Somewhere overnight we passed from Panama to Costa Rica, and at 4:00am the Sea Lion called into the town of Golfito (used to be the port for a major banana growing region) where Adrienne, the purser, managed immigration formalities for everyone without having to wake us up, fortunately.
From there we spent three days cruising up the west coast of Costa Rica, stopping frequently to go ashore and enjoy the coastal rainforest. For a tropical jungle, the coast here seems so benign - the waters were relatively calm, there seemed to be no mosquitos or flies, we weren't warned about snakes and spiders, we weren't told to apply bug-spray, only sun-screen. Mostly, there were very few other people about. Paradise?
Well, the ancient Spanish invaders thought so too. There's dispute over who named Costa Rica, but none over why it was so named - the natives wore much gold jewellery. Of course, the Spanish took it and carted it to the old world via the Camino Real from Panama to Colon.
Map from the ship's noticeboard showing day by day stops.
Amy, our wellness specialist, hamming it up.
Golfo Dulce
By 08:30 were were anchored off a long pebbly beach in Golfo Dulce, Sweet Gulf, for a very short DIB ride to the private Casa Orquidea Botanic Gardens. The owners are two Americans who have been here for 37 years, and in that time have developed a spectacular garden from scratch just behind the foreshore. The site is only accessible by boat, and backs onto a national park, a truly idyllic location.
Casa Orquidea Botanic Garden, a touch of paradise in Costa Rica. A typical view from the boat.
The home of Ron & Trudy McAllister for 37 years.
Living quarters at Casa Orquidea.
The front garden of Casa Orquidea.
Here, we could enjoy the amazingly manicured garden, specialising in orchids, and the spectacular birdlife which somehow managed to get in front of the camera. And afterwards, for relief from the heat and humidity, we had a swim before returning to our ship.
Sarah piloting the drone for the expedition video.
Sarah's drone in flight.
Magnificent flora in the Casa Orquidea botanic garden.
In the garden.
In the garden.
Tanager at Casa Orquidea.
Yellow chested tryannulet.
And more, species totally unknown to us.
Scarlet macaws make photographers work to find them, but when you do, the results are fantastic.
Peek-a-boo!
Sea Lion relocated to the mouth of the Tigre River and offloaded all its kayaks for a desination paddle through a web of mangroves. Unwilling paddlers could take a DIB tour up the main part of the Tigre.
The kayak experience was pretty arduous. It was sunny, hot and humid. We paddled a kilometer or two into the mangrove swamp aided by an incoming tide and a light tailwind. Coming back, both of these factors were against us, and most kayakers were quite tuckered out at the end.
We saw numerous birds in the mangroves, white ibis and others, also a boa constrictor wound around a tree limb, and there were a few fisherman and houses hidden in there.
Kayaking the Tigre River was lovely until we ran out of water and had to work back against both tide and breeze.
Subsistence living in the mangrove swamp.
The watch boat made sure us kayakers were safe.
The entire eastern coast of Golfo Dulce, seems to be constituted of pebbly beaches behind which there is a steep hill of rainforest. Just like Casa Orquidea, there are many cleared areas behind the beaches containing camping areas or houses. These seem to be informal developments, but we understand that the government tolerates them as long as any constructions are set well back.
Peninsula de Osa
This is the peninsula which encloses and protects Golfo Dulce but now we were at San Pedrillo and fully explosed to the Pacific Ocean. The difference was notable, but nevertheless, the able DIB pilots of the Sea Lion gave us landings which were not too wet!
We came ashore at Caletas Reserve which is owned by a Costa Rican (name was something like Bam Bam who has created a basic resort here, with a couple of cottages and maybe a dozen permanent tents to rent. If you didn't want to bushwalk and birdwatch, horseriding along the beach was available, and about half a dozen of our fellow travellers took up this opportunity.
Numerous so called jungle vendors make and sell their own arts and crafts at the beach front - their sales technique is extremely polite and low pressure. Sea Lion passengers proved to be good shoppers, and the vendors had a good day.
One of the "jungle vendors" at work on the beach at Caletas.
Caletas Reserve is between two small coastal villages, and we saw lots of school aged children (still on holidays) walking up and down the windy track which joins them. Apparently, internet reception is better in some places than others!
Two village boys enjoying the last days of their holidays.
Ship's doctor John, a very keen birder, and his wife on the walk at Caletas Reserve.
Not quite glamping at Caletas.
We ate most meals aboard the Sea Lion, but here, the Sea Lion crew lugged a picnic lunch to the beach for us to enjoy.
Even in tropical paradise, you can't separate a boy from his screen.
Trogan in Caletas Reserve.
Hibiscus found in the forest at Caletas.
Then we went to Corcovado which was popular with gold miners and panners (who wreaked environmental havoc), but in 1986 Corcovado became a National Park. Here we had a short but difficult hike up to a waterfall. The 3km track was described as "strenuous" but it was really just "rough" with steep pinches and huge tree roots.
The reward at the top was a pleasant twin-waterfall with an inviting pool at the lower falls. Almost everyone who took the walk accepted the invitation and enjoyed a cool refreshing dip in the fresh water, somewhat cooler than the nearby ocean.
The Costa Rican flag flies proud on an informal pole at Corcovado National Park.
A passion flower in Corcovado National Park.
En route to the waterfall at Corcovado.
The upper waterfall.
A lizard enjoying the sun.
It was worth the long walk for this cool and refreshing waterfall dip.
Margrit and two of the Sea Lion's hotel staff thought so too.
Some sort of heron, hiding in the bush.
Manuel Antonio National Park
We sheltered the night in Bahía Drake, Drake Bay, pulling anchor about midnight in time to get to our next destination in time for breakfast. Our captain, Shawn Nettles, figured if it was good enough for Sir Francis to shelter here in the 1500's, it was good enough for Sea Lion too. Drake, in his role as pirate, apparently buried treasure here. Now Drake Bay seems to be an eco-tourism hotspot, characterised by being difficult to get to, except by boat.
In Drake Bay, the skipper turned lights on over the water. This attracts insects which brings hundreds of hungry fish to the surface, and then bats swoop in to capture the fish. Such an amazing cause-effect chain is obviously quite predictable in this location.
The Manuel Antonio National Park is tiny but popular amongst Costa Rica's national parks, and it's the only one we've seen that seems to actually encourage visitors with quality pathways and decent facilities. A town is visible from the park, and most visitors can walk in here from that town.
We landed in one corner of the beach an Manuel Antonio to avoid getting swamped.
We wet-landed at Espadilla Beach and did the Punta Catedral and sloth valley walks. The former was described as a "stairmaster", lots of steps up and down, the latter much flatter. Highlights of these walks were spectacular rainforest, scenic ocean and island views from high lookouts, another loud-mouthed howler monkey, two and three toed sloths (very camera shy), some rufous-winged woodpeckers, and white faced capuchins. And a pleasant beach to cool off in.
A town faces Manuel Antonio National Park, making it a very popular visiting spot.
Another ever-elusive howler monkey. Readily heard, hard to spot.
Tall and straight rainforest tree in Manuel Antionio.
This pair of rufous-winged woodpeckers were pecking and hopping up this tree.
Rather too familar with humans, these white faced capuchin monkeys near the beach in Manuel Antonio National Park.
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