Manuel Antonio National Park & Refugio Curu
My stiff back enjoyed a wonderful stretch this morning, led by the Wellness Specialist on board. There is no better way to wake your body than by breathing this tropical morning air, with a magnificent view of the park we were about to explore, from the top of the ship.
Armed with the ship’s camera, I followed Margrit, our naturalist, and our small group into the longer walk of the morning: the Cathedral Point Trail. We were very lucky to see a female sloth at the beginning of the trail. She was putting on a show for us while she made her way to the top of the trees. Margrit told us all there was to know about her. The walk had the perfect combination of aerobic exercise, wildlife sightings and interpretation by the naturalist. When we passed some people who were walking this trail on their own, I felt how important it was to have someone very knowledgeable with you. And we did.
After the walk, a swim in the Pacific Ocean was almost mandatory, and as I was swimming away from the beach I remembered my office desk in New York, (as much as I love it with the Hudson River views) and I smiled.
Arroz con Pollo for lunch and lemon pie. Fantastic! More smiles on my face.
In the afternoon we dropped the anchor at Refugio Curu, a private wildlife reserve run by a family with an immense love for nature and the Costa Rican species. We set out on a wide trail to check out what was out there. Green-tailed iguanas, Hoffmann’s Woodpeckers, and many other great looking birds whose names I forgot when I ate a few termites offered to me by Gaston Trujillo, one of our naturalists. This was right after he sliced a coconut open with his foot-long Japanese machete.
What can I say; all of us at Lindblad have a great job. We give guests an experience of a lifetime, and we do it by taking care of the planet. It doesn’t get much better than that.
My stiff back enjoyed a wonderful stretch this morning, led by the Wellness Specialist on board. There is no better way to wake your body than by breathing this tropical morning air, with a magnificent view of the park we were about to explore, from the top of the ship.
Armed with the ship’s camera, I followed Margrit, our naturalist, and our small group into the longer walk of the morning: the Cathedral Point Trail. We were very lucky to see a female sloth at the beginning of the trail. She was putting on a show for us while she made her way to the top of the trees. Margrit told us all there was to know about her. The walk had the perfect combination of aerobic exercise, wildlife sightings and interpretation by the naturalist. When we passed some people who were walking this trail on their own, I felt how important it was to have someone very knowledgeable with you. And we did.
After the walk, a swim in the Pacific Ocean was almost mandatory, and as I was swimming away from the beach I remembered my office desk in New York, (as much as I love it with the Hudson River views) and I smiled.
Arroz con Pollo for lunch and lemon pie. Fantastic! More smiles on my face.
In the afternoon we dropped the anchor at Refugio Curu, a private wildlife reserve run by a family with an immense love for nature and the Costa Rican species. We set out on a wide trail to check out what was out there. Green-tailed iguanas, Hoffmann’s Woodpeckers, and many other great looking birds whose names I forgot when I ate a few termites offered to me by Gaston Trujillo, one of our naturalists. This was right after he sliced a coconut open with his foot-long Japanese machete.
What can I say; all of us at Lindblad have a great job. We give guests an experience of a lifetime, and we do it by taking care of the planet. It doesn’t get much better than that.
