My trip to Costa Rica
I have always loved traveling and have made it a point in my life to keep exploring new places. And sometimes you can go back to the same place and explore new parts of it. I went to Costa Rica fifteen years ago, and revisited the beautiful country in March 2017.
I flew into San Jose and rented a car. My first destination was Manuel Antonio. On the way to Manuel Antonio, I drove on a bridge that went over a river that was full of crocodiles! We got out of the car to stand on the bridge and observe them, there were some basking on the banks and some muddling through the water, It was quite the first sighting. The Tarcoles River is a very well known area for seeing large gatherings of enormous crocodiles in one place. It was really special to me and a great start to my trip.
That night I reached the beautiful Manuel Antonio. I stayed at the hotel Costa Verde. It was a wonderful place that was settled right in the canopy and had an amazing view of the pacific ocean right next to the rainforest. That evening while I was reading a book on the balcony I saw our first sighting of capuchin monkeys. They were enjoying dates and playing mischievously with one another on the palm trees right next to my room. Later that day when it was getting dark, I went for a walk to the beach to enjoy the feel of the soft black sand on my feet and the melting sun on my face.
The next morning, I woke up early to the sounds of the forest. When I stepped out on the room’s balcony, I was so excited to see a pair of toucans flying about! They were a little far out, but I still thoroughly enjoyed their presence.
The next day I woke up early to start the long drive to Osa peninsula. The enthralling drive was roughly five hours long, and it showcased the daunting unpaved roads of Costa Rica side by side with the rich greenery and shimmering ocean. In some areas closer to the Inn we were staying at, it was almost impossible to cross the streams that formed on the gravel roads. On our way there we found one such creek with a beautiful kaleidoscope of butterflies flying around the forest floor. We finally reached The Lookout Inn in Osa peninsula at about 6 in the evening. It was a beautiful and rustic lodge located on a hill in the forest. The Costa Rican scenery is richly diverse and breathtaking. On one side there is the jungle, complete with indigenous species such as iguanas and agoutis (a native species of rodent similar to a raccoon), and on the other side, you have the brilliant blue ocean with soft black sand. I stayed here for three days. Within 10 minutes of arriving, I saw the coveted scarlet macaws! They were incredibly colorful and surprisingly big. There was a pair that would play around a nearby tree, so I got to see them almost within reach.
My favorite part of this place was the cottage we stayed in. It was nestled high up in the heart of the palm trees. It was like living in a very sophisticated tree house. I got to wake up to the sounds of the ocean and the birds. Since I wanted to explore the diverse wildlife in the forest, I asked the locals about hikes and trails, and I got up at 6 am every day to go for the best ones. I got to see a lot of different monkey and bird species. In addition to seeing the capuchin monkeys again, I got to see some spider monkeys, and some more macaws and toucans. On one of these walks, I heard the distinct howling of howler monkeys. When you hear them howl it sounds like a scary big gorilla, but in reality they are the same size as the small spider monkeys.
On one specific hike I met a local farmer and he offered to make me lunch. I got to have some chilled beer and chicken curry as he told he interesting stories about his life and his experiences. On the way back to the Inn, I came across an anteater. It was looking for food right by the road and I got to see the way it ate. At the same time, some beautiful macaws lay snuggled in the tree tops.
Back at the lodge, I would go to the beach for a long walk along the ocean every evening. One night I decided to go to the beach after sunset, and on the way there I heard the most intriguing sound of leaves crunching and creatures walking on the forest floor. When I pointed my flashlight at the ground, there was a huge number of crabs! More than I could count. They were not crabs like I had seen before, they were a vibrant shade of purple and orange and it was quite captivating to observe them scuttling around. It was a fascinating ending to a fantastic stay.
After leaving the lookout inn I headed back to San Jose for my flight. On the way there we came across a restaurant that had a balcony view of the ocean and the rainforest. It was a dazzling location with amazing food as well. I realized that the last time I had come to Costa Rica this restaurant was one of the places I stayed in. After a terrific lunch, I was getting ready to continue my drive when I spotted a sloth bear on a tree in the middle of all this landscape! I took out my binocs and looked at it in more detail. At first it was huddled up into a little ball which made it look like another furry animal. Then to my delight it started moving. It uncurled itself and started to move around to get a good position to scratch itself. Seeing it in action was quite a sight and a very special experience indeed.
There’s a saying in Costa Rica called “Pura Vida” which translates to “Pure Life”. It means to live life to the fullest and experience everything to its best. This saying describes all of Costa Rica. From the people to the wildlife to the beaches, I definitely left knowing I experienced Pura Vida.
I have always loved traveling and have made it a point in my life to keep exploring new places. And sometimes you can go back to the same place and explore new parts of it. I went to Costa Rica fifteen years ago, and revisited the beautiful country in March 2017.
I flew into San Jose and rented a car. My first destination was Manuel Antonio. On the way to Manuel Antonio, I drove on a bridge that went over a river that was full of crocodiles! We got out of the car to stand on the bridge and observe them, there were some basking on the banks and some muddling through the water, It was quite the first sighting. The Tarcoles River is a very well known area for seeing large gatherings of enormous crocodiles in one place. It was really special to me and a great start to my trip.
That night I reached the beautiful Manuel Antonio. I stayed at the hotel Costa Verde. It was a wonderful place that was settled right in the canopy and had an amazing view of the pacific ocean right next to the rainforest. That evening while I was reading a book on the balcony I saw our first sighting of capuchin monkeys. They were enjoying dates and playing mischievously with one another on the palm trees right next to my room. Later that day when it was getting dark, I went for a walk to the beach to enjoy the feel of the soft black sand on my feet and the melting sun on my face.
The next morning, I woke up early to the sounds of the forest. When I stepped out on the room’s balcony, I was so excited to see a pair of toucans flying about! They were a little far out, but I still thoroughly enjoyed their presence.
The next day I woke up early to start the long drive to Osa peninsula. The enthralling drive was roughly five hours long, and it showcased the daunting unpaved roads of Costa Rica side by side with the rich greenery and shimmering ocean. In some areas closer to the Inn we were staying at, it was almost impossible to cross the streams that formed on the gravel roads. On our way there we found one such creek with a beautiful kaleidoscope of butterflies flying around the forest floor. We finally reached The Lookout Inn in Osa peninsula at about 6 in the evening. It was a beautiful and rustic lodge located on a hill in the forest. The Costa Rican scenery is richly diverse and breathtaking. On one side there is the jungle, complete with indigenous species such as iguanas and agoutis (a native species of rodent similar to a raccoon), and on the other side, you have the brilliant blue ocean with soft black sand. I stayed here for three days. Within 10 minutes of arriving, I saw the coveted scarlet macaws! They were incredibly colorful and surprisingly big. There was a pair that would play around a nearby tree, so I got to see them almost within reach.
My favorite part of this place was the cottage we stayed in. It was nestled high up in the heart of the palm trees. It was like living in a very sophisticated tree house. I got to wake up to the sounds of the ocean and the birds. Since I wanted to explore the diverse wildlife in the forest, I asked the locals about hikes and trails, and I got up at 6 am every day to go for the best ones. I got to see a lot of different monkey and bird species. In addition to seeing the capuchin monkeys again, I got to see some spider monkeys, and some more macaws and toucans. On one of these walks, I heard the distinct howling of howler monkeys. When you hear them howl it sounds like a scary big gorilla, but in reality they are the same size as the small spider monkeys.
On one specific hike I met a local farmer and he offered to make me lunch. I got to have some chilled beer and chicken curry as he told he interesting stories about his life and his experiences. On the way back to the Inn, I came across an anteater. It was looking for food right by the road and I got to see the way it ate. At the same time, some beautiful macaws lay snuggled in the tree tops.
Back at the lodge, I would go to the beach for a long walk along the ocean every evening. One night I decided to go to the beach after sunset, and on the way there I heard the most intriguing sound of leaves crunching and creatures walking on the forest floor. When I pointed my flashlight at the ground, there was a huge number of crabs! More than I could count. They were not crabs like I had seen before, they were a vibrant shade of purple and orange and it was quite captivating to observe them scuttling around. It was a fascinating ending to a fantastic stay.
After leaving the lookout inn I headed back to San Jose for my flight. On the way there we came across a restaurant that had a balcony view of the ocean and the rainforest. It was a dazzling location with amazing food as well. I realized that the last time I had come to Costa Rica this restaurant was one of the places I stayed in. After a terrific lunch, I was getting ready to continue my drive when I spotted a sloth bear on a tree in the middle of all this landscape! I took out my binocs and looked at it in more detail. At first it was huddled up into a little ball which made it look like another furry animal. Then to my delight it started moving. It uncurled itself and started to move around to get a good position to scratch itself. Seeing it in action was quite a sight and a very special experience indeed.
There’s a saying in Costa Rica called “Pura Vida” which translates to “Pure Life”. It means to live life to the fullest and experience everything to its best. This saying describes all of Costa Rica. From the people to the wildlife to the beaches, I definitely left knowing I experienced Pura Vida.