Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Day 4: “Departure from Paradise”
I awake to the gentlest alarm clock; a wren stopped in the hedge surrounding my tent and loudly sang her sweet song. I find a cloudy, drizzly morning has settled in and I enjoy a hot cup of coffee.
I feel serene today having experienced some of life’s most beautiful m
oments. Knowing also that my time here is limited, I imprint in my memory the view of the ocean through the tall palm trees, the smell of the beach as it is in Corcovado and the peaceful feeling of being here, so far away from the rest of civilization, yet having (for me) all that I could ask for. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity to visit here.
The Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp offers several other guided hikes that I did not have time to enjoy including bird watching in the Carate River, a hike to the Peje Perrito Lagoon and other riverbed hikes in the Madrigal and Carate Rivers. They also offer guided night hikes looking for frogs and nocturnal mammals. 
It is a good idea not to have any immediate plans for the afternoon if flying out of Corcovado during the rainy season (May- November). The stormy weather has delayed our morning flight. Our 9:30 am flight arrived at 11:30 and instead of flying directly from Carate to San José, we are re-routed to Puerto Jimenez, where will switch planes for the voyage over the mountains back into the central valley. A quick, turbulent plane ride brings me back to reality as the crowds and concrete of the city surrounds me once again. I hope that Corcovado will be in my travel plans again soon.
Contact Info: Costa Rica Expedition’s Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp on the web at http://www.costaricaexpeditions.com/lodging/corcovado/index.php
Email: ecotur@expeditions.co.cr
OR from the US dial: 011-506-257-0766 or 011-506-222-0333
Fax: 011-506-257-1665
US fax: 1-800-886-2609
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Day 3: “Canopy Exploration, Turtles and Stargazing”
Since it is the rainy season here in Corcovado (April through November), the lodge is almost empty. The other five guests and I enjoy the spaciousness of the lodge and its trails. We have a group tour scheduled to the Lodge’s canopy
platform this morning.
After breakfast, accompanied by our guide Michi, we slowly hike up the steep trail to the base of the platform where we don our body harnesses and helmets and
are winched up to the 24m high platform. We find comfortable chairs awaiting our arrival and we patiently sit and observe the canopy below and around us.
The platform is constructed in a Guapinol tree (a native of the Osa Peninsula standing about 200 ft tall). A slaty-tailed trogon (a red and green brightly colored bird) and a group of chestnut mandibled toucans entertain us with their songs, sounds and colorful plumage. There is a view of the Pacific Ocean and of the dense primary forest belonging to Corcovado National Park from the platform.
The large tree, in which the platform is constructed, offers some protection from a revitalizing downpour that begins about an hour into our canopy experience. The forest becomes very quiet with the falling rain and we decide to depart from our treetop accommodations.
The rain stops shortly after we are all safely on the ground and we hike back down to the lodge. Along the way, several black and green dart frogs cross our path along with several Central American Whiptail lizards. Michi
identifies several trees along the way and explains some of the tropical forest’s ecology.
Lunchtime passes amicably as the sun pokes out from the clouds. The afternoon is unscheduled so I head to the beach with some of the other guests. The green flag is flying but the surf is still powerful. I enter the water with a boogie board; safely making it past the breakers and dive into an incoming wave. The wave rips the boogie board leash off my wrist and I quickly realize how strong the ocean’s currents are out here. After recapturing the boogie, I ride the next wave into shore and decide not to venture beyond the breakers again.
Foamy water and tiny grey rocks adorn the shore and we play in the surf from the safety of the beach. The warm sun and refreshing cool water eases the afternoon away on the mostly empty beach. Scarlet Macaws
squawk overhead as they fly in pairs from tree to tree.
My last night here in Corcovado begins with another gourmet dinner and friendly conversation. However, the evening is not to go unremembered as I have a turtle tour still ahead of me.
Around 8pm, Michi and I head out in hopes of enco
untering a sea turtle coming ashore to lay her eggs. We walk for a long while in complete darkness allowing our eyes to adjust as the high tide moved in. The ocean and forest are completely dark and it takes a good hour for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. I spend some time 
photographing the stars, which are incredible. Thousands of stars dot the sky with tiny pinholes of light. There is no moon tonight and the quietness and darkness of this south Pacific Costa Rican beach lulls me, once again, into a sense of awe.
On our way back, Michi and I spotted the tracks: a dark line heading up the beach. Sure enough, there was a green sea turtle making her way up the beach. Within just a few minutes, she began to dig her hole. My
camera has infrared vision and we were able to sit and watch the turtle in complete darkness through the screen on my digital camera. We didn’t even have to use any red light to see, so we did not disturb the turtle at all. We sat in admiration behind her, occasionally getting dusted with sand. She deposited about 50 eggs, a small batch for green sea turtles and then covered the eggs, patting and packing the sand.
When she finished, she briefly looked around and then made her journey back to the ocean where she disappeared into the surf, as if she had never been there. Only tracks and her progeny remain behind as indications of her existence.
It was such an extraordinary experience to sit with such a unique and endangered sea creature on a dark, barely starlit night. Their nesting process is very delicate and can easily be disturbed. We kept our distance, used no light to photograph or observe and did not bother the turtle. Flash photography is strictly prohibited. All sea turtles are endangered and every precaution should be followed as to not disturb their delicate nesting process. Any sort of light can discourage them from nesting. NO flashlights or flash photography should be used on any turtle nesting beach at night.
After experiencing this most incredible event (definitely the highlight of my trip), I crawled into the comfort of my tent and laid awake in awe for quite a while. After finally falling asleep, I awoke around 2am to the sound of pouring rain and had to close my curtains to keep the mist out.
platform this morning. After breakfast, accompanied by our guide Michi, we slowly hike up the steep trail to the base of the platform where we don our body harnesses and helmets and
are winched up to the 24m high platform. We find comfortable chairs awaiting our arrival and we patiently sit and observe the canopy below and around us.
The platform is constructed in a Guapinol tree (a native of the Osa Peninsula standing about 200 ft tall). A slaty-tailed trogon (a red and green brightly colored bird) and a group of chestnut mandibled toucans entertain us with their songs, sounds and colorful plumage. There is a view of the Pacific Ocean and of the dense primary forest belonging to Corcovado National Park from the platform.
The large tree, in which the platform is constructed, offers some protection from a revitalizing downpour that begins about an hour into our canopy experience. The forest becomes very quiet with the falling rain and we decide to depart from our treetop accommodations.
The rain stops shortly after we are all safely on the ground and we hike back down to the lodge. Along the way, several black and green dart frogs cross our path along with several Central American Whiptail lizards. Michi
identifies several trees along the way and explains some of the tropical forest’s ecology. Lunchtime passes amicably as the sun pokes out from the clouds. The afternoon is unscheduled so I head to the beach with some of the other guests. The green flag is flying but the surf is still powerful. I enter the water with a boogie board; safely making it past the breakers and dive into an incoming wave. The wave rips the boogie board leash off my wrist and I quickly realize how strong the ocean’s currents are out here. After recapturing the boogie, I ride the next wave into shore and decide not to venture beyond the breakers again.
Foamy water and tiny grey rocks adorn the shore and we play in the surf from the safety of the beach. The warm sun and refreshing cool water eases the afternoon away on the mostly empty beach. Scarlet Macaws
squawk overhead as they fly in pairs from tree to tree. My last night here in Corcovado begins with another gourmet dinner and friendly conversation. However, the evening is not to go unremembered as I have a turtle tour still ahead of me.
Around 8pm, Michi and I head out in hopes of enco
untering a sea turtle coming ashore to lay her eggs. We walk for a long while in complete darkness allowing our eyes to adjust as the high tide moved in. The ocean and forest are completely dark and it takes a good hour for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. I spend some time 
photographing the stars, which are incredible. Thousands of stars dot the sky with tiny pinholes of light. There is no moon tonight and the quietness and darkness of this south Pacific Costa Rican beach lulls me, once again, into a sense of awe. On our way back, Michi and I spotted the tracks: a dark line heading up the beach. Sure enough, there was a green sea turtle making her way up the beach. Within just a few minutes, she began to dig her hole. My
camera has infrared vision and we were able to sit and watch the turtle in complete darkness through the screen on my digital camera. We didn’t even have to use any red light to see, so we did not disturb the turtle at all. We sat in admiration behind her, occasionally getting dusted with sand. She deposited about 50 eggs, a small batch for green sea turtles and then covered the eggs, patting and packing the sand.When she finished, she briefly looked around and then made her journey back to the ocean where she disappeared into the surf, as if she had never been there. Only tracks and her progeny remain behind as indications of her existence.
It was such an extraordinary experience to sit with such a unique and endangered sea creature on a dark, barely starlit night. Their nesting process is very delicate and can easily be disturbed. We kept our distance, used no light to photograph or observe and did not bother the turtle. Flash photography is strictly prohibited. All sea turtles are endangered and every precaution should be followed as to not disturb their delicate nesting process. Any sort of light can discourage them from nesting. NO flashlights or flash photography should be used on any turtle nesting beach at night.
After experiencing this most incredible event (definitely the highlight of my trip), I crawled into the comfort of my tent and laid awake in awe for quite a while. After finally falling asleep, I awoke around 2am to the sound of pouring rain and had to close my curtains to keep the mist out.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Day 2: A Day in a Remote Tropical Paradise
After a peaceful night’s sleep, occasionally waking to the sound of crashing waves and howler monkeys who howled this morning at the first break of dawn, I am ready for whatever adventures the
day may bring. I am scheduled for a full day hike in the Corcovado National Park.Coffee and made to order breakfast are available every morning here at the Lodge. I don’t usually eat breakfast, but knowing I’d be walking lots today, I fueled up with eggs, bacon, fresh fruit and granola with yogurt.
My guide, Michi and I embark for the trails with our boxed lunch and plenty of water around 8am. The La Leona ranger station is 10 minutes up from the Lodge along the beach. The Río Madrigal Trail changes names several times as you head north towards the Sirena Ranger Station. It begins here and follows the beach, eventually reaching the Sirena
Ranger Station, 16km away from La Leona. The trail is shaded and flat. Bananas planted 30+ years ago remain as indication of the gold miners who once lived here before the area became a National Park. Although Corcovado is home to large populations of mammals and birds, it is often difficult to spot them because the park is so large. The scarlet macaws are plentiful along the beach, and I have already seen more then 20 this morning. Michi and I walk at a leisurely pace for a few hours, seeing only a few small birds, two common black hawks and two Red Brocket Deer. Other than that, the forest is very quiet. Not even the monkeys appear active today in our section of the forest.
We pass many large golden orb spider webs; fortunately they are located off to the side of the trail. Some webs have caught large insects still wiggling, but doomed to certain death, while other webs have only the crusty remains of what was a tasty snack.
At the Madrigal River, we remove our boots for crossing and take a rest after wading through the cool, fresh water. After crossing the River, we visit the gold miners’ cemetery and then hike for two more hours. It is hot and humid and I am soaked with perspiration. It’s a good thing I brought lots of water. We stop for lunch after crossing the Río Edionda. The beach is deserted and only the plethora of hermit crabs seems to move in the heat of the day.
We continue along the trail, now called the El Barco trail and spot a tamandua (collared anteater) foraging in a tree. He is small with a long nose and very cute. A little further up the trail we take a short side trail leading the beach where there is an old boat engine lodged in the sand just off shore, hence the name of the trail.
Michi and I walk until about 2pm, when we take a short rest on
the beach under the shade of a beach almond tree and then begin our journey home. Walking a bit faster on the return trip, we are blessed with a refreshing afternoon shower and spot another tamandua. This one is on the ground right next to the trail and seems to pay no attention to us. We also pass a salmon bellied racer (non-venomous snake) slithering in the underbrush. We pass by the ranger station and hear that there was a puma sighting today along the beach, but it was not our luck to see it. We arrive back at the camp after 4pm. I feel peaceful and lucky to have spent my day in such a remote and extraordinary place.
Another cool shower and a refreshing beer prepare me to welcome the evening. Sunset from the bar at Corcovado Lodge is peaceful as I sit in a hammock in the upper loft of the bar.
New guests have arrived today and we sit family style at a large picnic table and enjoy our gourmet dinner in the jungle. Homemade soup and freshly grilled tuna fill my tummy. We all enjoy lively dinner conversation and turn in early in anticipation of tomorrow’s escapades.
Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp is an exceptional place. You come here to enjoy its remoteness, tranquility and closeness to nature while having the basic amenities like comfortable beds, fresh showers, guided hikes and gourmet food. There are no air conditioners humming in the background, only the sounds of the forest to lull you to sleep.
The large tents at Corcovado Lodge are on a raised wooden platforms and have mesh sides, with curtains on the inside available for more privacy. I leave mine open for stargazing and to allow the breeze to keep me cool at night. A sheet or light blanket is all you need here. There is no electricity in the tents,
only candles. When it’s dark here, it’s dark. You cannot even see your hand in front of your face when there is no moonlight. The sounds of the ocean and the numerous trees frogs fill the silence, while the Camp falls dark and still. Sea turtles come ashore during the night to lay their eggs and because there is no light pollution from the Lodge, the turtles have been unaffected by this lodges presence.
The staff here is extremely accommodating and friendly. The other guests are friendly and interesting people from around the world. I feel lucky to be surrounded by such good people and to be in such an amazing place. Ahhh—the beauty of the world and its mystical places; they never cease to amaze and humble me.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Day 1: “ A Journey to Secluded Beaches and Forests in Corcovado”
Since my first attempt to arrive in Corcovado via air last week was unsuccessful (it was canceled due to heavy rains), I was very excited when I arrived at Costa Rica’s Pavas (Tobias Bolaños) airport, again, for an 8:30 am departure aboard Aerobell. We were departing directly to Carate, a small town slightly south of Costa Rica Expedition’s Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp.
I have to admit I was a little nervous about flying in an “avionetta”
or little airplane, more because I was worried about motion sickness than crashing. I am happy to report that this morning’s flight was delightful. Not only did we have blue skies and stupendous weather for flying, but the voyage over rugged terrain and turquoise ocean waters was breathtaking. These little planes have normal glass windows, making it much easier to look out the window (rather than on the big planes where everything seems distorted and dizzying through the windows). The patchwork of greenery below us seemed to float gently by as we puttered over it at about 7000 feet. I was sitting diagonally behind the pilot and could see all his gadgets—fascinating. The flight was less than an hour and, quickly, we were upon the dirt landing strip that parallels the beach.
All of our luggage was carried from the airplane to the lodge via ox cart and we began a short walk up the beach to the Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp. Owned by Costa Rica Expeditions, this rustic lodge is snuggled between the south pacific coast of Costa Rica and the tropical humid forest that makes up the Osa Peninsula. The
Corcovado National Park protects a large portion of the Osa Peninsula. The Carate River empties into the ocean just north of the landing strip and we traverse it as we walk towards the lodge. The combination of wet feet, sand inside your sandals and blistered toes (from a previous hike) make for an uncomfortable walk, so I slip off my shoes. The dark, dry sand is scorching hot – too hot to walk without shoes, so I walk at the waters edge. It
is slow going as the sand is soft, but it feels so good to have my feet in the water and to be at the beach again. Upon arrival at the lodge, the friendly staff greets us and serves us an icy cold papaya fruit drink, which tasted really good after the hot walk on the beach, and it was hot.
I had hardly mentioned the minor ailment with my feet, but before I knew it, one of the guides was there to bandage up my little blistered toes in anticipation for the afternoon walk.
After a brief orientation of all the basics, I went to my room and was happy to see that my bags had been delivered to my doorstep.
I had a little free time before lunch to explore. I walked the grounds and found the basics—the bar, the bathrooms, the restaurant and the beach. The beach was the most difficult to find as it is located about 100’ from my doorstep with only a grassy knoll and few palm trees in-between. Nice!
A refreshing, light lunch was served including a fresh veggie salad and grilled fish, all bathed in lots of garlic so that no mosquito in sight would want to bite my garlic drenched pores.
For the afternoon, I scheduled a hike with one of the lodge’s guides, Pablo. We departed from the restaurant to explore the trails on the property, which butts up to the National Park.
There is a lookout deck on the property that is awesome for whale watching and summer sunsets (Costa Rica’s summer is December – April) and there is an observation platform further up the trail. All in all, our leisurely paced hike took a little more than 2 hours as we discussed Corcovado’s ecology and watched a large group of chestnut mandibled toucans hop from tree to tree. I spotted a brown vine snake climbing a bush just to my right (I only noticed it because it was moving) and we saw a few poison dart frogs (the green and black ones). The howler monkeys kept us company by howling in the distance and, of course, we kept an eye out for pumas. They spotted one just yesterday on a hike not far from here, so naturally I was hopeful.
The afternoon passed delightfully as Pablo and I walked the trails. By the time we returned, I was soaked with sweat, so I took a cool, refreshing shower.
The bar at Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp has a cozy loft with hammocks, perfect for viewing the sunset. Although the sun sets north of here and not directly over the ocean this time of year, the colors w
ere spectacular to watch with a cold beer in my hand and mellow bar music playing in the background. Dinner was good too; Yummy cream of asparagus soup, steamed broccoli and tuna kabobs.
Electricity here runs on generators and is only available for the kitchen and bar areas only during the morning and evening. After 9pm, the camp is totally dark. Each tent cabin is
equipped with a candle and comfy beds and have all been recently re-constructed with new wooden floors, new beds and furniture. As I sit here this evening typing, the ocean resonates in the foreground, offering only a slight nighttime breeze. The light of my single candle and the crashing of the waves lull me quickly to sleep. Costa Rica Expedition’s Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp: http://www.costaricaexpeditions.com/lodging/corcovado/index.php
Email: ecotur@expeditions.co.cr
OR from the US dial: 011-506-257-0766 or 011-506-222-0333
Fax: 011-506-257-1665
US fax: 1-800-886-2609
