Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica (MAR 03)

Having skipped ahead with several post on our health status and progress towards home, I am now returning to a chronological series of posts on the remainder of our trip, hopefully at the rate of one per day. Many are already written, but long tours on March 3-5 were a stumbling block for time to created those posts. If I can hold the daily schedule for now just March 4-5, it should be clear sailing to the finish line.

In my last breathtakingly exciting post we were at sea having passed through the Panama Canal the previous day and so...

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Hello Costa Rica

We were up early for a 9-hour tour that began at 0700. It included an aerial tram ride, a boat ride on the Tarcoles River and a visit to a sloth sanctuary.

THE DESCRIPTION

This remarkable day-long journey begins with an air-conditioned ride through the gorgeous Costa Rican countryside to the world-renowned Rainforest Adventures Aerial Tram.

Step aboard an open-air eight-passenger gondola (plus your English-speaking guide), who will narrate this incredible, silent glide through the canopy of the forest. Verdant plant-life, hanging gardens and pretty waterfalls are part of the exhilarating aerial views over this 222-acre conservation park. Watch for wildlife and for views of the Pacific Ocean right from your seat.

Savor a delicious Costa Rican-style lunch, which typically includes a pasta salad, rice, beans, steamed vegetables, beef or chicken and natural juice. Browse in the rain forest souvenir shop, taste local coffee or shop for handicrafts. A Marimba band will have your toes tapping.

An open riverboat is the perfect platform for exploring the Tarcoles River and Guacalillo Estuary. Noted for its mangrove forests, the estuary is home to many birds including the cuckoo, hummingbirds, Panama flycatcher, herons, egrets and the elusive scarlet macaw. This amazing ecosystem supports a wide variety of water birds such as ospreys, cormorants, pelicans and also, thrillingly, one of the largest crocodile colonies in Central America.

Back at the landing, enjoy a delicious fresh fruit buffet and soft drinks.

A drive through the countryside brings you to Turrucares -- a delightfully traditional town on the outskirts of San José. You will have exclusive access here to the Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center (Sloth Sanctuary) with an all-access pass to see monkeys, sloths, tamanduas, anteaters, and parrots. The foundation works to restore injured and orphaned animals to good health so they can be released back into the wild.

THE REALITY

As soon as we were on the bus, we were told that we would be doing the Taracoles River boat tour first and that we were fortunate to be able to make the change because the tidal level would improve our chances of seeing wildlife, particularly crocodiles. What they told the tours that arrived there later in the day about why they were fortunate to be there when they were is open to question. Regardless, we did see quite a variety of birds and several crocodiles.

The gain in animal sightings on the river was offset by the lack thereof on the aerial tram ride. By the time we were in our gondola and working our way up the mountain, it was the middle of the day when animals are often relatively inactive. We saw a variety of botanical life, but the ride was largely a snore.

The serenity of the ride was periodically dented by whizzing noises and the occasional shout from people on the zipline course. Their 'ride' looked a lot more fun than ours.

The lunch that followed the tram ride was tasty and if not authentic Costa Rican cuisine, was a nicely modified version of it.

The third destination today was the best. The Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center was an odd facility in some ways, but clear in its mission. Although sloths were perhaps the main attraction for many visitors, there were a number of different animals being cared for after they were injured, abandoned or illegally made pets.

Staffed largely by volunteers from various parts of the world - our guide Asha was from England - it is a good way to see a number of animals that in the wild could be elusive.