In sharing the highlights of Dave and my trip to Costa Rica, I had read the following (slightly paraphrased) in an art gallery inside a local brewery. It captures the essence of what we felt.
“Costa Rica is a unique and a natural gem. With its biodiversity of over a half a million different species, its mountains, rain forests, and the ocean, this peaceful Central American country is a must see destination for those seeking to enjoy nature of its wildest and best.”
For day two of our visit, we hiked up near the top of a nearby mountain where the ruins of a hotel stand. Unfortunately, the visionary for the location was unable to complete the project and it now stands as a unique hiking and/or mountain biking destination. In the pictures below, you will see what you might think of as graffiti. Most of it was exceptionally beautiful. And we were never far from spotting wildlife. On our hike, Greg heard a toucan and going off the trail, we found the tree it was sitting in. It remained hidden by the branches for Helen to get a good picture, but Dave was able to get a glimpse in his binoculars. Maybe one day we will see one.
We enjoyed a late lunch at a soda. Sodas are local eateries, typically serving breakfast and lunch. The food was very good at each of them we stopped at and they were much less expensive than eating at a restaurant catering to tourists. We usually had our main meal of the day at a soda, then having a lighter dinner (more Ceviche and fresh fish please!)
The next day we set off for Carrara National Park and were again joined by Maurice, to guide us. Carrara is known for its birds rather than larger animals, but what did we spy before entering the park? Yes, you guessed it, another sloth, sound asleep in a tree near the entrance. This was a three-toed sloth. If I remember right the two-toed sloths are typically found in the lower elevations and are more of a tan color, than the three-toed. Either way they are adorable. Unfortunately, several sloth species are on the endangered list as the rain forests continue to be harvested. During our walk around Carrara we were able to see the typically elusive Toucan through Maurice’s telescope. At both parks, Maurice would spot something for us to look at and we would take turns looking in his scope. It would also help Helen to know where to point her camera. Maurice would also take our phones and take a picture of the animal through his scope.
One more blog to go to wrap up this amazing visit. We have explored the rain forests, now it is time to hit the water!
Pura Vida