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Limerence Update #23 Costa Rica – Bahia De Culebra 10d35’N - 85d43’ Air temperature 86º Water 72.5º April 24, 2001 Hi from beautiful northwestern Costa Rica. We have been anchored with up to eleven cruising boats in Playa Panama in the Bay of Culebra. This pristine bay is surrounded by forests, two volcanoes in the distance, and black sand beaches. We have landed our dinghy everyday to take walks and enjoy the friendly local restaurant called Costa Congrejos. The owners – Hiram and China – are a delightful couple who go out of their way to help cruisers with laundry, phone services, and groceries. We had many delicious meals in their beach restaurant, and even learned Salsa dancing one night! We rented a car for a week and used it to reprovision in Liberia, the closest “large” city. It has a population of only 40,000 people as most of the population of Costa Rica lives near the capital – San Jose. It was convenient to have a car to check into the country and traipse back and forth to the Port Captain and Customs at the airport. We helped several other cruisers with the process. Despite having a car, it takes most of a day to check into a country. There are many delays, red tape, copies of Zarpes to be made, and fees to pay. Several other cruisers were anchored in the Bay, and we asked them to watch Limerence while we took a short inland trip. We drove to Rincon de la Vieja National Park which is tucked in the northwestern corner of Costa Rica. There are several active volcanoes in the area with fumaroles, steam vents, and sulfurous springs. Because the elevation of the park goes from 600m to 1916m there are four life zones -- or distinct types of vegetation --as one hikes higher and higher. We drove off the main highway for a bone jarring one hour drive on a primitive gravel and rock road to the entrance of the park. We weren’t surprised that this park is the least visited in Costa Rica! We practically had the place to ourselves after the busy Easter holiday week. After checking into the Rincon de la Vieja Lodge, we stuffed our backpack with water, snacks and bathing suits and took off for a five hour hike through the forest. The forest is nicknamed “enchanted” because of the twisty vines and unusual trees. There are many strangler ficus which grow downwards from the treetops and take over a healthy tree, slowly encompassing it with heavy vines and finally killing the host. What remains are spooky looking heavy vine trunks with many lattice openings. We could climb inside some of the older trees and peer out like Hansel and Gretal. We hiked for hours and our bones ached from the “soft” life on a sailboat! We were glad we brought along our hiking sticks which we bought years ago on Catalina Island. A walking stick helps give one balance and an extra push uphill. They are especially helpful when crossing small creeks. When we finally made it to the hot sulfur springs, we decided not to soak in the smelly warm water. It was lovely to look at, but did not smell very appealing. During the afternoon we spied a raccoon type animal called a coatis, many birds and butterflies, and heard the howler monkeys. Somehow while hiking we picked up four ticks and one red ant that bit me hard on the neck. YIKES! We hobbled back to the Lodge at 5:30 PM and enjoyed a beer with several other visitors. We met two very interesting fellows from Quebec who are world class trekkers, and they wowed us with tales of exploring Iceland, Russia and South America. They joined us that evening in the Lodge for a family style meal of steak and potatoes. The following morning we headed off early for a “canopy” tour. Billed as the “original”, we hiked up into the forest with a guide, and climbed up a 20 foot ladder to a metal platform attached to a huge tree. Built for research and observation, these canopy tours now allow visitors to rappel across cables stretched through the forest at various heights. We were suited up in harnesses and climbing gear. . . so while the trip was totally safe, it was very scary. There are 21 different platforms and one hanging bridge. Doug was gung-ho but I tried to back out at the last minute. I relaxed slightly over the three hour tour, but doubt that I’ll do that again! Despite my fears, it was fun to see many colorful birds and view the black hairy howler monkeys who grunted at us as we peered at them from 130 feet above the forest floor. Our inland trip was short because we wanted to return to Limerence anchored in the windy bay. We intend to spend several months in Costa Rica and will travel for longer periods when the boat is safely tied up to a dock. We plan on sailing south tomorrow for Bahia Carrillo which is halfway down the Peninsula de Nicoya. We will be travelling with friends on Pacific Pearl and Capaz. Other friends on Rare Mettle, Reality, Viva and Night Owl took off yesterday. After a few days in Carillo, we will round the corner into the Gulf of Nicoya. We have reservations at the Los Suenos Marina in Herradura. We are looking forward to a marina as we have been “on the hook” since the end of February. Fair winds friends, Captain Doug and Judy |
