Tag Archives: Costa Rica

Food in Costa Rica

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Looking back at my blog posts from Costa Rica, it’s quite apparent that I was fascinated by all of the wildlife that I saw. I hadn’t expected to see so much diversity and to see so much of it in the wild.  While you never hear of anybody going to Costa Rica just for the food, I enjoyed almost all of the food too!  Today’s blog revisits some of the food (and related photos) from my trip.

Except for the fanciest hotel restaurants, dining in Costa Rica was generally informal.  I really appreciated this, as the temperatures were sometimes scalding and anything more than a t-shirt and shorts would have been very uncomfortable for me.

Inside the Restaurante Vara Blanca, somewhere north of San Jose, Costa Rica
Inside the Restaurante Vara Blanca, somewhere north of San Jose, Costa Rica

My first few posts commented on the fact that all Costa Rican meals (even breakfast) appeared to include rice and beans.  For breakfast, they were generally combined and cooked with other vegetables to create gallo pinto.  For other meals, they were usually cooked separately but were still in close proximity on the plate!  The photo at the very top of this post is from my river safari in the Caño Negro region and shows a typical Costa Rican lunch.   In addition to the rice and beans, there was usually meat (chicken, beef or fish), some vegetables and a small salad.

Fajitas in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Fajitas in Monteverde, Costa Rica

As much as I enjoyed rice and beans, I started to get restless and try lunch and dinner dishes that did not feature rice and beans (they were almost unavoidable for breakfast).  Most menus included some “pan-American” cuisine such as fajitas, so I tried that in a couple of places.

Limonada Hierbabuena (Monteverde, Costa Rica)
Limonada Hierbabuena (Monteverde, Costa Rica)

While the water was safe and very good, there were too many interesting beverages to ignore.  Almost every restaurant offered juices, smoothies and milkshakes made from the local fruit.  Pineapples, papayas and passion fruit were especially common, but there were usually about 8 different choices.  I particularly enjoyed the limonada hierbabuena shown above:  it was made with the local lemons (green!) and a variety of herbs (most notably mint).   It was extremely refreshing. I don’t think Costa Rica exports much of its beer but the mild local cerveza Imperial complemented rice and beans quite well.

Very green salad with chicken and Palmitos (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)
Very green salad with chicken and palmitos (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

Later on in the trip, I really began to crave fresh vegetables.  The salad shown above had a very tasty dressing and featured lots of palmitos (hearts of palm).  I still needed dessert afterwards but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)
Cheese-stuffed plantains with a honey-caramel sauce (and ice cream)

And speaking of desserts:  I generally didn’t need any after a meal with rice and beans, but I did try the occasional dessert after a lighter meal.   I started eating the cheese-stuffed plantains (shown above) before remembering to take a picture:  this was definitely the best dessert I had in Costa Rica.  The salty local cheese was a great counterpoint to the other very sweet ingredients.  And who knew that honey and caramel could combine so well?

This almost finishes my Costa Rican reports.  The only confirmed journey on my horizon is a relatively short (but still intercontinental) trip in just under 3 weeks’ time.  I’ll be dropping the usual hints about that trip, as well as providing some more information on the exciting personal news I mentioned in my previous post.  Stay tuned!

Final Hours in Costa Rica

(San José, Costa Rica)

After leaving Manuel Antonio National Park and checking out of our hotel, we walked to a nearby café for lunch. Once again, I was surprised to see a couple of large iguanas en route (one is shown in the photo at the top of this post), but I’m starting to think that Costa Rica’s iguanas are just as ubiquitous as squirrels in Canada.  Actually, I also saw one squirrel in Costa Rica…

Squirrel spotted outside our hotel in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Squirrel spotted outside our hotel in Monteverde, Costa Rica

The drive back to San José was uneventful:  we had seen much of this road before and I think we were all realizing just how tired we were.  It had been a jam-packed itinerary and we all saw far more than we had anticipated.

Our last meal together was at an Argentinian restaurant near our San José hotel.  As I had been planning an October trip to Argentina before I decided to visit Costa Rica instead, this was a nice way to end the trip.  And what a meal! I started with a delicious empanada con carne dulce (empanada stuffed with ground beef, olives and raisins).  It was so good that, after finishing my main course, I ordered another one.  It was easily the best empanada I’ve ever had.

The main post office in San José, Costa Rica
The main post office in San José, Costa Rica

The main course was a very large ravioli-type pasta stuffed with ham, cheese and mushroom, all smothered with a tangy rosé sauce.  If you are ever in the western downtown area of San José, I can definitely recommend Aqui Es for a high-quality but reasonably-priced meal.   I only wish that I had remembered to put my memory card back in my camera before going out to dinner…sadly, I can’t share any images from this wonderful meal.  By virtue of this meal alone, I will definitely be keeping Argentina on my travel radar in the future!

Exterior of the Teatro Nacional in San José, Costa Rica
Exterior of the Teatro Nacional in San José, Costa Rica

Before heading out to the airport the next morning, I had arranged to meet one of my “pen friends” for an impromptu tour of the highlights of downtown San José.  Having an area resident show me around was a great way to see the sights in a very short time.

The front lobby of the Teatro Nacional in San José
The front lobby of the Teatro Nacional in San José

We even managed to grab a refreshing beverage at the elegant café in the Teatro Nacional.  My friend’s local expertise also enabled me to find a fun gift for my wife, even though it was a Sunday morning.

Yes, you can buy Christmas tree ornaments on a Sunday morning in October in San José, Costa Rica
Yes, you can buy Christmas tree ornaments on a Sunday morning in October in San José, Costa Rica

The trip back to Toronto went by fairly quickly but it was still 12:52 a.m. when the plane arrived.  Pearson Airport is remarkably quiet at that time of night.  I would have preferred to go straight home but there was no way (short of hiring a taxi for the 3-hour drive) of getting to Kingston for several hours.  After an anticlimactic stay at an anonymous airport hotel, I finally caught a bus back home.

This was a great trip – I can’t believe how much I saw and experienced in such a short period of time.  I plan to post at least one further blog entry on Costa Rican food, after which I have some exciting personal news to share!

Manuel Antonio National Park

(Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

Given the scorching Humidex reading of 45’C on October 17, I doubted that I would enjoy our trip to Manuel Antonio National Park on the morning of October 18. However, the visit was an included part of our group tour and we were told that swimming was a possibility after a brief walk to the coast. I once again slathered on the sunscreen, grabbed a lot of water, and put on my “Bungalow Bill” hat to hopefully mitigate the burning sun.

It *was* hot. But in many ways, it was also very cool. Staying in the shade as much as possible, I sometimes forgot about the heat as our latest guide once again picked out a menagerie of wildlife that was initially  invisible to the untrained eye.

A well-hidden iguana in Manuel Antonio National Park
A well-hidden iguana in Manuel Antonio National Park

It started small with iguanas but then progressed to a three-toed sloth (see photo at top of this post) and finally a group of extremely active capuchin monkeys. While it wasn’t quite as dramatic as my encounter with the howler monkey high above the Monteverde Cloud Forest, it was still thrilling to see these excitable primates almost flying from branch to branch above us. At one point, a monkey descended to a branch maybe 10 feet from where we were standing.  As I had never seen capuchin monkeys in the wild before, my camera was getting a good workout too.

A Capuchin monkey is ready to move
A Capuchin monkey is ready to move

The walk to the Pacific didn’t take long.  Manuel Antonio National Park is the most visited national park in Costa Rica but it is also the smallest.  Fortunately, we were here in the off-season and it never felt overcrowded.

I am not a “beach person” by any stretch of the imagination.  I like to be active and I would much rather ski across frozen tundra than sit on a sunny beach.  However, after the brief but hot journey through the coastal forest, it was a relief to reach the beach.  There was an ocean breeze to keep things somewhat cool and there was also a decent amount of shade close to the shore.

Beach at Manuel Antonio National Park
Beach at Manuel Antonio National Park

I also have to admit that, as far as beaches go, this one looked “classic”.  Sand everywhere, palms gently swaying in the breeze, a brilliant blue ocean and sky…and no crushing crowds.  I didn’t have swimming gear with me, but I tossed my shoes and socks under a tree and waded in the water anyway for some goofy photos.  A half-hour on the beach was enough but I really can’t complain about my first-ever visit to a tropical beach.

Wading into the Pacific Ocean with a big hat
Wading into the Pacific Ocean with a big hat

As a bonus, a very active two-toed sloth decided to migrate between trees during our visit to the beach.  The sloth was nowhere near as fast as the capuchin monkeys, of course, but it did manage to cover a lot of territory while we were there.

Two-toed sloth hanging around the beach at Manuel Antonio National Park
Two-toed sloth hanging around the beach at Manuel Antonio National Park

We took a different route back to our van and encountered another group of capuchin monkeys, although this batch was listless and enveloped by feelings of ennui.  Maybe they were also feeling the heat, as the sun was now almost directly overhead.

A photographic study of capuchin monkey ennui
Capuchin monkey in a funk

This was the last true adventure of my Costa Rican trip.  We still had to have lunch, return to San José, have our final dinner and make our way to the airport the next day…but we were now on borrowed time.

Reptile Walk at Night

(Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

The sun sets early in Costa Rica, so the day’s earlier combination of sun, heat and humidity had largely abated by 5:30 p.m. It was still raining but that only added to the overgrown green lushness of the nighttime rainforest. Yes, I was going on a reptile walk…at night.

In retrospect, it sounds kind of crazy. I normally wouldn’t pay for the “privilege” of walking through a dark reptile-infested rainforest with no equipment other than a flashlight and a camera. However, the previous night walk was so much fun that I had to give it a try.   When would I have such an opportunity again?

Our group heads into the rainy rainforest
Our group heads into the rainy rainforest

As with all of our tour leaders, this guy really knew what he was talking about.  He also was fearless:  he didn’t bother with frills like a rain jacket, nor did he hesitate to grab snakes from trees and show them to us.  The extent of his comfort with the rainforest was proven beyond a doubt when he started telling us about termites.

One of many termite nests we saw in Costa Rica.  Mmmmm...carrots!
One of many termite nests we saw in Costa Rica. Mmmmm…carrots!

If you are ever stuck in a rainforest with no food, you should immediately seek out a termite nest.  Our guide said that termites are good for you and will help you survive.   They apparently taste like carrots…and yes, he was speaking from experience.  There is one important thing to remember, though.  You should kill the termites before eating them because they will feast on your tongue if they are still alive.   Good to know!

If you look closely, you can see that this guy had a messy dinner.
If you look closely, you can see that this guy had a messy dinner.

He told us a lot about the various tree frogs that we encountered, such as the very small “plant frog” that you see at the top of this post.  However, I think his comments about the termites made such an impression on me that I didn’t catch too many of the frog details.  To summarize:  there are lots of frogs everywhere, not just on the ground.  There are also very large toads on the ground.  And then there are the snakes…

This snake enjoyed slithering around on leaves
This snake enjoyed slithering around on very large leaves

Most people can handle the idea of snakes on the ground, even though they would rather not deal with snakes at all.  However, a lot of people get extremely spooked by snakes that don’t live on the ground.  I have received a lot of comments already about the tree-dwelling green viper photograph that I posted from the previous night walk.  Here, there were lots of snakes in both plants and trees.

This snake felt at home in both plants and trees
This snake felt at home in both plants and trees

At the end of the walk, we saw some crocodiles, caimans and tortoises…but these were in captivity.  After having seen these very large creatures in the wild, it didn’t feel right seeing them in enclosures.

Part of the "El Avion" Bar, inside the Contragate airplane.  You can even climb into the cockpit at the back of this photo...so we did!
Part of the “El Avion” Bar, inside the Contragate airplane. You can even climb into the cockpit at the back of this photo…so we did!

After drying off a little bit, it was time for dinner.  We went to a bar/restaurant called “El Avion” (“The Airplane”).  It has this name because the bar is literally inside an airplane.  And it is not just any airplane:  it apparently is one of the 2 American airplanes that ended up in Central America during the scandalous “Iran-Contra Affair” of the 1980s.  While the other one was shot down in Nicaragua, this one never left the San José airport and eventually was unloaded for the princely sum of $3,000.00.  An entrepreneur saw an opportunity and the bar/restaurant was an immediate success.  The idea has legs:  we saw another nearby restaurant fashioned from a railway car.  Costa Ricans have a fun (and quirky) sense of humour.

Up next:  Will I make it through a daytime walk in the beautiful but scorching Manuel Antonio National Park?

Post #100: Oppressive Heat, Butterflies and Vietnamese Food in Costa Rica

(Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

When I woke up on October 17, the weather near Manuel Antonio National Park seemed a little cooler than the day before.  There were clouds in the sky and I enjoyed breakfast without any discomfort from the heat.  Other members of my group were going to explore the village of Manuel Antonio and the nearby beaches that day, so I thought I would brave the elements and join them.

I grabbed my “Bungalow Bill” safari hat (complete with neck protector) and multiple bottles of water, slathered on plenty of sunscreen, and went to the designated meeting place so that we could catch the local bus.  As I left the protective canopy of the hotel, however, I was forced to change my plans.  The sun had just come out and I realized that, for a heatstroke-prone person like me, proceeding to the beach would be foolhardy.  I later discovered that the temperature alone was in the mid-30s and that the Humidex was making it feel like an unbelievable 45’C.

IMG_5318

After passing on my regrets to the others, I resolved to stay close to the hotel and minimize my heat exposure.  However, I was still restless.  I remembered that the hotel had given us a free pass to the butterfly preserve across the street.  This was not the type of venue that I would normally attend but, given my limited options (the hotel was beautifully situated but several kilometers from other attractions), I somewhat reluctantly decided to give it a try.  I rationalized it by saying that one needs to be open-minded when travelling and that there might be some interesting surprises.

Butterfly Buffet:  feeding time around a very ripe plantain
Butterfly Buffet: feeding time around a very ripe plantain

Still wearing my enormous safari hat, I took the very short walk to the preserve.  It was a large, multi-tiered, outdoor (but “caged”) facility in the middle of the rain forest.  A small service building to the side was actually air conditioned, although the butterfly area itself was very much in the sun.  I roamed the butterfly area carefully, taking breaks in the air-conditioned room to rehydrate and cool.

IMG_5351

It was a good thing I wore the hat, because I was really walking among the (sometimes rather large) butterflies.  They were everywhere, whizzing by my head and making me feel like I was being swarmed by small bats.  The colours of both the butterflies and the plants were exceptional; I was taking pictures at a furious pace.  My initial reluctance had given way to appreciation for this unexpected opportunity.

IMG_5337
My water soon ran out, however, and I returned to the hotel.  Lunch was next on my agenda and I was craving something different:  most of the options on this trip had been either Costa Rican or American.  After some quick online research, I found what appeared to be a highly-rated but humble Vietnamese place nearby on the main road to Quepos.  At least, I hoped it was nearby, given that buildings in Costa Rica don’t really have addresses.  Everything is described in relation to landmarks.  Hoping that the “near the soccer field” description was accurate, I set off with my hat and even more water.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken at the "Restaurante Ngo" (I forgot to take the picture before I started eating).
Sweet and Spicy Chicken at the “Restaurante Ngo” (I forgot to take the picture before I started eating).

After about 15 minutes of walking and determining that I was “near the soccer field”, I decided that I would turn back if the restaurant was not around the next corner.  Thankfully, it appeared and I was able to have a nice dish of “sweet and spicy chicken”.  I also felt mentally recharged, as I had managed to do some limited exploring despite the searing heat and humidity.  I headed back to the hotel to chill out before the evening’s scheduled activities.  Soon enough, the rain came!

From the cool mountains to the hot Pacific coast of Costa Rica (and crocodiles!)

(Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

As I am on a group tour, I have not had any input into the hotel selection process.  The hotels on this tour (which is marketed as a “comfort” level tour) are posher than I would normally select but the tour company’s buying power enables such indulgences.

Our hotel in Monteverde was typical – a gated entrance, private shuttle from reception to all of the hotel buildings, cathedral ceilings in the rooms – and all of the rooms were west-facing so we also could see spectacular sunsets (see photo at the top of this post), if it wasn’t raining. While it was the rainy season, it rarely rains all day…usually just for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

Evening barbeque in downtown Santa Elena (Monteverde)
Evening barbecue in downtown Santa Elena (Monteverde)

It was possible to do some fairly demanding walks here without any heat-related consequences. You could still wear shorts during the day, although light waterproof pants seemed to be the best choice. I actually wore a jacket for the outdoor barbecue we had on our final night in Monteverde.

This comfortable state of affairs would not continue at the our next destination: the Manuel Antonio National Park.  After another bone-shattering bus ride out of the mountains, we emerged on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Some very large wild crocodiles hanging out near Costa Rica's Pacific Coast
Some very large wild crocodiles hanging out near Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast

Our first stop was a notorious gathering place for wild crocodiles.  A restaurant and several other touristy businesses have set up shop near a bridge that passes over a crocodile-infested river.  Because of the intense heat and humidity, every breath was an effort.  It was approaching noon and I now completely understand why the “siesta” concept exists.  In any case, the crocodiles were massive and much more evil-looking than the relatively friendly caimans I saw on my trip to the Caño Negro region.  Adult male crocodiles of this species are generally 13 to 16 feet in length.

There were actually quite a few crocodiles, with even more on the nearby shore.
There were actually quite a few crocodiles, with even more on the nearby shore.

As the heat reduces your appetite, we pressed onwards for a while before grabbing lunch at a beach-front restaurant in Playa Hermosa.  It was a beautiful location and I felt compelled to walk down the steps from the restaurant balcony and check out the Pacific.  After walking perhaps 100 meters in total, I was totally knackered by the time I got back to our table.  I can usually handle one out of the three “evils” (heat, humidity and sun) but I really struggle with two of them…and here we had all three.

View of our restaurant from the beach (Playa Hermosa)
View of our restaurant from the beach (Playa Hermosa)

I was getting concerned about how I was going to handle two full days in Manuel Antonio.  Our group leader confirmed that we could expect the same conditions there; this was all the information I needed to opt out of an optional 4-hour hike the next day.   I really like going for long walks but I don’t think I could have carried enough water to stay properly hydrated.

Even this scaly guy wanted to cool off in the pool at Playa Hermosa
Even this scaly guy wanted to cool off in the pool at Playa Hermosa

Our hotel in Manuel Antonio was also very comfortable and wonderfully located, with views over the tropical forest and the Pacific Ocean.  Needing some time to adjust to the heat and humidity (which soon resulted in a torrential downpour), I enjoyed a leisurely few hours at the hotel before meeting up with my group for dinner.  I’ll definitely be eating lighter food as long as I am on the coast.

View from my hotel room near the Manuel Antonio National Park
View from my hotel room near the Manuel Antonio National Park

I’m not going to plan too much for tomorrow.  I am (foolishly?) optimistic that the weather will cool off for a day and I can comfortably explore some of this famous tourist region.

Face-to-face with a wild Howler Monkey!

(Monteverde, Costa Rica)

Due to my shoulder injury, there was no way I could commit to the intense 13-stage zipline circuit around the Monteverde Cloud Forest.  As a consolation prize, I decided to do the “Hanging Bridges” circuit where you covered more or less the same territory by foot.  Instead of 13 ziplines, there were 8 suspension bridges high above the cloud forest floor.

View of Bridge #4 - I had no idea what was waiting for me on the left side
View of Bridge #4 – I had no idea what was waiting for me on the left side

After having seen very little wildlife in the cloud forest earlier in the day from ground level (see my previous post), I was hoping that I would see something interesting from the top of the cloud forest canopy.

Due to the extremely rainy weather, the facility was almost deserted.  I saw one ziplining couple but didn’t see anybody at all on the hanging bridges circuit.   That was fine – I would have the bridges all to myself and there would be little noise to scare away the residents of the canopy.  If anything was “out there”, I would be in a perfect position to record it.  The swaying of the bridges would also be kept to a minimum.

View of the canopy from Bridge #4 - in a few seconds I will be taken by surprise...
View of the canopy from Bridge #4 – in a few seconds I will be taken by surprise…

The first three bridges were relatively uneventful.  I saw some interesting plant life on the trails between bridges but no animal life whatsoever.  I will admit to feeling a little discouraged by this point:  would I see anything at all from the bridges, besides an incredibly dense network of green stretching off in each direction?

Howler monkey pretending not to notice me
Howler monkey pretending not to notice me

I noticed that the fourth bridge was the longest one and that it seemed to cross a deeper valley than the others.  It also swayed a lot so I tried not to step too far from the middle.  I was quietly hoping to see at least a tiny creature when I suddenly stopped in my tracks.  To my left, about 20 feet from my position on the bridge, was a large black animal sitting on top of the canopy.  It was a howler monkey!

Howler monkey is completely bored by me
The howler monkey is now completely bored by me

Not only was it a howler monkey, but it was looking more or less right at me and not making any attempt to move or disappear.  What was it thinking?  Why was it hanging out with me at the top of the forest?  After steadying myself and taking some quick pictures to record the sighting, I wondered what the howler monkey would do next.

It didn’t appear to be threatened by me, as it kept quiet even though some of its brethren were howling in the distance.  As I looked around, I realized that it would be possible for the monkey to traverse the canopy and climb one of the trees that grew higher than the bridge.  In theory, at least, the monkey could then jump on the bridge and confront me right then and there.

Howler monkey decides it might be time to move on
Howler monkey decides it might be time to move on

I tried in vain to recall what a howler monkey might do when confronting a human.  Alas, all I knew was that they howled from a distance at unwanted intruders:  I didn’t know what would happen in the event that an intruder was right in front of them.   I didn’t have to sign a disclaimer before going on the bridge circuit but Costa Rica is probably not as litigious as Canada or the U.S.A.  The bottom line: the howler monkey is a large wild animal and its behaviour cannot be predicted.

Howler monkey stretching on its back
Howler monkey stretching on its back

Fortunately for me, the monkey showed no signs of aggression or impatience.  In fact, it appeared to be a little bored.  It watched as another howler monkey (with a baby on its back) crossed the canopy underneath the bridge and took off into the distance.   I continued taking photos, amazed at the fact that this distant cousin of humans seemed content to just hang around with me nearby.

I eventually grew bolder and started talking to the monkey.  There was no response to my English, so I tried a few Spanish words and phrases.  Still no response.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (but was probably closer to 10 minutes), the howler monkey decided that visiting hours were over.  It turned and made its way in the same general direction of the other monkeys.

Howler monkey decides to climb a little bit
Howler monkey decides to climb a little bit

This monkey encounter may well have been the highlight of my trip to Costa Rica.  I was utterly alone, suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, with an intelligent, unpredictable, non-captive and non-human primate.  How often does that happen?   The exhilaration and intensity of this meeting will stay with me forever.  I think I will seek out some more wildlife experiences in my future travels!

Monteverde Cloud Forest by day

(Monteverde, Costa Rica)

When clouds tend to perch at the top of the forest canopy, it is called a “cloud forest”.  Such forests get a lot of precipitation (up to 10,000 mm per year)…much of it in the form of “fog drip”.  This occurs when fog condenses on the canopy’s leaves and then drips onto the lush vegetation below.

Entrance to the Reserva Bosque Nuboso, near Santa Elena
Entrance to the Reserva Bosque Nuboso, near Santa Elena

This day’s activities began with our entire group taking a guided walk on the floor of the cloud forest.  While most of the other group members would be going on a ziplining adventure in the afternoon, my shoulder injury relegated me to an afternoon hike on suspension bridges over the forest canopy.  However, as you will see in my next post, this “consolation prize” turned out to have an extremely high value.

Our guide talks to us about the cloud forest
Our guide talks to us about the cloud forest

The hike along the forest floor was filled with the chirping of insects, various bird songs, rushing water, and ominous sounds from unseen frogs and toads.  It felt like a stereotypical rainforest without the steaming heat.

It's a jungle out there
It’s a jungle out there

Because of all the moisture, one does have to be careful in the cloud forest.  It can be quite slippery on the mud or on the rocks that often form part of the trails.

Waterfall in the middle of the cloud forest
Waterfall in the middle of the cloud forest

Along the way, we saw another tarantula “cave”, dung beetles and various colourful flowers.  However, despite our guide’s best efforts, we didn’t really see much in the way of larger wildlife.  As previously noted, most of the cloud forest’s creatures are nocturnal and therefore aren’t particularly active during the day.

Vibrant flowers are everywhere in the cloud forest
Vibrant flowers are everywhere in the cloud forest

Even if we didn’t see much wildlife, it was still fun to actually see some of the cloud forest itself in natural light.  The previous night’s wildlife-spotting was fascinating but we didn’t really have a chance to get the “big picture” as we dashed from sighting to sighting in the darkness.

I had worked up a good appetite after all of that walking and forest scanning.  My tour leader had recommended a typical Costa Rican restaurant in Santa Elena called “Sabor Tico”.  “Sabor” means “flavour” and “Tico” is a name that Costa Ricans give themselves; it’s kind of like “Canuck” for Canadians.

Casado carne en salsa
Casado carne en salsa

The restaurant’s location on top of a mostly vacant mall didn’t look too promising but the restaurant turned out to be a great choice.  I had the Casado carne en salsa and it was excellent.  The beef was in a tasty tomato-based sauce and reminded me a bit of goulash.  I also found the sides of salad, fried plantain, yucca, rice and beans to be of a high standard.  With a little bit of chilero thrown inI felt rejuvenated for the afternoon.  Just as good was the horchata beverage I had with it; while it’s not specific to Costa Rica, this “rice pudding milkshake” with vanilla and cinnamon was probably the most enjoyable drink I’ve had in Costa Rica so far.

It had been a good day already; stay tuned for an exciting afternoon on the cloud forest canopy!

Monteverde Cloud Forest – Spotting Wildlife at Night

(Monteverde, Costa Rica)

While Costa Rica is a small country, there are some formidable transportation barriers.  The barriers are both physical and climatic:  in addition to steep mountains and raging rivers, the massive amount of rainfall wreaks havoc on the roads.  Santa Elena (the central “town” of the Monteverde Cloud Forest) is not very far from La Fortuna but the quickest way to make the trip involves a bus, a boat across Lake Arenal, and another couple of hours of the most bone-shattering, brain-scrambling dirt/rock road you can imagine.  It’s definitely worth the effort, however.

Monteverde felt right.  We’re still in the tropics, but the altitude and the weather keep the temperatures at tolerable levels.   I’ve been able to do a lot of (sometimes strenuous) walking here without any difficulty.

This parrot lived at a small cafe about an hour from Monteverde
This parrot lives at a small cafe about an hour from Monteverde

Our hotel is spectacularly situated on the slopes of the mountain overlooking Santa Elena.  I normally don’t see the value in paying extra for a good view…but I have to admit that the views here are spectacular.

While today was a busy day, the highlight was probably our “night walk” through the dense vegetation.  We took a small van to a remote mountainside location and were equipped with flashlights:  we were going to search for nocturnal creatures in the jungle!  This sounds crazy but it actually makes a lot of sense in a place where 80% of the creatures are nocturnal.   As our guide didn’t seem to be afraid of any lurking dangers, we figured that it would be OK for us too.

We did not stay at this interestingly-named hostel in Santa Elena (Monteverde)
We did not stay at this interestingly-named hotel in Santa Elena (Monteverde)

Trekking through the dense rainforest at night is completely different from anything I have done before.  In brief:  it is dark and creepy.  More than one of us commented that it felt like we were in some action/adventure movie with a nighttime tropical chase scene.  I aimed my flashlight in front of my feet for the most part, to make sure I didn’t stumble on any exposed roots…or snakes.  There are a lot of poisonous snakes here!  However, from time to time I illuminated the area around me to see what kind of tropical life was around.

Tarantula (upper left) scurrying into a tree trunk.
Tarantula (upper middle part of photo) scurrying into a tree trunk.

The creepiness started early:  we saw a tarantula within a minute of entering the forest.  It was very large and very hairy:  fortunately, it retreated into a tree trunk shortly after we saw it.

The challenges of nighttime rainforest photography:  a kinkajou hides behind branches
The challenges of nighttime rainforest photography: a kinkajou hides behind branches

The next sighting was of a kinkajou.  It’s also known as the “honey bear”; it is related to the raccoon but looks somewhat like a large ferret with the face of a bear cub.  It was very shy so getting a good photograph proved to be difficult.  Nearby, we saw a green viper hanging in a tree.  We couldn’t get too close; even though it wasn’t very large, it could really do a lot of damage.

Viper hanging in a tree
Viper hanging in a tree

The largest sighting was of a two-toed sloth.  It isn’t closely related to the three-toed sloth but is also a rather dirty and, well, sloth-like creature.  Fortunately, once the sloth had been spotted, it was relatively easy to observe.  They really don’t move fast; it looks like a real effort for the sloth to do much of anything.  They can’t walk but are able to pull themselves around the tree trunk and branches.  When the sloth does move, however, it is quite impressive…in a “I can’t believe that thing is moving” way.  The photo at the top of this post shows the sloth hanging upside down from a branch.

Same sloth, different pose
Same sloth, different pose

We didn’t see a jaguar or any other large cat on this night:  such sightings are exceedingly rare.  Still, I’m really glad that I went on this near-cinematic night-time adventure.   Once again, seeing truly “wild” animals was much more satisfying than seeing animals in captivity.  For what it’s worth, I ultimately felt safer in the Costa Rican rainforest at night than I would in a Canadian forest at night.  As a bonus, there weren’t any mosquitoes either!

Wildlife Safari in the Caño Negro Region – Part 2

(La Fortuna, Costa Rica)

If you haven’t read Part 1 yet – it will provide some excellent background for this post and the similar but not identical photo at the top of it.

It didn’t take long to see another caiman as we continued our cruise down the river.  This one was a little bolder and didn’t disappear under the water as we approached.  We saw many more caimans from a distance but this one let us get very close.

A bold caiman in the Caño Negro region
A bold caiman in the Caño Negro region

The next sighting was something I had not expected:  the “Jesus Christ Lizard”.   I was skeptical about the name but, once again, a little research proved that our guide was correct.  Also known as the “basilisk”, the Jesus Christ Lizard gets its dramatic name because of its ability to “walk” on water.  When this lizard runs over water, it creates a bubble and somehow manages to avoid sinking…at least for a little while.  Because they are lighter, young lizards can run up to 20 metres across the water before they sink.

A basilisk, or "Jesus Christ Lizard", on the banks of the Rio Frio
A basilisk, or “Jesus Christ Lizard”, on the banks of the Rio Frio

There were large birds all over the place.  I saw lots of great egrets… but they are slightly lower on the “wow” scale as these ones may well have come from Canada!  However, the anhinga was a little more interesting:  it often stands with wings stretched for a long period of time.  Although it looks like it is about to take off, it is really just drying its wings.

The anhinga spreads its wings in order to speed the drying process
The anhinga spreads its wings in order to speed the drying process

While the albino howler monkey was silent, the same cannot be said for the other howler monkeys we encountered on the safari.  Due to a mutation in one of its throat bones, the howler monkey can “howl”25 times louder than you would expect.  It is the world’s second loudest mammal, after the blue whale.  The monkeys howl to scare off predators – if you hear what sounds like an abnormally large and loud dog that is barking at half speed, you are probably being told off by a howler monkey.

Howler monkeys high above the river, in between howls
Howler monkeys high above the river, in between howls

While the first picture looks like it was taken at close range, my zoom lens was actually performing heroic feats.  The second picture is a little grainier but I’ve included it because it shows two frolicking young monkeys along with an adult.

Two baby (and one adult) howler monkeys
Two baby (and one adult) howler monkeys

After the relatively frantic activity of the howler monkeys, it was time to slow down a bit.  We found a tree with sleeping bats:  they sleep in a straight-line formation so that they will look like a snake to potential predators.  The one at the top is the “alpha bat”!

Bats assembled in formation
Bats assembled in formation

Almost as idle as a sleeping bat is a three-toed sloth – we saw one at the very end of the safari.  Not only are they slow and lazy, but they are quite filthy too.  I was very lucky to be able to capture this one on film – it was up very high in a tree but our eagle-eyed guide was able to see it from the river far below.

Yes!  It's a three-toed sloth *way* up in a tree!
Yes! It’s a three-toed sloth *way* up in a tree!

This wildlife safari was thrilling.  It was great to see wild animals in their natural environment – definitely not as “convenient” as a zoo, but much more rewarding and enjoyable for all concerned.

This marks the end of my visit to the Arenal/La Fortuna area.  From here, we will be travelling west to the Monteverde Cloud Forest.