Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
It was very early—5:40 am to be exact—when Gerard “Ged” Caddick woke us up for our morning activities. Within half an hour we realized that our early rise came with benefits. We had obtained special permission to tour Costa Rica’s most famous national park, Manuel Antonio National park. The morning sunrise beckoned us to the beautiful sandy beach, but the tide was moving in fast, and bodysurfing would have to wait for a while. Instead, we trekked several of the well-kept paths that promised to reveal a wide array of wildlife. Our expectations were fulfilled tenfold! On one of the trails we immediately encountered a family of Long-nosed bats resting upside-down on a slanted tree trunk. Seconds later, a Plumed basilisk lizard and Ctenosaur iguana arrived on the scene, catching an early morning sunbath. Further down our trail, familiarly known as Sloth Valley, we saw Leaf cutter ants, an agouti and several varieties of birds and plant life. Two amazing Three-Toed sloths revealed themselves shortly thereafter. One was so close we could see him smiling at us as he posed for photos!
After breakfast the tide went down and it was time to hit the surf, play ultimate Frisbee, or just relax in the sun. More iguanas and lizards visited us before our big surprise. A family of White-throated Capuchin monkeys came so close to us, that we could almost touch them. We couldn’t have asked for a better morning!
After lunch we rested on board the Sea Voyager, playing backgammon and cards on the deck. A large group of Pan-tropical Spotted dolphins playfully swam alongside us, jumping high out of the water delighting the guests! Moments later, a double rainbow majestically crowned the Pacific Ocean, bringing closure to our amazing day. We retired early, glowing with contentment and satisfaction. Pura Vida, Costa Rica!
It was very early—5:40 am to be exact—when Gerard “Ged” Caddick woke us up for our morning activities. Within half an hour we realized that our early rise came with benefits. We had obtained special permission to tour Costa Rica’s most famous national park, Manuel Antonio National park. The morning sunrise beckoned us to the beautiful sandy beach, but the tide was moving in fast, and bodysurfing would have to wait for a while. Instead, we trekked several of the well-kept paths that promised to reveal a wide array of wildlife. Our expectations were fulfilled tenfold! On one of the trails we immediately encountered a family of Long-nosed bats resting upside-down on a slanted tree trunk. Seconds later, a Plumed basilisk lizard and Ctenosaur iguana arrived on the scene, catching an early morning sunbath. Further down our trail, familiarly known as Sloth Valley, we saw Leaf cutter ants, an agouti and several varieties of birds and plant life. Two amazing Three-Toed sloths revealed themselves shortly thereafter. One was so close we could see him smiling at us as he posed for photos!
After breakfast the tide went down and it was time to hit the surf, play ultimate Frisbee, or just relax in the sun. More iguanas and lizards visited us before our big surprise. A family of White-throated Capuchin monkeys came so close to us, that we could almost touch them. We couldn’t have asked for a better morning!
After lunch we rested on board the Sea Voyager, playing backgammon and cards on the deck. A large group of Pan-tropical Spotted dolphins playfully swam alongside us, jumping high out of the water delighting the guests! Moments later, a double rainbow majestically crowned the Pacific Ocean, bringing closure to our amazing day. We retired early, glowing with contentment and satisfaction. Pura Vida, Costa Rica!
