Osa Peninsula: Wild and inaccessible jungle, yet charming and friendly
We could start describing our activities of the day by saying that we visited one of the most wild jungles of Costa Rica, one that is dense and with a healthy population of jaguar, tapirs, crocodiles and peccaries. We could say the only way to get to it is by boat along the coast or by hiking through the jungle for three days. This is all true, and anyone reading this might imagine us struggling through the vegetation in an extremely humid environment full of bugs, afraid of getting attacked by the wild inhabitants of this real tropical rain forest, each one of us protecting the other’s back.
This would make a great movie, but the truth is that, after arriving by boat, all of us started a very pleasant hike on a rain forest trail inside the Corcovado National Park. The temperature was warm but comfortable, no bugs bothered us at all, and some of the groups saw three species of monkeys and lots of birds. We ended up in a nice little waterfall where we soaked in a swimming hole of a fresh jungle stream. There was a small crocodile on the rock next to our pool that posed for us to take a picture and didn’t bother anybody.
I guess our story probably won’t make it to the headlines, but it sure was an experience that we will never forget. After our hike in this gorgeous national park with pristine tropical rain forest, we headed to Caletas Beach where the galley had a great surprise for us: a luxury barbecue lunch in a nice shaded picnic area by the Pacific Ocean, in a region completely surrounded by tropical rain forest, where of course, we experienced some rain for a few minutes that didn’t ruin the barbecue, just enhanced it!
After the barbecue lunch some of us went on another long hike through the jungle. Others went on a horseback riding trip along the beach, and the easy birding walk was also part of the activities where, besides birds, the group began philosophical talks about jungles, cities and societies. All this because of a huge nest of leaf cutter ants.
Now, at the end of this incredible day, how could we make it a perfect ending? … How about a bonfire at the beach!!!!!
We could start describing our activities of the day by saying that we visited one of the most wild jungles of Costa Rica, one that is dense and with a healthy population of jaguar, tapirs, crocodiles and peccaries. We could say the only way to get to it is by boat along the coast or by hiking through the jungle for three days. This is all true, and anyone reading this might imagine us struggling through the vegetation in an extremely humid environment full of bugs, afraid of getting attacked by the wild inhabitants of this real tropical rain forest, each one of us protecting the other’s back.
This would make a great movie, but the truth is that, after arriving by boat, all of us started a very pleasant hike on a rain forest trail inside the Corcovado National Park. The temperature was warm but comfortable, no bugs bothered us at all, and some of the groups saw three species of monkeys and lots of birds. We ended up in a nice little waterfall where we soaked in a swimming hole of a fresh jungle stream. There was a small crocodile on the rock next to our pool that posed for us to take a picture and didn’t bother anybody.
I guess our story probably won’t make it to the headlines, but it sure was an experience that we will never forget. After our hike in this gorgeous national park with pristine tropical rain forest, we headed to Caletas Beach where the galley had a great surprise for us: a luxury barbecue lunch in a nice shaded picnic area by the Pacific Ocean, in a region completely surrounded by tropical rain forest, where of course, we experienced some rain for a few minutes that didn’t ruin the barbecue, just enhanced it!
After the barbecue lunch some of us went on another long hike through the jungle. Others went on a horseback riding trip along the beach, and the easy birding walk was also part of the activities where, besides birds, the group began philosophical talks about jungles, cities and societies. All this because of a huge nest of leaf cutter ants.
Now, at the end of this incredible day, how could we make it a perfect ending? … How about a bonfire at the beach!!!!!
