Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
What a fantastic way to wake up!!! Even though our Expedition Leader called us 10 minutes earlier than programmed (6:20a.m.)… no wake-up call can get any better than being surrounded by a large pod of Pantropical spotted dolphins. For at least thirty minutes around the ship they jumped, chased each other, played, and rode our bow. Why do they play? Why do they chase the ships? We like to think that it’s simply because they enjoy the ride!
Later that morning, we anchored just outside our morning’s destination: Casa Orquideas. This botanical garden has been the third child to Ron and Trudy MacAllister, two U.S. citizens who decided to make their new life in Central America. About 25 years ago they drove down through Costa Rica and never looked back. The 70 acre piece of land they purchased was their inspiration for the magnificent gardens they nowadays own. Orchids, bromeliads, palm trees, fruit trees, vanilla orchids, pepper plants, and hundreds of other plants form part of their collection. Not to mention the endless amounts of birds we saw today! Scarlet macaws, toucans, aracaris, manakins, parakeets, hummingbirds, tanagers, and ospreys all welcomed us into their private realm. Awed at how the two of them live, we went back to the ship and took a swim off the stern. The water was clean and warm and we could think of no better pre-lunch activity.
For our afternoon outing, we had two means of transportation: kayaks propelled by elbow grease, and our faithful Zodiacs with drivers included. Into the mouth of a wide estuary river we went. Rio Esquinas is part of a protected area called Peñas Blancas. An enormous mangrove forest connects the Gulf waters with the rainforest protecting the forest from brackish waters and at the same time providing shelter and home to many fish and invertebrates species. We had the uncommon sighting of a yellow billed Cotinga and a group of white throated capuchins inside the mangroves. True to its name, the rainforest bade us farewell to Costa Rica with an out-of-this-world rain shower. Wet but happy we all returned to our home away from home to prepare for our second country, Panama, for the second half of our adventure.
What a fantastic way to wake up!!! Even though our Expedition Leader called us 10 minutes earlier than programmed (6:20a.m.)… no wake-up call can get any better than being surrounded by a large pod of Pantropical spotted dolphins. For at least thirty minutes around the ship they jumped, chased each other, played, and rode our bow. Why do they play? Why do they chase the ships? We like to think that it’s simply because they enjoy the ride!
Later that morning, we anchored just outside our morning’s destination: Casa Orquideas. This botanical garden has been the third child to Ron and Trudy MacAllister, two U.S. citizens who decided to make their new life in Central America. About 25 years ago they drove down through Costa Rica and never looked back. The 70 acre piece of land they purchased was their inspiration for the magnificent gardens they nowadays own. Orchids, bromeliads, palm trees, fruit trees, vanilla orchids, pepper plants, and hundreds of other plants form part of their collection. Not to mention the endless amounts of birds we saw today! Scarlet macaws, toucans, aracaris, manakins, parakeets, hummingbirds, tanagers, and ospreys all welcomed us into their private realm. Awed at how the two of them live, we went back to the ship and took a swim off the stern. The water was clean and warm and we could think of no better pre-lunch activity.
For our afternoon outing, we had two means of transportation: kayaks propelled by elbow grease, and our faithful Zodiacs with drivers included. Into the mouth of a wide estuary river we went. Rio Esquinas is part of a protected area called Peñas Blancas. An enormous mangrove forest connects the Gulf waters with the rainforest protecting the forest from brackish waters and at the same time providing shelter and home to many fish and invertebrates species. We had the uncommon sighting of a yellow billed Cotinga and a group of white throated capuchins inside the mangroves. True to its name, the rainforest bade us farewell to Costa Rica with an out-of-this-world rain shower. Wet but happy we all returned to our home away from home to prepare for our second country, Panama, for the second half of our adventure.
