed to take precautions. I got bite very badly all over my feet and ankles which were swelled up for the next three days.

 

The following morning I rented a kayak, took my snorkel gear, and just paddled and snorkeled around Mayho Bay. It was relaxing and fun. I knew that I had to leave the next day and I had to start packing.  My “stuff” was a mess.  I spent the late afternoon getting ready to leave paradise and fly to Florida.

 

It wasn’t too difficult to get back, but I had to pass customs twice. I was a little nervous because I had two hermit crabs smuggled in my luggage. We made it.

 

It was a great trip. I saw so many new places and learned more than I can ever remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 14 - 16 2006

The Big Two Hearted River flows Northwest through the Upper peninsular of Michigan and empties into Lake Superior. It was made famous by the Nick Adams short stories by Ernest Hemingway.

 

My sister, niece and I camped very close to the mouth of the river and the southern shoreline of Lake Superior. It was also close to the kayak livery but nothing else. We were in the wilderness.

 

We arrived just ahead of a thunderstorm. We registered our camp site and then got back into my GMC Envoy as it stared to rain. I decided we might as well put my four wheeler to the test and we took off down a two track trail. We had no idea where we were going but I had my GPS with me. (I had uploaded a map of the area) 

 

The truck was handling the hills and sand well, so we kept going until we ran out of trial. We got out and found ourselves on a high bank overlooking the river. We looked down and saw a nice sandy beach that would make a good rest stop and decided we pull up there the next day. I got my GPS out and it told us exactly where we were.

 

We headed back to the camp site as the sun was coming out, set up camp and watched a beautiful sunset over Lake Superior.

 

Saturday was sunny and hot. We were shuttled up the river and put in about 11;30. There was a large noisy group with us but we managed to get in the river ahead of them.

 

The river was simply beautiful. In many places there were high sandy banks on both sides of us with tall pines on top. The current was slow with some narrow shallow rapids and just enough dead fall and trout habitat to keep it interesting. We always had to be alert to what was around the next bend. Some places were just wide enough for one kayak.  My niece was leading and doing a very good job of scouting the best way around the obsticules.

 

After kayaking about three hours we finally found our sandy beach that we had seen the day before. We pulled up and cooled off in the water.

 

After another hour and a half, I figured we must be getting close to the end. I hadn’t brought my GPS because I figured there was no way we could get lost on a river but I was wrong. We came to an exact “T” shaped fork. We could go either way. There was no disenable current. I thought we should go left because that was were the big lake was, but my sister turned right. I wasn’t going to leave her so I followed. (My niece had gotten ahead of us and was out of sight.) After about a half a mile the river just ended so we turned around. We passed our pull out and tried to get out in Lake Superior. The surf was breaking just enough that I decided not to try it and pulled up on a sand dune. My sister went on further but soon turned around and found herself in very sift current. We walked our kayaks back until it was easy enough to paddle upstream to the pullout. We were hot and tried but very happy with the trip.

 

That evening was nice with no bugs. We had a good laugh when we discovered that my sister had brought hamburgers and I had brought hot dog buns, but my niece cooked a good dinner over the campfire. We watched another beautiful sunset.

 

About 2:00 in the morning I had to get up. I was sleeping in my truck and found that I could not open the back door so I had to crawl over the front seat to get out.  I looked toward the lake and saw that Mother Nature was putting on a show. There were big flashes of light and distant rumbles of thunder.

 

I went back to sleep, but about 6:00 my sister opened the door a tossed in the things we had on the clothes line. She and my niece were sleeping in a tent. I sat up for awhile and watched the trees swaying violently in the wind. My sister had scooted back in her tent. After the rain let up my sister made coffee and toast and we decided to break camp before it started raining again. We missed our big campfire breakfast and day on the beach but it was the right decision. After I got home I looked at the radar and saw that it was continuing to storm up there all day.  On the way back we passed many very large up turned trees. Several had fallen across the road. We were lucky in the camp ground.

 

It was a very nice paddle and I hope to do it again.

 

 

 

 

Costa Rica  Feb. 15 – March 1   2006

 

Day 1 -3

I spent the first three days touring Costa Rica on my own. I stayed at the Hotel Don Carlos, a lovely small boutique hotel. A restored mansion near downtown San Jose. I toured the country side, a very nice hot springs and a nice island on the Pacific coast.

One night, I was dropped off about two blocks from the Don Carlos. There was a Latin Music Festival going on. I would liked to have stayed longer to listen to this really original music but I was tired. On the corner, just up from my hotel I passed what, by appearances, must have been three young hookers. There was no one else on the street and it seemed safe.

Day 4

A van from Costa Rica Rios, the adventure group I sign on with, drove me to base camp at the small village of Turrialba to begin my “Week of Adventures”    (Fifteen on the trip all together) Most of us walked around the small town and got to know each other.  Being Saturday, it was market day. Many vendors with many different fruits and vegetables.  A river ran through the middle of town. At diner we met more  of our fellow adventurers. Everyone was nice and happy. To bed early to get ready to begin a wild week.

 

Day 5 White Water Kayaking

I thought I was a pretty kayaker, but this was a whole different sport. Big, BIG rapids. Boulders. Fast water.  Scary but fun too. At one rapid, I thought I was going to make it through then the next thing I knew I was in the water. But I held onto my paddle and the boat and a guide was right there in a support kayak to help me get back in. The kayak was an inflatable. I found it large and hard to manage, but they were very forgiving over the rocks and around the boulders. The guides fixed a good lunch at the side of the river. The day was mostly sunny and warm, but the water was cool and we were getting plenty wet. I was glad to be wearing a neoprene paddling jacket.  The river finally ended in a lake that we paddled across. Everyone had fun and no one came close to getting in trouble.

 

Day 6 Mountain Biking on a real mountain

We were driven up to the 11,000 foot summit of the Irazu volcano. The cater was filled with very green water. It was a beautiful clear day. A few clouds were below us. After taking many photos we got on our really top notch mountain bikes and followed Marco, our guide. Yikes! This was like white water kayaking on a bike! Really big rocks and a very rough trail. But the bikes had such good front shocks and disc brakes that it was manageable. We were going downhill for several miles, then we started going up. That’s when the altitude hit me.  My legs were in good shape but my lungs were not. Some of the hills were just too long and steep and I had to get off and walk. But, I wasn’t alone. I think only the guides were able to ride the whole way. We were nearing the top the of next volcano, Turriabla, when we paused, briefly, to watch a cow giving birth. It obliviously wasn’t going well for the cow. We continued on to a restaurantat the base of Turriaba where we had a good lunch.

It was  a beautiful loacation.

They had several humming bird  feeders that were swarming with hummers. Much larger birds than the ones we see in Michigan. After lunch we all had to get behind the bus and push it because something was wrong with the starter.

 

We got back on our bikes are headed down the mountain. The road was smooth gravel that eventually turned into asphalt.  Although it was two lanes it was narrow and steep with many tight switch backs. Marco told us not to pass him and he kept the pace safe. He would stop now and then to let the more timid riders catch up. The views of the valley below us were magnificent.

 

I have no idea how many miles we traveled, but it took us about two and a half hours to descend back to the town.

 

We were staying at a hotel tonight that had a swimming pool. I went to my room, took off my dirty shoes and socks and dove right into the pool with my bike shorts and bathing suit top. (I wore a bathing suit everyday instead of underwear.) So refreshing! Although the hotel served breakfast, they didn’t serve dinner, so we were driven to a nice locale restaurant.

 

Day 7

The Canyon and Water Falls.

We were driven about an hour away for our canyon adventure. We hiked a short distance into the jungle where we were given splash jackets, helmets and climbing harnesses. (I wore the same neoprene jacket that I wore paddling) There were special guides that gave us good instructions. At the end of the talk one of the guides said, ”We love you! We are not going to let you get hurt.” Then two at a time we were led to the top of the first water fall and hooked into separate repel lines. There was a guide at the top and at the bottom.  I chose to be one of the first so I wouldn’t have time to get scared. Following the instructions, I spread my feet apart, hanging on to the line with one hand in front of me and the other at my side and began to work my way down the rocky rushing water. I didn’t find it too difficult, but defiantly exciting. The water falls were almost straight down. I had to lean way out into my harness and release the line as I looked down for the next place to put my feet.

 

Next we were hooked into a “zip line” that zipped us through the jungle canopy about 30 feet off the ground. What fun. There was another guide at the end to help us land safely. Then on to the next water fall. We continued, doing four water falls and about five zip lines. At one zip line we had to repel down from a large tree. At the last water fall we had to climbed back up, aided by a guide line. It was all great fun.

 

In the jungle at this location and others in the mountains, flowering impatiens plants were growing wild every where. There were also a lot of leaf cutter ants climbing up and down the trees.

 

We had a quick shower and lunch at a local restaurant. There was still plenty of day light left so we had the option of shopping in town or a tour though a very large botanical garden with Gaby, the naturists. I went for the garden tour. There was a huge variety plants, flowers and fruit trees. We sampled some of the unusual fruit. Gaby was very knowledgeable and it was quite interesting.

 

We all had dinner at another restaurant up on the mountain slope. It was outdoors with a beautiful view of the valley.

 

Day 8 - White Water Rafting

We were driven about an hour away to our put in on the famous Pacuare River. We were divided up between three rafts. I was happy to be with Marco for our guide. I was feeling a little braver by this time, so I chose to sit in the front of the raft. This river was much more intense than the one we kayaked on and it was a pretty wild ride. Marco told us how and when to paddle. Sometimes when he said to paddle hard I would put my paddle in and there was no water under me;  the front of the raft was up in the air. It was scary but at lot of fun. We stopped for lunch and climbed up another water fall. (Not too steep)

 

That afternoon we pull off the river at our “jungle mountain camp” It was just paradise. Little single huts on stilts had been built at a discrete distance from each other along the hill side. The rushing river was in front of us and mountains beyond that. We couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. If that weren’t enough, a large open air seating, dining and kitchen had been built, all lit with candles. We even had showers and flush toilets. The guides prepared us a great dinner.

 Day 9 More Rafting

Early the next morning, before breakfast, some of us went on a hike with Gabby, the naturalists. We saw small red and black poison dart frogs and some birds.

 

After a great breakfast it was back to the river and our rafts.  The river grew more challenging with more class four rapids. There were often water falls to admire. We entered a beautiful steep sided canyon with a bridal vale water fall that we paddled under. Despite the bigger rapids, no one fell out of our raft. (People did fall out of the other rafts.) It was thrilling experience.

 

As the river finally widen and leveled off we pulled out. After a quick shower and lunch we boarded a bus for our trip to the Caribbean.

The trip took about three and half hours. The scenery was quite different. We passed by miles of banana plantations. There also were many large trucks.  Marco explained that having some cargo  off loaded at a port on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica then trucked to the Pacific side where it was reloaded onto ships was cheaper and faster than going through the Panama Canal. We saw many of these transfer yards with hundreds of containers and several Dole fruit plants.

 

Just as it was getting dark, we arrived at the town of Manzanillo. A short distance from the town was our next stop, the unique Almonds and Corals Tent Camp.  We were assigned our tents and told to meet back at the main dinning hall at 8:00.  You could hardly call these tents. There were individual cabins on stilts nestled into the jungle and connected by board walks. Each had its own bathroom and shower.

During the night we heard howler monkeys making their namesake noise. I was also woken up by the sound of poring rain.

 

Day 10   Surfing

It was still raining at daybreak. There went my dream of watching the sunrise over the ocean, but I decided to get up and go to the beach anyway.  The waves were crashing in with unbelievable force. They must have been about five feet. I was wondering how we were ever going to be surfing in this. I have kayak surfed before and it is fun, but I just couldn’t image trying it in this. This was surf that I normally won’t put my foot into.

We had breakfast at the dinning hall then Marco said to be on the beach at 9:00. Oh well.

It had stopped raining when I got back to the beach, but the surf hadn’t changed. Some of the inflatable were there as well as Skip, one of the guides.  Skip asked me if I wanted  to go kayak surfing. He said he would go with me. So I put a life jacket on. What the heck; I had survived everything else, why quite now? Skip and I paddled like mad to get through the breaking surf. The waves were so huge that the kayak was perpendicular to them at the crest. Then we went airborne over the other side. We finally made it through the breaking surf and waited for a good wave. We caught a couple, but we lost them quickly.  Then we headed back out. Going over one huge wave, the kayak so straight up in the air that I fell out. But I hung on to my paddle and managed to hoist myself back in. We waited for another good wave and caught one just right. It was really thrilling. I didn’t have to do anything but sit there while the wave carried the kayak, at breakneck speed, all the way to the beach. I was whooping and howling.

 

I decided to let Skip help someone else while I caught my breath. Some people were trying it themselves and getting quite tossed about. A guide had to go out and help two of the girls who had flipped, lost their kayak and got caught in a rip tide.

Marco was teaching people how to boggie board. It looked like fun so I joined in. With his help I was soon catching waves and ridding them into the beach. Even though it was still cloudy, the water and the air were warm.

 

All too soon it was time to leave the beach and return to my hut to shower and pack. As we all met to get on the bus the sun came out. We drove a short distance back to the town of Manzanillo where we pizza for lunch. Then we had an hour for shopping. This was an unusual little place. The best way to describe it would be a “ third world Key West.”

 

We had a long ride back to Turriabla, but I had a relaxed contented feeling and enjoyed the view from the window.

 

After dinner at our hotel  we were shown the video that the guide, Stacy had made of all our adventures. She had been constantly biking, paddling or running up in front of us to film everything the whole week. The video was great and it was funny to see what we had really looked like, especially me doing a cartwheel out of my kayak in a big rapid.

All things considered, my adventure with Costa Rica Rios was really great. They were very well organized, the eqipment was always the very best and I just cann't say enough about how experienced, helpful and friendly the guides were.

 

Day 11   To the Pacific, Osa Peninsula

 

Some of us had to leave at 6:00 to get to San Jose to catch our flights. I was going via Tropic Air. I knew there was a weight limit  of 30 pounds for luggage and that I was going to exceed it even thought I dropped some of my luggage off at the Don Carlos Hotel on the way to the airport. But, after the attendant weighted my bag she had me step on the scale and smiled. I made it. 

The single engine plane held about 20 people and was almost full. I had a widow seat and my camera ready. We flew over mountain ranges and down the Pacific Coast. The views were grand. We landed at on a gravel airstrip and grabed our bags. After a few minutes a four wheel drive pulled up and I asked if they were going to Jinetes de Osa, the name of my hotel. The driver threw my bag on top of the truck and off we went. We had to cross through three rivers with no bridges. We stopped near the beach and the driver unloaded my bag. A young man was standing there looking at me so I repeated the name the hotel. He smiled and picked up my bag and followed him along the beach about a quarter of a mile. It was really hot and only ten in the morning.

Jinetes de Osa was a really nice small hotel at the most beautiful setting on the beach, surrounded with jungle plants and flowers. The view from my very nice room was breath taking. I had to dropped everything and take a picture immediately.

The hostess showed me around and suggested that I might like to take a walk up the beach for the afternoon. I changed while she had picnic lunch packed me.

Before leaving, I stopped to take pictures of two Sarclet Macraws that were pearched in the tree outside my room. 

I walked for about 20 minutes following a path through the jungle, over a hanging bridge and close to the water. I came to a sandy beach surrounded by rocks and palm trees. It was paradise. The water looked inviting but I was timid about swimming alone and leaving my backpack on the beach. I was really tried so I took a short nap in the shade of a palm tree. A gentle breeze was coming off the water.

After a while, two young French people came by to swim so I went in with them. After eating my lunch I continued walking up the path. Sometimes it wound back into the jungle then back out to another beautiful beach. I passed about six other people the whole way.

 

Back at my hotel there was a small bar near the communal dinning area. I sat down for a drink and met some of the other people staying at the hotel.  Mostly American. The hostess informed me that I had a chance to join a small group going to the far ranger station at the Corcovado National Park, a trip they didn’t run very often, so I said of course I would go. I didn’t come this far to pass up a rare opportunity.

 Everyone had dinner together ay 6:30. I met the people I would be going to the park with, a very nice couple and another guy also traveling solo.

 Day 12 Jungle Hike

After breakfast at 6:00, we picked up our lunches that the hotel had packed, met our guide and wadded out to the boat that would take us on our 45 minute journey to the park. It was a beautiful day.

 

There was a very low tide when we got to the park so we had to walk quite aways through shallow water and over rocks to get to the beach. We no sooner got there when our guide spotted a tapir laying in the shade. It was about the size of a small fat pony. The guide had a very high power telescope that he set up for us to get a better look. I had brought my good binoculars but his telescope really zoomed in. He took my camera and placed it on the lens of the telescope and took some amazing photos for me.

 

We left the tapir and began hiking into the jungle. It wasn’t difficult but one had to watch one’s step. We could hear howler monkeys in the distance. We came to a river and explored around it’s banks looking for crocodiles. We saw one swimming in the water. There were also many large red snapper. Of course there were birds, but there are over 800 species of birds in Costa Rica and I had given up trying to remember them all. I did see many Scarlet Macaws and humming birds.

We came to where the Howler Monkeys were. They had stopped howling but we could see them in the trees. The guide set his telescope up again and we got a good look. There was a baby too.

Next we saw a very large bird up in a tree that gave off a very low humming noise. Strange. Then we came upon a pack of Spider Monkeys. They were fun to watch as they jumped and swung through the jungle canopy. Of course there were leaf cutter ants. They seemed to be everywhere in Costa Rica. And huge trees with great wide buttresses and huge flowers. Our guide explained many interesting facts about the fauna and flora we were seeing including the Golden Orb Spider.

The guide led us to a spot were Picaries, or wild pigs, sometimes hung out. We were in luck. There was a large herd. About 60! The males had huge tusks and made frightening snapping noises. We observed them for about 20 minutes untill they all moved off.

Eventually we arrived at the ranger station. There was quite a large compound of buildings. We stopped to have our lunch. It was very hot. We had shade in the jungle but this was in the open and too far from the beach for a breeze.

We continued on and spotted an ant eater sleeping in a tree. After seeing a few more birds we arrived back at the beach where our boat was waiting. It was now high tide so it was easy getting to the boat.

 

We hadn’t traveled very far when I noticed the boat slowing down and our guide talking on his cell phone. He told us something was wrong with the engine. Apparently they couldn’t do anything to fix it. But it was cooler now and I had plenty of water and some of my lunch.  There was nothing to do but sit back and relax.

 

We got back around 3:00. I wasn’t too tired and there was a couple of hours of daylight left so I took a kayak out. I went up the river that was close to our hotel.  It had very little current. The first part had some boats and buildings but then it was just jungle and some boulders. Very  beautiful. It ended at a water fall that I could paddle right up too. The water was very clear.

 

At dinner that night I talked too a young couple who were there on their honeymoon. The new bride was in front of the hotel swimming that afternoon. Her husband had just gotten out of the water when he saw a pelican dive in after a fish but it didn’t come up. Instead, he said he saw its wings flapping around for a few seconds before it disappeared completely. I was glad I had heeded the hostess’s warning not to swim in front of the hotel because a crocodile sometimes swam there too.

 

Day 13  SCUBA diving

 

The next morning eight of us and two dive masters boarded our boat to Cano Island, about 25 minutes away.  The water was calm and the day was pleasant. Just off the small island we suited up and did a back roll off the boat. We went down about 60 feet. Although there were not beautiful corals there were a lot of fish including about 6 white tipped sharks. The sharks ignored us.  Some of the schools of fish were massive, thousands. Some of the other fish were species I had seen before but much larger. One large trunkfish swam right up to me. I tried to take a picture but the fish came right up to my mask and I could get my camera between me and the fish.

 

After the dive we landed on Cano Island for lunch and to rest before our next dive. It was another nice beach. The guides prepared us a good lunch. There were hermit crabs everywhere. I was fascinated by them. Each one had a different shell, like snowflakes.   I threw them pieces of my sandwich and they swarmed around it.

 

Our second dive was at a location with large interesting rock formations.

 

We arrived back about 3:00. Enough time for me to take the kayak out again.

 

After dinner that evening I took a short walk on the beach. (Mindful of crocodiles) It was low tide. The beach was swarming with hermit crabs. I picked some up.  They were only about the size of a quarter. I went back to my room on got a zip lock bag then back to the beach and caught six crabs with some sand. I was about to leave when, out of no where, a lone horse came galloping down the beach. Costa Rica. Pura Vida.

 

Day 14 Sea Kayaking

 

My flight out was scheduled to leave at 4:00 so I had plenty of time for a long kayak trip down the coast.  There was no wind so the water was flat accept for  very shallow ocean rollers. The coastal scenery was beautiful.

I paddled for about an hour and a half then decided to put into one of the many beaches. I had been keeping well off shore because there were many large rock outcroppings and the rollers were breaking on the rocks. I started into a beach, mindful that the rollers were breaking on the beach also. I though I had it timed just right when I felt the boat being lifted up by a large wave. The next thing I knew I was surfing. The wave toke me right up onto the sand. That was some unexpected fun.

 

I explored the beach for a while then headed back. I arrived just in time for lunch at 1:00.

 

I carefully packed the hermit crabs in another plastic bag, then rolled my wet suit around them and put that in a black garbage bag and into my duffle bag.

 

As it was time to leave, a child about 12 years old appeared to carry my bag the half mile to the truck that would take me to the airport. It was hot and my bag was heavy but he was a good sport. It was also high tide so we had to wade through a river over my knees. I tipped him well. Six other people and I were in the truck. We exchanged stories of how we got there and were we were going. The rivers we had crossed on the way in were much higher now because of the tide but we made it. We waited about 20 minutes for the plane. It was full because we were making a stop before landing in San Jose. I got to see a different part of Costa Rica.

 

I got a taxi at the airport to take me to the Don Carlos. It was rush hour and the streets were grid locked so the driver took a very different route. (It was a fixed fare. Ten dollars.) If I hadn’t known better I would have worried. We went through some really slummy areas of town. But diver was really friendly.

 

Back at the Don Carlos I was reunited with all my luggage. I had only taken some of it on the different parts of my varied trip. After packing everything for the international flight the next morning it was still too early for bed so I watched a movie on TV, “Into the West” in English with Spanish subtitles. It got kind of weird when they also had subtitles for the American Indians speaking in their native language. Costa Rica. Purda Vida.

 

Day 15  Flight  to Miami and drive to Naples

P.S. The Hermit Crabs all made the trip safely and seem to be happy in the little critter keeper I have them in. I will let them go here in Florida.